Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Pirates edge Cards in nine

Bucs clinch title in Pony League

By Dick Sparrer

There's nothing any other team can do about it now--the Pirates are going to win the regular season championship in the Los Gatos Pony League. The Bucs clinched the title last week by picking up two key victories.

The two wins helped the Pirates improve to 15-2 for the year, and left them with a three-game lead over the second-place Braves in the division standings.

The regular season ends on June 10. The Pony teams will then enter a double-elimination tournament that will run June 13-24.

The Pirates won a 3-2 thriller over the Cardinals in nine innings to open play last week.

It took a two-run rally in the ninth for the Bucs to pull out the win. The Cards had scored a run in the top of the frame to take a 2-1 lead, but the Pirates battled back to tie it, then win it.

Travis Howell doubled in the ninth for the Pirates and scored on a single by Andrew Betzina, who ended up racing around the bases to scored the game-winning run.

The Cards had taken an early lead when Steven Sweeney belted the game's first pitch out of the park.

The Pirates tied it in the third when John Carlson singled and scored on a single by Adam Rude.

It remained 1-1 through eight innings, but the Cardinals went up 2-1 with a run in the top of the ninth.

Brian Cope walked and later scored on a single by Chad Yamate. That just set the stage for the Pirates' ninth inning heroics.

Geno Gingery tossed three innings for the Pirates, giving up two hits and striking out four, but he gave way to David Fencil who came on to pick up the win. Fencil fired six strong innings, fanning seven.

Howell doubled and singled twice for the Pirates in the win. Betzina had two hits, and Fencil and Carlson each singled.

Yamate had two hits to lead the Cards, and Sweeney ripped the homer. Ryan Daily and James Gentry added singles.

The Pirates picked up their 15th win of the year on Saturday when they pounded the Dodgers 14-6.

The Bucs scored four runs in the fourth when they batted around. Nathan Fillhardt, Fencil, Howell, Jeff Oleson and Casey Furtado all singled in the rally.

As if that wasn't enough, the Pirates batted around again in the fifth to score five more runs.

Furtado and Fencil led the Pirates with three hits apiece. Trent Edwards doubled in the win and Fillhardt, Howell, Oleson and Scott Shand each singled.

Nick Russell doubled twice and tripled, and James Furlo also had three hits for the Dodgers. Bret Roberts and Kyle Laubach each doubled, and Nick Fraboni had a single.

In other action on Saturday, the Yankees pulled out a thrilling 2-1 win over the Giants.

Anthony Frangadakis had one of just three hits for the Yanks in the game, but it was a big one. Frangadakis singled home Aaron Goldfarb, who had walked to open the third inning, to give the Yankees their margin of victory.

Brett Cavanaugh and Ben Sandigo also singled in the game for the Yankees. Sandigo had scored the club's first run when he walked, stole a pair of bags and scored on an error in the second.

Charlie Clark, Carter Wallace and Frangadakis combined to fire a one-hitter for the Yankees in the win. Clark tossed four hitless innings, striking out nine, and Wallace fanned three in two innings of work. Frangadakis struck out two in the seventh to nail down the save.

Tyler Wilson singled in the fifth for the Giants' only hit. He also scored the Giants' only run that inning.

Chris McMorrow, Matt Cooke and Jason Mack teamed to toss the three-hitter for the Giants.

It was the second straight heartbreaking 2-1 loss for the Giants, who had fallen to the Cardinals by the same score earlier in the week.

Michael Baker snapped a 1-1 tie when he scored in the bottom of the seventh to give the Cards the victory. Baker was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a balk, took third on a wild pitch and scored on a wild pitch to end the game.

Sweeney singled and doubled for the Cards, including a run-scoring hit to drive in Peter Kiszka in the fifth.

Brian Schiefelbein was the winning pitcher for the Cardinals and he also helped his own cause with a pair of singles. Ryan Daily ripped a double, and Kiszka and Jayson Furia each singled.

Brian Miguel singled and doubled, Drew Bothman had two hits and Brian Burks singled to lead the Giants offensively.

The Yankees had opened the week by dropping a 5-1 decision to the Braves.

Brandon Brigham snapped a scoreless tie when he walked and raced home on a double by Daniel Holtzman in the third.

The Braves broke the game open when they batted around in the fourth inning to score three runs. They capped the scoring with a run in the sixth. Trevor Branon singled and eventually scored on a single by Holtzman.

Holtzman singled and doubled in the win, and Branon and Wayne Hopp had two hits apiece. Alex Rollin slapped a double.

Rollin and Branon combined to throw a one-hitter for the victory.

Wallace had the lone hit for the Yanks.

The Braves came back on Saturday to beat the Marlins 7-4 in a slugfest.

Holtzman blasted two home runs for the Braves, and Chris Eagen ripped one for the Marlins in the Saturday afternoon game.

Holtzman helped the Braves jump out to the early lead in the game. Rollin doubled in the first before Holtzman ripped a two-run homer to put his club on top. In the third, Branon tripled before Holtzman ripped his second homer. Holtzman didn't homer in the fifth, but he did rip a run-scoring single up the middle. Branon and Rollin had singled to open the inning, then Holtzman followed with a hit. Branon scored, but Rollin was tossed out at the plate. Center fielder Trevor Adams tossed to Eagen, who relayed the throw to catcher Evan McDonald to cut down Rollin.

The Braves picked up two more runs in the seventh, though. Brandon Brigham led off with a single, John Ouellet singled him to third and Branon knocked him home with a sacrifice fly to center. Ouellet scored on a fielder's choice. Hopp also singled in the game for the Braves.

Trevor Adams scored a pair of runs for the Marlins. He walked and later scored on a single by David Hasson in the second inning, then he reached on a dropped third strike in the third and scored on another single by Hasson. Eagen had led off the third with his homer.

Luke Alioto scored the fourth run of the day for the Marlins when he raced home on a wild pitch in the seventh.

McDonald doubled and Eagen and Patrick Murphy each singled for the only other hits of the day for the Marlins.

The Marlins had opened the week with a 12-2 win over the Dodgers.

McDonald singled and doubled, and Hasson had two hits in an eight-run rally in the third that broke the game open. Andrew O'Gorman, Chris Easter and Adams also had hits in the rally.

Murphy, Eagen and Anthony Burks also had hits in the game for the Marlins.

Roberts singled and doubled for the Dodgers. Russell Laubach doubled and Russell singled in the game.

Los Gatos Pony League standings (as of June 6): Pirates 15-2, Braves 12-5, Giants 10-8, Yanks 9-8, Cardinals 7-10, Marlins 4-13, Dodgers 3-14.

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