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Falcons power North to all-star win over South
By Dick Sparrer
There's no sweeter way for a baseball player to end his high school career than to help his team win a Central Coast Section championship.
Or, maybe there is.
Ryan Bernard, Mike Drew and Robin Gill seemed to find a way last weekend.
The three sluggers helped the Saratoga baseball team win the CCS Division II championship this spring. But they weren't finished yet.
Bernard, Drew and Gill each slugged home runs last Saturday to lead the North all-stars to an 8-3 win over the South in the Santa Clara County High School All-Star series at San Jose's PAL Stadium.
The South won the Friday night opener 7-2, but the North came back to sweep a Saturday doubleheader, winning the lidlifter 8-3 and the nightcap 9-2.
The North's Gabe Duran of Fremont, who doubled twice in the championship game on Saturday, was named the most valuable player of the series. North pitcher Shane Lechner of Wilcox was selected as the outstanding defensive player.
The South's Joel Salvatierra of Santa Teresa was tabbed the outstanding offensive player of the series.
The North won the series with the 9-2 victory in the second game of the Saturday twin-bill. Lechner was the winning pitcher, striking out five and walking just two in five innings of work. He was touched for just a single run in the third inning.
His teammates, meanwhile, were rallying for three in the first and single runs in the third and fourth to take a 5-1 lead. The North broke the game open with three more in the fifth, then added an insurance run in the seventh.
The hitting stars for the North were Duran, who doubled twice and singled, and Garrett Cook (St. Francis), who homered and singled to knock in three runs. Jeff Wolfe (Mitty) also homered and singled in the win.
Kyle Viau (Del Mar) doubled, and Chris Shaheen (Santa Teresa) had two hits for the South. Justin Abreu (Bellarmine) was tagged with the loss.
It was the Saratoga trio of Drew, Bernard and Gill who were the stars of game two.
Drew and Bernard each blasted two-run homers and Gill pounded a solo shot to lead the North to the 8-3 win that tied the series at a game apiece. Fred Ziemendorf (King's Academy) also homered for the North, and Brandon Fennema (Los Gatos) ripped a double.
Dave Marrs (Prospect) was the winning pitcher for the North, who battled back from an early 1-0 deficit with two runs in the fourth and three each in the fifth and sixth.
Salvatierra had two hits, and Nick Langone (Leland) belted a triple for the South, who scored single runs in the third, fifth and sixth.
The South opened the series with the 7-2 Friday night victory. Ben Fritz (Oak Grove) and Erik Wagle (Live Oak) teamed to toss a seven-hitter for the win. Fritz went seven strong innings to pick up the win, with Wagle pitching the last two.
Wagle was also the hitting star for the South with a two-run homer in the win. Langone doubled for the winners.
Bernard slapped a double to lead the seven-hit attack for the North. Matt Cannon (Monta Vista) was tagged with the tough pitching loss.
The South took an early 3-0 lead with two runs in the second and one in the third, and that stood up for six innings. The South added two more in the seventh and two in the ninth.
The North scored its only two runs in the bottom of the ninth.
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Saratoga, California Since 1975
