Benedetti double sparks Los Gatos to 5-3 victory

By Dick Sparrer

Timing is everything.

And Mitch Benedetti came through at just the right time for the Los Gatos Little League 11-year-old all-stars last week in the third round of the sectional tournament.

Benedetti's two-run double sparked a four-run rally in the fourth and led Los Gatos to a 5-1 win over Eastridge and into the winner's bracket final against Almaden.

Gatos lost a 7-3 nod to Almaden on Saturday, though, and the local kids will have to fight their way out of the loser's bracket to get back to the championship game.

Los Gatos will meet Santa Cruz on Aug. 1, 5:30 p.m., at the Tri-Cities Little League field at Wilson Park in Cupertino, with the winner moving on to challenge unbeaten Almaden on Aug. 3, 5:30 p.m., on the same field. Almaden would have to be beaten twice.

Gatos had won three straight to open the tourney, the third win coming against Eastridge last week.

The clubs were locked in a 1-1 draw heading into the fourth when the locals took advantage of the Eastridge pitcher's wildness to break the tie. Bricklin Foley, Woody Wilkerson and Sean Wasserman each walked to load the bases, and Kyle Blair pushed home a run when he was hit by a pitch.

Benedetti really made it hurt, though, when he drilled a double down the right field line to drive home Wilkerson and Wasserman. Eric McDonald followed with a run-scoring single to cap the rally.

That was more than enough for Blair. He went on to toss a complete game for the victory, allowing just five hits and fanning five.

"He pitched a really good game," said Gatos manager Bob Moore. "It was a real pitchers' duel for a while."

Foley and Blair each had singles in the game to round out the five-hit attack for Los Gatos.

Almaden proved too much for the Gatos boys on Saturday, though, when the locals dropped a 7-3 decision. Gatos left 12 runners on base in the loss.

Los Gatos scored all three of its runs in one inning. Noah Henry singled and Wilkerson walked. Colby Moore followed with a run-scoring single, but all three runners ended up scoring when the ball got through the center fielder.

Wasserman doubled and Steven Stege, Ben Hintz and Will Kapp each singled to complete the four-hit effort for LG. Wilkerson allowed just one run in three strong innings on the hill.

Los Gatos opened the week with a 14-3 win over Moreland. Henry doubled and singled twice to drive in three runs and he also pitched two innings. Wilkerson threw three innings to get the win and also delivered a run-scoring single.

Benedetti doubled and singled to plate a run and Kapp had two hits and a run-batted-in. Blair singled home a couple of runs and Foley drove in one with a hit.

McDonald, Wasserman and Moore also had hits for the winners.

Gatos opened the tournament with a 7-1 win over Hollister. Matt Ellis threw a no-hitter for the win, and came within an out of a shutout.

Ellis struck out 10 and walked six in his gem. He lost the shutout in the sixth when Hollister scored an unearned run with two outs.

Wilkerson gave Ellis all the run support he needed with a three-run homer in the first inning. Kapp and Foley walked to open the game, then Wilkerson launched his homerun.

Moore doubled and singled twice in the win and Henry had two hits to knock in three runs. Ellis ripped a run-scoring single and Kapp and McDonald each had hits.

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