By Dick Sparrer
It was anything but a classic pitcher's duel.
Alex Rollin of the Giants was cruising right along, mowing down the Pirates in the Los Gatos Little League major division game.
The Pirates, meanwhile, were looking for the right combination. Bucs' manager Randy Frey sent three different hurlers to toe the rubber in the Saturday game.
Still, Rollin finished the day with a one-hitter, 13 strikeouts... and the loss.
Because Eric Brown, Drew Bothman and Cory Graham of the Pirates combined to toss a no-hitter for a thrilling 1-0 win over the Giants.
Brown put down the side in the first, but Frey went to the bullpen after Brown walked the first two batters in the second. Bothman came in to put out the fire, then retired the Giants in the second and third.
Graham got the call in the fourth, and he finished up the no-hitter, fanning five in his three innings of work.
But while the three Bucs were hurling goose eggs at the Giants, Rolling was handling the Pirates--until the fifth, that is.
Hans Jorgensen walked to open the fifth. And with the infield charging in anticipation of the bunt, Logan Schafer drilled a hard bunt past the charging third baseman for what would turn out to be the only hit of the game.
The two Pirates pulled off a double steal, then Jorgensen scored the game's only run on a wild pitch.
The Giants threatened in the last of the sixth. Rollin walked, and an out later, Ben Swartley walked.
Graham fanned the next hitter before Mark Hansen slapped a two-out ground ball to short. J.P. Grist made the play, but his off-balance throw was wide of the bag. Brown stretched to make the play, though, and the Pirates had wrapped up the victory.
The Pirates had beaten the Giants 7-1 earlier in the week. Graham, Grist and Brown combined to hurl a one-hitter in this one. Swartley's single in the fourth was the only hit of the game for the Giants.
Jorgensen's bases-loaded triple in the fourth was the big hit of the day. Jorgensen had two hits, and Grist singled and doubled.
The Padres, though, continue to lead the circuit. The Pads beat the Marlins twice last week, winning 2-1 to open the week and 9-0 on Saturday.
Bryan Schiefelbein and Carter Wallace teamed to toss a one-hit shutout in the Saturday game. Schiefelbein fanned five in three hitless innings, and Wallace struck out three.
Brett Cavanagh had three hits for the Padres in the win. Wallace added two hits, and Schiefelbein ripped a double.
Jesse Fetke had the only hit of the game for the Marlins, a lead-off single in the sixth.
Daniel Elder went the distance to toss the Yankees to a 6-4 win over the Rangers. Elder finished the day with seven strikeouts, including three in the sixth to close out the game.
Steve Whitham singled and doubled, and Brent Kasper ripped a double to lead the offense for the Yankees.
Tyler Doyle had two hits in the loss for the Rangers.
Nik Kay launched a three-run homer to spark the Yankees to a win over the Rangers earlier in the week.
The A's two-timed the Expos, winning 4-3 and 7-5 in a pair of games last week.
Adam Nelson ripped a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to lift the A's from a 3-1 deficit to the 4-3 win over the Expos. Bunt singles by Bret Roberts and Derek Tam set up Nelson for his game-winning blast.
Roberts tossed three innings of one-hit baseball to spark the A's to a 7-5 win over the Expos on Saturday. Roberts also doubled and tripled in the win.
Tam singled and doubled to drive in two runs. Nelson cracked a double, and Wes Piper tripled.
Jeff Oleson tripled for the Expos.
Travis Howell was perfect for three innings to pick up the pitching win in the Cubs' 5-2 victory over the Indians. Howell fanned five in his stint, and Danny Politi finished up, fanning four over the last three frames.
Howell doubled and tripled, scored twice and knocked in two runs for the winners. Politi singled and tripled to drive in two runs, and Jon Branch singled and doubled and scored twice.
Jacob Anderson singled and doubled to account for two of the Indians' three hits.
In action a week earlier, the Indians won two of three, beating the Marlins 12-8 before splitting with the Yankees.
Andrew O'Gorman tossed three perfect innings, fanning seven, to lead the Indians to the 12-8 win over the Marlins.
O'Gorman singled and doubled in the win, and Nick Perone had three hits. David Holtzman and Jacob Anderson added two hits apiece.
Max Hirakawa had two hits for the Marlins, and Brandon Burks doubled.
Holtzman and Anderson joined forces to toss the Indians to a tight 3-2 win over the Yankees. O'Gorman doubled in the win.
Kasper singled and doubled for the Yanks.
Kay and Elder tossed three innings apiece to lead the Yankees to a 9-3 win over the Indians. Jason Livingstone tripled and singled twice for the Yanks, and Kay and Michael Robards had two hits each.
O'Gorman tripled for the Indians.
Los Gatos Little League major division standings: Padres 13-1, A's 10-4, Pirates 8-6, Expos 6-8, Rangers 6-8, Yankees 6-8, Indians 6-7, Cubs 5-8, Giants 5-9, Marlins 4-10.
[ Back to Contents Page | Los Gatos Weekly-Times Home Page | Archives ]
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, May 14, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.