Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Los Gatos catcher Ryan Gagnet puts the tag on a San Jose Pacific runner attempting to score in the Pony Sectional championship game. Gatos won and now advances to the Northern California Regional tournament.

Gatos wins Pony Sectional

Strategy backfires for San Jose Pacific; Los Gatos advances to regionals

By Dick Sparrer

San Jose Pacific wanted no part of Casey Neale. So when Neale stepped to the plate for the Los Gatos Pony League all-stars in the championship game of the regional tournament last Thursday night, Pacific walked him intentionally.

The strategy seemed appropriate since Neale had already blasted four home runs in the tourney and led all hitters with a lofty .500 batting average. There was just one problem--the strategy didn't work.

Pacific wasn't counting on Ben Shanker and Matt Swanson coming through as they did.

Shanker and Swanson slapped two hits apiece in the title game to lead Los Gatos to a 7-4 victory and the regional championship.

Damien Hall had homered for Pacific to help San Jose take a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the fourth inning.

But Gatos unloaded for five runs in the last of the fourth, and that's all Neale needed to nail down the pitching win.

Neale went the distance on the hill, tossing a five-hitter and striking out nine.

But his bat was quiet in the title game, thanks in no small part to a San Jose pitching staff that wouldn't pitch to him.

Pacific walked Neale in the fourth inning, but Shanker came through with a hit, and Swanson slapped a bases-loaded single to break the game open.

Adam Dallas tripled off the right field fence in the third inning, and Brian Edwards had two hits for Los Gatos. Gavilan Hernandez and Steve Chase also singled in the win.

Los Gatos could have wrapped up the tourney title a night earlier, but lost an 8-2 decision to San Jose Pacific to force the tournament's "if necessary" game. Neale blasted his fourth homer of the tourney in the game.

The win was Pacific's fourth straight. San Jose had lost 10-3 to Campbell Moreland No. 2 to slip into the loser's bracket but came back to beat Saratoga 10-0, Morgan Hill No. 1 3-2 and Campbell Moreland No. 2 8-3 to get the shot at Los Gatos.

Gatos had knocked Campbell Moreland No. 2 into the loser's bracket with a 12-4 victory.

Shanker tossed five innings of shutout relief to lead the Gatos all-stars to the win. He struck out four in his stint.

Campbell led 4-0 earlier, but Los Gatos tied it with four runs in the fourth. Ryan Gagnet's two-run double was the big hit of the inning.

Shanker helped his own cause with an opposite field homer in the fifth to snap the tie. It was his second homer of the tourney.

Gagnet singled and doubled in the win, and Neale had two hits. Shanker homered, Hernandez doubled and Chase, Ryan Roberts, Brandon Burke, Dallas and Joey Warren each singled.

Matt Hintz, Brendan Boitano and Ryan Ouellet were other players who contributed in the championship effort.

By winning the sectional tournament, Los Gatos advances to the Pony Northern California Regional tournament. Gatos was to open tourney play on July 26.

Scores of Tournament Games

1: Los Gatos No. 1-15, Blossom Valley No. 2-0

2: Morgan Hill No. 1-10, Saratoga-0

3: Campbell Moreland No. 2-11, Los Gatos No. 2-1

4: San Jose Pacific-9, North County-0

5: Saratoga-9, Blossom Valley No. 2-3

6: Los Gatos No. 1-5, Morgan Hill No. 1-4

7: North County-6, Los Gatos No. 2-4

8: Campbell Moreland No. 2-10, S.J. Pacific-3

9: Morgan Hill No. 1-12, North County-4

10: Los Gatos No. 1-12, Campbell No. 2-4

11: San Jose Pacific-10, Saratoga-0

12: San Jose Pacific-3, Morgan Hill No. 1-2

13: S.J. Pacific-8, Campbell Moreland No. 2-3

14: San Jose Pacific-8, Los Gatos No. 1-2

Championship Game

15: Los Gatos No. 1-7, San Jose Pacific-4

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