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Los Gatos hurler Danny Sullivan lets one fly for the 11-year-old Little League all-stars.
Photograph by Dai Sugano
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Los Gatos in 11-year-old final
By Dick Sparrer
Dan Kropp and his Los Gatos Little League 11-year-old all-stars will just sit back as spectators early this week... watching to see who they will meet in the finals of the District 12 all-star tournament.
Los Gatos blanked Lincoln Glen 6-0 and blasted Branham Hills 22-5 last week to advance to the tournament championship game. Now Gatos will just wait to see who shows up for the title game on Wednesday night.
Almaden and Union were to collide on Monday, with the winner to face Branham Hills on Tuesday night. That winner would advance to the tourney title game on July 14, 5:30 p.m., against Los Gatos at Baggerly Field.
Gatos, unbeaten in the tourney, would have to lose twice to give up the title. The "if necesssary" game is slated for Thursday at Los Gatos.
Derek Thomas blasted a home run and teamed with Danny Sullivan to toss a one-hit shut out in the 6-0 win over Lincoln Glen last week.
Thomas went the first three innings, fanning five and allowing just one hit, and Sullivan finished up with three innings of no-hit relief, striking out six.
Thomas provided the only run Los Gatos would need when he ripped a solo homer to open the second inning. It was his second homer of the tournament.
Gatos went on to score another run in the inning when Dylan Burke singled, Navneet Hakhu reached on an error, and Jake Schonig and Marty Mullins each walked.
Gatos scored again in the fourth when Justin Schafer reached on an error, took second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Hakhu.
The locals capped the scoring in the fifth. Mullins and Matt Perrone each walked before Sullivan cracked a run-scoring double and Forrest Gallien singled home a run. Sullivan scored on a wild pitch.
Gallien had two hits for Los Gatos, and Schonig opened the game with a single.
Los Gatos bombed Branham Hills 22-5 a game later, putting 12 hits together with 12 walks.
Mullins led the offensive attack with three doubles, and Sullivan had three hits. Schonig doubled and walked three times, and Burks belted a ground rule double.
Schafer singled and scored three runs, and Thomas, Hakhu and Perrone each singled. Chris Keesling scored three times.
Thomas, Hakhu and Sullivan teamed up to toss Los Gatos to the easy win.
Major Division
The Los Gatos 12-year-old major division all-stars opened District 12 play with back-to-back wins. Gatos destroyed host American 19-2 before edging Cambrian Park 2-1.
Los Gatos met up with Cambrian and its highly-touted 6-foot-4 pitcher in the second round of the tourney and pulled out an exciting victory.
"It was a real good game," said Los Gatos manager Mike Bays.
The locals had just five hits but made them stand up for the 2-1 win. Cambrian touched Gatos starter Kyle Jensen for a run in the second, but the locals fought back with a run in the fourth to tie it and a run in the fifth to take the lead.
Jeremy Bays reached on an error in the fourth and, after moving to third on a pair of passed balls, scored on a clutch single by Nat Henry to tie the game 1-1.
An inning later, Gatos broke the tie. Eric Rollin walked and gave way to pinch runner Josh Miceli, who moved to third on a couple of passed balls. Mike Brienzo followed with a single through the hole into left, and Gatos had given Jensen a 2-1 lead.
Jensen made it stand up for the victory. He went the distance to toss a six-hitter, striking out five and walking just two. He was aided by the solid defensive play of Bays (first base), Miceli (second), Ken Rodrigues (third), Brienzo (shortstop) and Gus Winkleman (center field).
Bays had two hits for Los Gatos in the win, and Henry, Brienzo and Scott Brown added singles.
Los Gatos will take on Saratoga on July 13, 5:30 p.m., with the winner advancing to the finals of the tournament's winner's bracket. All games are played at the American Little League field, located near Monroe and Hedding behind Valley Fair in San Jose.
Jensen had three hits and scored three runs, and Bays ripped three hits to lead Los Gatos to the 19-2 win over American to open the tourney. Brown added two hits, and Logan Schafer doubled. Brienzo singled and scored four runs, and Rodrigues had a run-scoring single.
L. Schafer, Rollin, Charlie Self, Bays and Bret Hampton shared pitching duties in the win.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
