Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Expos pull out a tough victory over the Giants

Indians score big in wins

By Dick Sparrer

The Expos appeared to be cruising along with a 4-0 lead and well on their way to an easy victory over the Giants in the major division of the Los Gatos Little League.

But appearances can be deceiving.

Oh, the Expos pulled out a victory over the Giants, but it was anything but easy.

The Expos had to score a run in the seventh, then hold on in the bottom of the frame to pull out a 5-4 victory in the extra-inning affair.

The Giants were trailing 4-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth, but rallied for four runs to tie the game. The potential winning run was tossed out at the plate on a passed ball, and the teams headed into extra innings.

Kyle Schafer ripped a two-out triple in the top of the seventh and scored on a single by Jeff Oleson to put the Expos on top 5-4.

But the Giants wouldn't go down quietly. Andy Betzina opened the last of the seventh with a triple. Two walks loaded the bases, but Kellen McBain struck out the next three hitters he faced to nail down the thrilling victory.

Oleson doubled and singled twice to lead the Expos at the plate, and Schafer doubled and tripled. Nick Nino tossed three shutout innings, and McBain picked up the win with four innings of relief.

Betzina tripled and singled twice for the Giants, and Matt Finelli doubled.

The Giants had opened the week with a 7-1 win over the Rangers. Alex Rollin went the distance to toss a two-hitter for the victory, striking out 12 and walking just two. He was also 2-for-4 at the plate with a lead-off homer in the third. Brian Stanton added two hits.

In other major division action, the Indians scored 33 runs in two games to beat the Rangers 13-3 and 20-9.

Jacob Anderson and David Holtzman starred for the Indians in the 13-3 victory. Anderson tripled and ripped a two-run homer in the second, and Holtzman singled and doubled and scored three times. Kris Anderson ripped a double.

Tyler Doyle smacked a two-run double in the first for the Rangers.

Holtzman and Andrew O'Gorman not only pitched the Indians to the 20-9 win over the Rangers later in the week, but each one had three hits, and they combined to score five runs in the win.

J. Anderson singled and doubled and walked three times for the Indians. K. Anderson had two hits, and Nick Perone doubled.

Doyle singled and doubled, Nick Sgarlata singled and tripled, and Clint Dudley had two hits for the Rangers.

The Marlins were down to their last strike before scoring two runs in the top of the sixth to pull out a 5-4 win over the Cubs.

Nick Tom was at the plate with a full count and two outs before drawing a walk to keep the Marlins alive. Then 11-year-old Russell Laubaugh stepped to the plate and launched a two-run homer to take the Marlins from a 4-3 deficit to the 5-4 lead.

Jesse Fetke shut down the Cubs in the bottom of the sixth to nail down the pitching win for the Marlins.

Richie Brown tossed the first four frames for the Marlins, striking out four, before Fetke came on to pitch the final two innings.

Fetke had tripled in the fourth and scored the Marlins' first run on a double by Brandon Burks. Burks then scored on a wild pitch.

Brown doubled home a run in the fifth to cut the Cubs' lead to 5-4 and set the stage for the game-winning rally.

Travis Howell started for the Cubs and fired three scoreless innings.

Bryan Schiefelbein, Patrick Murphy and Carter Wallace shared the mound duties for the regular-season champion Padres in a tight 2-1 win over the Yankees.

Schiefelbein struck out five in two innings of work to get the Pads off to a good start. Murphy flipped the three middle innings for the Padres to get the win, and Wallace picked up the save, striking out two of the three batters he faced in the sixth.

Adam Crane singled and tripled for the Padres.

Nick Kay and Daniel Elder combined to pitch a solid game for the Yanks. Elder ripped a double, and Brent Kasper doubled and walked twice.

The Pirates and A's split a pair of games in the final week of the regular season.

Eric Brown and Corey Graham teamed to toss the Pirates to a 5-4 win over the A's to open the week. Brown fanned five in three innings, and Graham struck out three in his three innings of work.

The Pirates snapped a 4-4 tie with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Hans Jorgensen beat out a bunt single and moved to third on a walk and a passed ball. Graham was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Adam Hudson drove in the game winning run with a fielder's choice.

Drew Botham doubled in the win for the Bucs.

Geoff Hubbard and Adam Nelson combined for seven strikeouts in five innings for the A's. Nelson had two hits, including a two-run single in the fourth, and Bret Roberts walked four times and scored twice.

Nelson fanned eight in three innings, and Roberts whiffed four in three frames to pitch the A's to a 4-3 win over the Pirates on Saturday.

The Pirates led 3-0 in the third, but the A's scored two in the third and two in the fifth to win it.

Scott Brown doubled, Derek Tam walked and Nelson and Luke Alioto ripped run-scoring singles to account for the A's two runs in the third.

Alioto came back with a two-run single in the fifth to win it. Alioto was 3-for-3 for the A's and Hubbard had two hits.

Jorgensen tossed the first three innings for the Pirates, and Charlie Self flipped two innings. J.P. Grist drove in a run with a bunt single for the Bucs.

In games played a week earlier:

Expos 15, Pirates 4-- Schafer was 3-for-4 with a two-run ground rule double in the second, and Oleson doubled to lead the Expos to the win.

Expos 9, Pirates 8-- Nino, Oleson and Forest Gallien had two hits each for the Expos. Brown doubled and tripled, and Bothman had two hits for the Bucs.

Cubs 1, A's 0-- Howell fired a no-hitter, striking out 12 in the process, and doubled home the game's only run in the first. Shean Fetke singled in the fourth for the Cubs only other hit.

Yankees 4, Marlins 3-- Kay was 3-for-4 with a homer and was the winning pitcher for the Yanks. Michael Robards added two hits in the win. Brown doubled and homered for the Marlins.

Yankees 4, Marlins 2-- Matt Rose doubled twice to drive in a pair of runs, and B. Kasper and Emerson DiNapoli added run-scoring singles for the Yanks.

Padres 4, Indians 0-- Murphy singled and tripled and combined with Schiefelbein and Wallace to toss a shutout for the Padres.

Indians 7, Padres 5-- Holtzman was the winning pitcher, and O'Gorman had two hits for the Indians.

Cubs 5, Indians 2-- Howell singled and homered and was the winning pitcher. Brent Millen tossed three strong innings in the win, and Jon Branch and Aaron Goldfarb had two hits apiece.

A's 2, Cubs 1-- Nelson and Roberts teamed to toss a one-hitter for the win. Nelson had two hits, including a homer in the first. Howell singled home a run for the Cubs.

Giants 15, Rangers 4-- Ben Swartley was the winning pitcher, and Matt Finelli singled, doubled and tripled. Betzina doubled twice and singled, Alex Rollin doubled and homered to drive in four runs, Eric Rollin had two hits and Brian Stanton doubled. Eric Rude singled and doubled for the Rangers, and David Towson doubled.

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