The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Sunnyvale wins TOC titles

National Cubs, Serra Phillies take championships

By Dick Sparrer

Zeroes filled the scoreboard at Homestead Park in Santa Clara.

The Sunnyvale National Cubs and the Cardinals of the Briarwood-El Camino Little League were locked in a scoreless tie through five innings in the District 44 major division Tournament of Champions final.

That was through five innings.... It was a different story in the sixth.

The Cubs broke the game open with three runs, and that proved more than enough for relief pitcher Troy Tulowitzki.

Tulowitzki, who had snapped the tie with a run-scoring triple in the top of the inning, blanked the Cards in the bottom of the sixth to bring home the victory--and the championship--for the Cubs.

Tulowitzki struck out three in an inning and a third of no-hit relief to clinch the win for Sunnyvale National.

Robert Perry and Matthew Winck had locked up in a real pitchers' duel through five innings. Perry gave up just one hit and struck out 11 before giving way to Tulowitzki, and Winch fanned seven and allowed just one hit through five.

But Perry greeted relief pitcher Brandon Shimada with a single to open the sixth, and Tulowitzki followed with a run-scoring triple down the left-field line.

Vincent Guiterrez singled home Tulowitzki and took second on Daniel Murrell's right- side roller. Craig Maynard followed with a run-scoring single up the middle, and the Cubs held a 3-0 lead.

Rocky Russell had doubled to open the game for the Cubs, but that was their only hit until Perry's single in the sixth.

The Cubs finished the year with a 23-1 season record. The loss was the first of the year for the Cards, the defending TOC champions. The Cardinals took a 24-0 record into the game.

Daniel Murrell had flipped a three-hit shutout to lead the Cubs to a 12-0 win over the Los Altos Rockies in the tournament semifinals.

Murrell struck out seven and scattered the three hits in the win. He helped his own cause at the plate with a pair of doubles to drive in three runs.

Perry blasted a solo homer in the sixth and also tripled home a run in the win, and Tulowitzki had three hits. Maynard knocked in three runs with a couple of hits and Sean Abina had singled and doubled to drive in two runs. Guiterrez had two hits, Russell doubled and Chris Sedric tripled.

Murrell and Guiterrez had combined for a three-hitter in a 13-2 win over the Sunnyvale Serra Orioles earlier in the tournament.

Tulowitzki doubled and singled twice to drive in three runs for the winners. Perry had a pair of triples, Russell singled and doubled, and Maynard singled and tripled to drive in four runs.

Ryan Philpott blasted a solo homer in the second for the Orioles.

Sunnyvale National had started the tournament with a tight 2-1 win over the Moreland Rockies. Perry and Tulowitzki joined together to fire a two-hitter for the win.

Tulowitzki ripped a solo homer in the third, and Maynard led off the fourth with a homer to give Sunnyvale the two runs it needed for the win. Maynard finished the night with two hits.

Orioles top Cards

The O's had opened the tourney with a 13-10 win over the Cardinals of Sunnyvale Metro.

Andrew Harvey cracked two hits in a nine-run rally in the fourth that led the Orioles to the victory.

Philpott had two hits to drive in two runs in the win, and Harvey singled and doubled. Steven Peng tripled for the O's, and Mark Pierson and Bobby Nakamoto combined to pitch Serra to the victory.

David Chiotti was four-for-four and drove in seven runs in the game for the Cardinals. Chiotti ripped a home run with Tyler Elliott aboard in the fourth. He also had a two-run single in the first, a run-scoring single in the third and a two-run double in the sixth.

Brandon Christopherson pounded three doubles for the Cards.

The Rockies of Sunnyvale Southern, meanwhile, opened the tournament with wins over the Yankees of Santa Clara Westside before losing to Briarwood-El Camino.

Matthew Harper, Willie Hayes and Brian McGee opened the game with singles ,and Jeff Hungerford added a hit to help the Rockies jump out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning on the road to a 5-1 win over Westside.

Adam Colombo and Kyle Hanson each drove home runs for the Rockies, and Colombo went three innings to pick up the pitching win.

McGee had two hits for the Rockies, and he also tossed the final three innings, striking out six.

The Yankees threatened in the sixth, but left fielder Jason Linn made a diving catch to take away a double, and McGee nailed down the victory.

The Rockies lost 6-2 to the Cardinals a game later. McGee and Linn had the only hits for Southern.

Minor TOC

The Sunnyvale Serra Little League Phillies nailed the crown in the District 44 minor division Tournament of Champions, beating the Giants of Sunnyvale Metro in the title game.

Terrence Thomas and Kyle Dukes teamed to toss a two-hitter for the win in the championship game. Thomas struck out eight in his three innings of work, and Dukes fanned six in three innings of no-hit relief.

Russell Hill and John Frager provided the offensive power for the Phillies. Their back-to-back doubles broke a 1-1 tie in the third, and the Phils went on from there to clinch the victory.

The Giants had taken a quick 1-0 lead in the first when Christopher Curd singled, stole second and scored on a double by Kyle Lorenzo. But Thomas and Dukes settled down to no-hit the Giants the rest of the way.

Serra tied it with a run in the second, then scored the game-winner in the third.

Dukes singled for the only other hit of the day for the Phillies.

David McEvoy and Michael Lagore joined forces to toss the three-hitter for the Giants.

The Phillies opened the tournament with a 13-4 win over the Tri-Cities Cubs and beat the Onozuka Braves 10-7 before pounding the Los Altos Hills Black Knights in the semifinals.

Wayne Boissicat doubled and singled twice to drive in two runs in the Phils' win over the Knights. Two of his three hits came in a seven-run rally in the second.

Russell Hill had two hits to knock in three runs and John Frager singled and drove home four runs. Frager's two-run single in the fourth capped a nine-run rally and gave the Phillies the win on the 10-run rule.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, July 2, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.