11-year-old all-stars in sectionals

By Dick Sparrer

The season could have ended right there.

The Los Gatos Little League 11-year-old all-star team dropped a 13-6 decision to Almaden in the finals of the winner's bracket in the District 12 tournament, and the local 'stars needed a win over Union if they hoped to keep playing baseball this summer.

Well, Woody Wilkerson and his Gatos teammates certainly must have wanted to play a little more ball.

Wilkerson went four-for-four with a grand slam to lead Los Gatos to a 10-2 victory over Union and into the tournament championship game against Almaden.

Gatos lost again to the kids from Almaden--this time 5-1--but the local all-stars remain alive in the 2000 season, winning a berth in the sectional tournament that opens this week in Campbell.

Los Gatos will face the District 9 champion on July 20, 5:30 p.m., at the Campbell Little League field at Rosemary School on Hamilton Avenue.

Gatos had opened the district tournament with lopsided wins over Willow Glen (15-7) and Branham Hills (11-1) before pulling out a thriller over Saratoga (12-11). But they lost 13-6 a game later to Almaden to slip into the loser's bracket. The locals needed a win, and they got one in impressive fashion with the 10-2 victory over Union.

Wilkerson crushed a grand slam in the third and a solo homer in the sixth to lead Los Gatos to the easy win. He had four hits and drove in six runs in the game.

Kyle Blair added two hits for Los Gatos and Bricklin Foley doubled. Will Kapp, Sean Wasserman, Mitch Benedetti and Eric McDonald each singled for Gatos.

Matt Ellis tossed three innings to get the win over Union and Wasserman flipped the final three frames to get the save.

The victory clinched a sectional berth and also gave Gatos a shot at the tourney title. But that was not to be as the locals fell 5-1 to Almaden.

Gatos actually took a 1-0 lead in the second inning of the title game. Foley doubled and McDonald walked. After two outs, Steven Stage walked to load the bases, and Colby Moore walked to force home a run.

Almaden tied it with an unearned run in the third, then broke the game open with three in the fourth. Almaden added an insurance run in the sixth.

Foley finished the day with two hits and Wilkerson added a single to round out a three-hit attack.

Blair went the distance but was tagged with the tough pitching loss.

Blair was the winning pitcher in the first game of the tournament. He flipped three innings in the 15-7 win over Willow Glen. Noah Henry fired two innings of relief and Wasserman came on to pitch the sixth.

Benedetti led the bat attack with a double and two singles and Blair had two hits. Foley tripled, Wasserman doubled and Stege singled.

Ellis tossed three innings and Foley fired one in an 11-1 four-inning win over Branham Hills. McDonald homered and singled and Blair cracked a two-run homer. Moore singled and doubled, Benedetti had two hits and Wilkerson doubled.

Los Gatos pulled out a 12-11 win over Saratoga with two runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Saratoga had taken an 11-10 lead in the top of the sixth. But Wilkerson singled to open the sixth and McDonald walked. Benedetti doubled the two home and Gatos had the thrilling victory.

Benedetti had three hits in the win and Wilkerson singled twice. Moore doubled and McDonald, Foley and Stege each singled. Blair threw five innings in the game and Foley picked up the win with an inning of relief.

Foley had two hits, Wilkerson doubled and Benedetti and Stege each singled, but Los Gatos lost 13-6 to Almaden in the finals of the winner's bracket.

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