Photograph by Robert Scheer
Los Gatos third sacker Stephen Sweeney makes the play at third, but too late to get this Quito runner in District 12 tournament play. Gatos will play for the district championship Wednesday.
By Dick Sparrer
No question about it, baseball is a team sport.
But that doesn't mean a game can't be dominated by an individual.
Trent Edwards of the Los Gatos Little League major division all-star team proved that last weekend in the finals of the District 12 winner's bracket.
Los Gatos beat the Branham Hills Little League 'stars 4-1 on Saturday, and that one belonged to Edwards.
The 12-year-old righthander had three hits, was on base four times, was involved in all three Los Gatos scoring rallies and struck out 15 while tossing a four-hitter for the win.
Other than the strikeouts, only three outs were recorded by the Los Gatos defense, and Edwards even had a hand in that one!
Branham opened the third with a single and a walk. The next hitter lifted a pop fly into foul territory behind third, but shortstop Charlie Clarke made an outstanding running catch for the first out.
A walk later, Branham had the bases loaded and their No. 5 hitter drilled a single to right. Adam Rude came up throwing to Edwards, and he relayed home to catcher Daniel Holtzman to cut down the second runner at the plate.
"That was a big, big play," Los Gatos manager Randy Frey said. "It was just a perfect relay."
Edwards fanned the next hitter to get out of the jam, and Los Gatos escaped with a 3-1 lead.
Edwards went on to strike out the side in the fourth, fan the side in the fifth and whif two of three in the sixth to nail down the win.
"He was uncharacteristically wild," Frey said of Edwards, who walked five on the day. "His back started to stiffen up and he was playing in some pain. He was overthrowing early, but then eased up a little because of his back. Then his curve ball started to explode on them."
Edwards was in the middle of all three scoring rallies for Los Gatos.
He opened the game by getting hit by a pitch. Rude beat out a bunt single and the runners moved to second and third on a wild pitch. Holtzman drove home Edwards with a ground out to short.
Gatos made it 3-0 in the third. Edwards ripped a one-out single and Rude walked. After the two moved up on another wild pitch, Holtzman lined a double off the fence in right-center to drive in two.
Branham scored a run in the bottom of the third, but Los Gatos got the run back in the fourth. Jayson Furia cracked a one-out double to right-center and Chris McMorrow walked. Pinch-hitter Kris Zanotto bunted the two over and was safe on an error to load the bags. An out later Edwards singled up the middle to drive in a run.
McMorrow was thrown out on a close play at the plate, and was one of just four Gatos runners called out at home.
"It could made been much different," Frey said of the close game. "We had chances to break this game open, but we kept getting guys thrown out at the plate."
Edwards was 3-for-3 and Rude was 2-for-2 with two walks. Holtzman doubled and drove in three runs and Furia and Stephen Sweeney each doubled. Matt Cooke belted a single.
Los Gatos will now play for the District 12 title on July 17, 5:30 p.m., at the American Little League field (behind Valley Fair at Cory Elementary School, corner of Monroe and Woodland). Because they are unbeaten, the locals would have to be beaten twice to surrender the title. An "if necessary" game is set for July 18, 5:30 p.m., on the same field.
The winner of the tourney advances to the sectional tournament. The District 12 champ faces the District 44 champion on July 20, 1 p.m., at the Berryessa Little League field.
Los Gatos earned the spot in the District 12 winner's bracket finals with an 8-2 win over Willow Glen. McMorrow was the winning pitcher for Gatos, fanning eight and allowing just three hits in five innings of work. Holtzman tossed the final inning to get the save.
McMorrow helped his own cause with a pair of doubles. He scored two runs and knocked in three. Clarke had two hits and scored twice in the win. Trevor Brannon added a run-scoring single.
11-year-old division
The Los Gatos 11-year-old all-stars lost a 5-4 heartbreaker to Lincoln Glen to fall out of the District 12 tourney.
Gatos was held hitless until the fourth when Alex Rollin doubled, and the locals came back with four runs in the fifth to lead 4-2.
Ryan Daily and Adam Nelson each walked to get the rally started. Travis Howell spanked a run-scoring single and Patrick Murphy beat out a bunt single to load the bases. Derek Tam singled home a run, and Andrew O'Gorman plated another with a sacrifice fly. Bryan Schiefelbein followed with a double to drive home the fourth run of the inning.
Gatos took a 4-2 lead into the sixth, but Lincoln Glen rallied for three runs to pull out the victory.
Other members of the Los Gatos team included Eric Brown, Adam Crane, Matt DePalma and Kyle Schafer.
Nine-year-old division
A tough 14-11 loss to Cambrian dropped the Los Gatos 9-year-old all-stars out of the District 12 tournament--but Gatos didn't go down without a fight.
The local kids trailed by six heading into the final inning, but Andrew Kettman singled to open the sixth. Erik Rollin doubled to right-center to put runners on second and third, and Kenny Rodrigues tripled down the right field line to score them both. Rodrigues scored, too, when Cambrian threw the ball away.
But the next three hitters struck out, and Gatos lost by three.
Gatos jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Scott Heller reached on an error and Kettman singled. The two moved up on a passed ball, and Heller came home on a sacrifice fly by Rollin. Kettman raced home on an error.
Cambrian came right back with a run in the home half of the inning, but Heller closed the door on the home team when he caught a fly ball in right and tossed to second for a double-play.
A two-run double by Scott Brown and run-scoring singles by Rollin and Rodrigues keyed a five-run second for Los Gatos. Kevin McCarty, Jack Wall and Heller also singled in the rally.
Cambrian went up 8-7 in the bottom of the second, but Los Gatos tied it in the fourth when Rollin walked, stole second and scored on a double by Kyle Jensen.
But once again Cambrian rallied, this time to go up 14-8.
Other members of the Los Gatos squad include Jeremy Bays, Spencer Doyle, Logan Schafer and Nate Swartley.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, July 17, 1996.
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