Redwood Middle School half-miler Scott Lewis is all alone on his way to a fourth-place finish at the County Track Finals. Redwood sent five athletes to the finals at Foothill College. Lewis was fourth in the boys' "B" division 880 in 2:22; Jeff Beyers was fifth in the boys' "A" division 880 in 2:20; Carla Graziosi was fifth in the girls' eighth grade mile in 5:57; Marie Hollenhorst was sixth in the girls' seventh grade mile in 5:56; and Jonny Moon qualified in the long jump, triple jump and high jump.
By Dick Sparrer
"Hit it where they ain't."
"Wee" Willie Keeler said it long, long ago, but it's a concept that still holds up in modern- day baseball.
And the Saratoga Yankees tried, but they just couldn't seem to zero in on where the American Cardinals weren't in the District 12 Tournament of Champions.
The Yankees, major division champions in the Saratoga Little League, struck out only three times in their clash with the Cardinals of the American Little League. But the Cards seemed to have someone right there every time the Yanks hit the ball.
That, coupled with nine American runs in the first two innings, left the Saratoga Yanks with a 9-1 loss to the Cards in their first game of the TOC.
The Yankees kept swinging, but the Cards always had someone in the way--especially in the last two innings.
Ian Mosely opened the fifth by ripping a line drive that appeared to be headed to right field for a base hit. But the American first baseman speared the ball for the first out.
Peter Kao followed with a solid single to left, but an out later Scott Cohn was robbed of a base hit when the Cards' right fielder made a diving catch on his liner.
It was more of the same in the sixth. Scott Moran cracked a line driver, but right at the second sacker. Derrick Wong ripped a shot up the middle, but the pitcher deflected the ball to the shortstop, who threw Wong out at first.
There was no quit in the Yankees, though. Randy Griffith cracked a single up the middle and moved to second on a balk. But Garratt Wyatt's ground ball was right at the first baseman, who tagged the bag for the final out.
The Yankees were touched for four runs right away in the top half of the first, but they came fighting back in the home half of the inning.
Peter Kao looped a single to center to open the game for Saratoga. An out later, Scott Cohn singled into the hole at short. The shortstop came up throwing to try to force Kao at first. Not only was the throw late, but also wild, and Kao took off for third. The right fielder fired to third but his throw also got away, allowing Kao to slide home with Saratoga's first, and only, run.
An out later Wong bounced a ground ball to second. The second sacker came up throwing to third but it was not in time to get Cohn. Wong tried to take second on the play, though, and was tossed out.
Saratoga had battled back with a run, but American picked up five in the second to take control of the game.
A two-out walk by Michael Reed was all Saratoga could manage in the second, but the Yankees threatened again in the third.
Kao faked a bunt and slashed a ground ball towards left to open the inning. But the third sacker snagged the ball as he lunged to his left and threw out Kao.
Chris Filip lined a single to center and Cohn followed with a line single to left to put runners on first and second. An out later Wong singled up the middle, but Filip was gunned at the plate for the third out of the inning.
Saratoga went down quietly in the fourth. The Yanks hit the ball hard in the fifth and sixth, but couldn't find enough hopes in the American defense to manage a comeback.
Cohn started on the hill for the Yanks and struck out five in three innings of work. Moran took over in the fourth and flipped three innings on shutout baseball, striking out six along the way. Moran struck out the side on nine pitches in the fourth, and struck out the final two hitters in the sixth. He allowed just two baserunners, hitting one and giving up a bloop single to center.
Kao came through with the defensive play of the day for Saratoga with a running, backhanded catch in left-center.
Adam Judelson, Zack Murphy and Aaron Burke are other members of the Saratoga club, managed by Alan Wong and coached by Ron Mosely.
The Yankees were 8-7 in the Saratoga Little League regular season, good for third place overall. But they won four straight games in the playoffs to take the league title.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, June 19, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved