Saratoga News

Photograph by Christian del Rosario

Saratoga's Brett Granum slaps down the tag, but Adam Crane of the Los Gatos Little League 12-year-old all-stars slides in safely in the District 12 opener for each club last week. Gatos went on to win the game 8-6.

Saratoga 10s win again

Local boys win three straight

By Dick Sparrer

It may not be the biggest game in the history of the Saratoga Little League.

But if it's not, it's right up there.

The Saratoga 10-year-old all-stars have opened the District 12 tournament with three straight victories, and they'll return to the diamond on July 12 as one of just three teams still alive in the post-season event.

Saratoga will meet Branham Hills in the winner's bracket final on Saturday, 10 a.m., at the Cambrian Little League field (located near Foxworthy and Leigh avenues in San Jose). That winner moves into the tournament championship game on July 15 at Cambrian.

Saratoga had rolled to wins over American (12-1), Almaden (5-2) and Willow Glen (18-10) behind the pitching of Peter Rutti and the hitting of Jonathan Durket.

Rutti had pitched in each of Saratoga's three wins, including a brilliant one-hitter in the 5-2 victory over Almaden. Rutti gave up just a second inning single in the win. He struck out nine and walked just four.

Durket is seven-for-nine (.778) in the first three games of the tournament. Phillip Spencer has five hits for Saratoga, and Kyle Stoffers, Chris Charles, Austin Hary and Danny Wallace have ripped three each.

Hary and Rutti had each tripled for Saratoga. Tyler Rothenberg had doubled twice, and Durket, Charles, Nathan Carroll, Michael Sabes, Wallace and Spencer have also cracked doubles.

It was the 18-10 win over Willow Glen that pushed Saratoga into the finals of the winner's bracket.

"No one had ever scored on Willow Glen," said Saratoga manager Matt Durket. But the local all-stars knocked across 18 runs, and Rutti and Rothenberg toss three innings apiece to hold down the Willow Glen offense.

But it was a key double play with the bases loaded that Spencer started in motion that helped Saratoga clinch the win.

"That came right in the middle of one of their rallies," said Durket. "It was a super play."

Alex Riccomini, Jason Harp and Ben Coggins are other members of the 10-year-old all-star team. Kurt Stoffers and Earl Charles are the club's coaches.

Major 'stars fall

The Saratoga major division all-stars opened the District 12 tournament with an 8-6 loss to Los Gatos.

Brett Granum cracked three hits for Saratoga, and Brandon Orosz belted a double. Frank Wallace, Eric Huang, Buckley Wright and Brett Behnke each singled in the game.

Behnke was the starting pitcher for Saratoga, and "he really pitched well," said his manager, Bill Wallace. But Los Gatos scored six unearned runs on the road to the victory.

Saratoga trailed 8-4 after four innings, but picked up a run in the fifth and two more in the sixth to make a game of it. Saratoga actually had two runners on base in the final inning and had the potential winning run at the plate when the final out was recorded.

"We had a chance to tie it or win it," said Wallace. "We hit the ball, but we hit it right at them."

Saratoga was to face Quito on Monday in a loser's bracket game. The winner will return to the Union Little League field on July 11, 5:30 p.m.

[ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ]