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Only finals can stop Sox
Sunnyvale runs record to 7-0
By Dick Sparrer
The powerful Sunnyvale White Sox were held winless in the final week of the school year. But it wasn't some big-league powerhouse that stopped the Sox over the week of June 7-11--it was the power of learning.
The Sunnyvale Southern Little League White Sox, defending District 44 Big League champions, were given a week off by coach Tim Frecceri so that they could study for their high school final exams.
The Sox were coming off of three straight wins over Santa Cruz and the Sunnyvale Astros, pushing their season record to 4-0. And they returned to the diamond the following weekend to beat Branham Hills and sweep a doubleheader against Milpitas to move to 7-0.
Gabe Garcia and Matt Grolle each blasted two-run doubles to spark a seven-run first inning, and the White Sox rolled from there to a lopsided 12-1 victory over Santa Cruz.
Grolle and Mario Formosa each finished the night with three runs batted-in, and pitcher Jay Jackson tossed a three-hitter, striking out six, to get the mound win.
The White Sox came back to sweep the Astros in a weekend doubleheader, winning the opener 11-5 and blanking the Astros in the nightcap 10-0.
Garcia knocked in three runs for the Sox in the first game. The White Sox broke the game open with eight runs in the second inning.
Grolle notched his second pitching win of the young season. Jackson and James Rodriguez each came on in relief to hold the Astros scoreless.
Catcher Jeff Christensen had a big game in the nightcap. His two-run double gave the Sox an early 2-0 lead, and he also tagged out a runner in a bone-jarring collision at the plate and gunned down a runner attempting to steal for the final out of the game.
Garcia had another big night at the plate. The slugger blasted a long home run and added a double, scoring three of his club's 10 runs.
Dan Simonsen went the distance for the two-hit shut out. Shortstop Eric Cherrstrom and second baseman Adam Turrey starred defensively, combining for nine chances in the win.
Jackson went the distance to toss a two-hitter in Sunnyvale's 9-1 win over San Jose Branham Hills on June 11. Jackson struck out 13 in the win, including at least two in every inning but the seventh when San Jose scored its only run of the game. Jackson, now 2-0 for the year, needed just 84 pitches to record the win.
Ryan Duhe knocked in two runs with a pair of hits and also stole two bases to lead the offensive assault for the Sox. He broke up a scoreless tie in the third when he beat out an infield hit, stole second and later scored.
Turrey, Josh Brown and Jon Frecceri had two hits each in the victory. Brown raced around the bases for an inside-the-park home run, and Frecceri delivered a pair of clutch two-out, run-scoring singles.
Turrey, who had starred at second in the win over the Astros, moved to catcher for the game with Garcia off attending freshman orientation at UC-Berkeley. Turrey responded by throwing out a runner attempting to steal and calling all of Jackson's pitches in the win.
A day later, the Sox swept a twin bill from Milpitas South of District 59, winning the first game 9-1 and the second 5-3.
Brown took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before a two-out ground ball shot into right field for the only Milpitas hit of the game.
Brown went the distance to toss the one-hitter, striking out 10 along the way. He allowed just three Milpitas baserunners in the game.
Garcia returned the line-up to belt four hits for the White Sox, including a double and a home run. Formosa had three hits and scored twice and Brown had two hits and scored two runs.
A two-run homer by Greg Arioto was the key blast in the 5-3 win over Milpitas in the nightcap.
Grolle came on in relief in the fifth and shut down Milpitas over the final three innings to claim the mound win, but it wasn't easy. Milpitas had the tying run on base with one out in the seventh, but Grolle got the final two hitters on a pop fly and a strike out to clinch the win.
Milpitas took an early 2-1 lead and threatened to add to it with a two-out single to center. But Formosa came up firing and threw a perfect strike to the plate to cut down the runner attempting to score.
Hits by Duhe, Arioto and Brown sparked a two-run fifth that gave Sunnyvale a 3-2 lead, but Milpitas tied it in the bottom of the inning.
James Hayes beat out an infield hit to open the seventh for the Sox and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Duhe. An out later, Arioto blasted a two-run homer over the fence in center to put the White Sox up 5-3.
The White Sox are off to a hot start with seven wins in their first seven games this season. The Sox have scored 65 runs while holding opponents to just 13. Sunnyvale pitchers have struck out 57 hitters while walking only 17.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
