The Giants won the championship tournament in the Los Gatos Little League major division. Members of the team include Kevin Bakken, Kyle Bakken, Jeremy Bays, Ryan Black, Trevor Campbell, A.J. Comeau, Will Kapp, Mitch Knauf, Kevin McCarty, Erik Rollin, Jake Schonig and Alex Zanotto. The club's manager is Mike Bays and the coaches are Barry Bakken, Dan Zanotto and Corky Black.

Giants win Little League crown

Los Gatos team beats Pirates in title game

By Dick Sparrer

The Bay Area has been waiting a long time for the Giants to bring home a championship.

But it appears that the long wait has finally ended... in Los Gatos, at least.

The San Francisco Giants may well win a pennant this season. But the Giants of the Los Gatos Little League major division already have.

The Giants edged the Pirates 6-4 in the championship game of the league tournament to claim the title and earn a place in the District 12 Tournament of Champions.

Erik Rollin went the distance to toss a five-hitter, striking out nine and walking just five, to lead the Giants to the title-clinching win over the Pirates.

A four-run rally in the third gave the Giants the lead, and a two-run rally in the fifth ended up securing the victory.

The Giants were down 2-0 heading into the last of the third, but Kevin McCarty opened the inning with a single, and Jeremy Bays walked. Both runners came racing home when Rollin blasted a two-run double to center field. Rollin scored when Kevin Bakken reached on an error, and Mitchell Knauff singled home Bakken to give the Giants a 4-2 lead.

Alex Zanotto and Jake Schonig each walked to start a two-out rally in the fifth. McCarty singled home one run, and Bays doubled home another to put the Giants up 6-2.

But there was no quit in the Pirates, who had fought through the loser's bracket to force the final championship game. Charlie Self, who had been hot throughout the tournament, lined out hard to short, but Justin Schafer followed with a single to get the rally started.

Nick Gaffney reached on an error, but was forced at second by Dylan Burke. Daniel Silva singled to center to drive in a run, and Mitchell Benedetti singled down the left-field line to drive in another. But Self got the final out on a strikeout, and the Giants had clinched the title.

Logan Schafer had doubled to open the game for the Bucs and scored on a single by J. Schafer.

The Pirates made it 2-0 with a run in the third. L. Schafer and Andrew Silva each walked, and a run scored when J. Schafer reached on an error.

Giants win 4 of 5

The Giants opened the tournament with three straight wins, then, after falling 5-2 to the Pirates, beat the Bucs for the title.

Bays and Rollin teamed to toss the Giants to a 6-2 win over the Rangers in the tourney opener. Rollin ripped a two-run single in the first, and Bays clubbed a two-run double in the fifth to lead the scoring attack.

Kyle Bergland singled, and Vincent Bellotti blasted a two-run homer to account for all of the scoring for the Rangers.

The Giants battled back to beat the Indians and the Cubs to set up the first championship game against the Pirates. But the Bucs forced the "if necessary" game with a 5-2 win over the Giants. J. Schafer and Danny Frey combined to whirl a four-hitter for the Pirates.

The Giants took the lead in the first when Schonig walked and ended up scoring on a single by Rollin. But the Bucs turned a double play to get J. Schafer out of the jam.

Schafer blanked the Giants in the second and third, but left the game trailing 1-0. The Pirates tied it in the fourth when Silva singled, moved to third on a couple of wild pitches and scored on a ground out by J. Schafer.

Frey took over in the fourth and walked the bases loaded. Bakken drove in a run with a ground out, but Frey pitched out of trouble and went on to claim the win when his club tied it in the fifth and took the lead in the sixth.

D. Silva and Benedetti each singled to open the fifth, and Frey knocked in the tying run with a ground out.

Self broke the tie with a home run to center in the sixth. Steven Genetti reached on a fielder's choice and scored on a single by D. Silva. Benedetti ended up knocking in Silva.

Frey, who allowed just one hit over three innings, allowed just one baserunner as he put down the Giants in the home half of the sixth.

That set up the final game for the championship, and the Giants pulled out the win.

Bucs battle

The Pirates opened the tournament with a 12-7 win over the Marlins, but found themselves in the loser's bracket after a 6-2 loss to the Cubs. But the Bucs beat the Yankees 5-3, the A's 7-6 and the Cubs 7-3 to earn the shot at the Giants.

Gaffney blasted a grand slam and J. Schafer was three-for-three in the Pirates' 12-7 win over the Marlins. Self and Burke had two hits apiece, Matt Nelson ripped a two-run double and Benedetti doubled.

Mike Brienzo singled and doubled for the Marlins and Chad Corl had two hits.

But the Pirates lost 6-2 to the Cubs a game later. Nick Politi ripped a two-run single and Timmy Sweeney singled home a run to key a five-run rally in the third for the Cubs. Politi finished with two hits, and Spencer Maltbie added a double. Kenny Rodrigues, Jordan Senner and Marty Mullins combined to pitch to the Cubs to the win.

Burke had two hits for the Pirates and Gaffney doubled.

But the Pirates won three thrillers to earn a shot at the title. The Bucs beat the season champion Yankees 5-3 in what Pirates manager Randy Frey called "one of the best Little League games I've seen in a long time."

The clubs were locked in a scoreless tie through four innings before Emerson DiNapoli launched a three-run homer that bounced off the Baggerly sign on the scoreboard in center field. Kyle Jensen had walked and Bret Hampton singled before DiNapoli's blast.

But the Pirates answered with a little power of their own. Dy. Burke walked in the fifth, but was forced at second by Daniel Burke. Alex Tsusaki walked, and L. Schafer ripped a three-run homer to right-center to tie the game.

Self, who struck out 11 as he went the distance to toss a five-hitter, put down the Yanks one-two-three in the fifth, then the Pirates went to work in the sixth.

J. Schafer walked, took second on a wild pitch and scored on a double by Gaffney, who then scored himself on a couple of passed balls. But the Yankees weren't going to go down easy in the sixth. Hampton walked and raced to third on a double by Derek Thomas. DiNapoli ripped what appeared to be a single, but the ground ball hit a baserunner for an out, and Self struck out the next two hitters.

L. Schafer tossed a complete game and also doubled twice to knock in three runs to lead the Pirates to a 7-6 win over the A's. Gaffney singled and doubled in the win.

Scott Brown was three-for-three with a double and scored two runs for the A's. Paul Elias and Nick Ibarra had two hits apiece, and Kyle Dietrich doubled.

J. Schafer and Frey combined for a five-hitter in a 7-3 win over Cubs a game later. Frey held the Cubs hitless over the final three innings to get the win. Self doubled and singled twice to drive in two runs, L. Schafer tripled and Gaffney doubled.

Sweeney singled and doubled for the Cubs, Rodrigues doubled, and Robbie Perry and Gus Winkleman each singled.

Indians upset Yanks

Liam Smith and Nat Henry joined forces to toss a six-hitter in the Indians' 3-2 seven-inning upset win over the Yankees early in the tournament.

The Indians scored the game-winner in the top of the seventh when Chris Keesling singled and eventually scored on a ground out by Smith. Matt Perrone had three hits in the win, and Keesling ripped a pair. Henry blasted a solo homer in the sixth.

Jensen was three-for-three for the Yanks and Travis Livingstone doubled.

The Indians had opened with a 13-3 win over the Padres. Smith was the winning pitcher, and Chad Bannon's two-run single sparked a six-run rally in the second.

David Pavicich ripped a solo homer in the fourth for the Padres.

The Indians lost to the Giants and the A's to face elimination from the tournament.

A's blank Padres

Danny Sullivan, Blake Dietrich and Brown combined for a shutout in the A's 17-0 win over the Padres. Sullivan blasted three doubles, Ibarra doubled and singled twice, Stephen Stege had two hits, and Nick Nowak had two hits in the win.

Anthony Skaran, Ryan Bersano and Eric McDonald each had hits for the Padres.

The A's had lost 5-4 to Cubs in the first round of the tourney. Mullins doubled and singled twice for the Cubs in the win, and Maltbie and Louis Santoro had two hits apiece. Winkleman doubled.

The A's went on to beat the Padres, Marlins and Indians before falling to the Pirates.

Other Games

In other tournament games, the Rangers beat the Cardinals 9-8 but lost to the Yankees, and the Marlins topped the Cards 8-5.

Corl doubled and singled twice, and Brienzo singled and doubled to lead the Marlins past the Cardinals. Matt McKinley also had a key hit in the win.

Rusty Wall singled and doubled, and Jack Wall and Marc Guedenet each doubled for the Cards.

The pitching of Navneet Hakhu and Tommy Towson sparked the Rangers to a 9-8 win over the Cards. Bergland had two hits in the win, Cody Sanford tripled, and Bellotti smacked a two-run double.

Forrest Gallien and Guedenet belted three doubles and Forrest Gallien had three hits. Jeff Trobbe and Wall each tripled.

Final standings

Final tournament standings: 1) Giants, 2) Pirates, 3) Cubs, 4) A's, 5) Yankees, 6) Indians, 7) Marlins, 8) Rangers, 9) Cardinals, 10) Padres.

Final Los Gatos Little League major division regular season standings: Yankees 16-2, Pirates 15-3, A's 14-4, Giants 10-8, Cubs 8-10, Rangers 8-10, Cardinals 6-12, Indians 6-12, Marlins 6-12, Padres 1-17.

Police Report

Compost heap embodies the American Dream

New West Valley-Mission Community College District chancellor Linda Salter

Photo: Girl Scouts create hats for children undergoing chemotherapy

Frame It Art & Design celebrates 25 years

Picture From the Past

Sports Briefs

Giants win Little League division championships

Marcia, Danny Wallis are golf champions