Photograph by George Sakkestad
Sunnyvale National had reason to celebrate. The Little Leaguers had just defeated Santa Clara Homestead 6-3 to claim the District 44 major division championship. Sunnyvale beat Sunnyvale Metro, Moreland, Tri-Cities, Briarwood-El Camino and Santa Clara Homestead in five straight games to clinch the title.
By DICK SPARRER
They should have known better.
But it appeared that the Sunnyvale National major division all-stars were headed to an easy win over Santa Clara Homestead in the District 44 championship game.
There they were, up 6-0 after four innings with just two frames left to play before claiming the title.
But they should have known better. After all, not much had come easy for the Sunnyvale National crew in the district tournament.
They had to battle Tri-Cities for a 3-2 victory a couple of games earlier, and they stuggled for seven innings before claiming a 2-1 win over Briarwood-El Camino in the winner's bracket final.
So they had to figure winning the district title game wouldn't easy. But then, nothing worthwhile ever comes easy.
Homestead rallied for three runs in the fifth to make a game of it in the finals, but Troy Tulowitzki came on in the sixth to close the door and help Sunnyvale National clinch the district championship.
Ali Sadat blanked Homestead over the first four frames and he left the game with a 6-3 lead to ultimately get the win. But Tulowitzki came on in the sixth to strike out two of the three hitters he faced to get the save.
Robert Perry opened the game with a single and Tulowitzki followed with a hit. Mike Mattman and Vince Gutierrez each singled home runs and a third run scored on an error to give Sunnyvale a 3-0 lead.
The National crew came right back with three more in the second. Tulowitzki singled and Javier Ereda reached on a fielder's choice. Dan Sanchez singled home a run and Sadat doubled home two more.
Tulowitzki finished the game with two hits and Sadat had the double. Perry, Bryan Beres, Sanchez, Mattman and Gutierrez also had hits for the champs.
Earlier in the tournament, Cupertino American had eliminated Sunnyvale Metro with a thrilling 6-5 victory.
American trailed 4-0 heading into the fourth when Nick Epidendio ripped a solo homer to ignite the Cupertino offensive assault.
The American crew battled back in the fifth for two more. Ben Guthrie singled, but was forced at second on pinch hitter Amir Tahsini's ground ball. Pinch hitter Gordon Hawley came through with a two-run homer over the center field fence, though, and Cupertino trailed just 4-3.
Sunnyvale got the first two outs in the sixth and were just one out away from victory when Epidencio reached on an error. Chris Conroy followed with a single before Paul Niedermier drilled a two-run triple to right to tie the game.
Guthrie cracked a single to drive home Niedermier with the go-ahead run, and Dan Bigelow put down the side in the last of the sixth to secure the win.
Metro had taken the early lead when Ray Hunter's two-run double keyed a four-run rally in the first.
Scott Brown was in control on the mound for Sunnyvale, retiring 11 of the first 13 batters he faced before Epidendio homered in the fourth.
It was 4-0 until Epidendio's blast, but Sunnyvale got that run back in the home half of the fourth when pinch runner Kyle Jacobson raced home on a passed ball.
But Cupertino picked up the two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth to claim the exciting win.
Cupertino American lost a 3-2 heartbreaker to Tri-Cities two days later, though, to fall out of the tournament, and Tri-Cities lost a tough 5-4 nod to Santa Clara Homestead to face elimination.
Homestead went on to edge Briarwood-El Camino 2-1 to earn the spot in the title game against Sunnyvale National.
Sunnyvale Metro
Jesse Cassellini, Jeff Dunning, Vince Klumper, Manan Mehta, Brandon Scripps, Steven Apilado, Kyle Jacobson, Arthus Justin Anderson, David Chiotti, Ray Hunter, Pete Jeffryes, Scott Brown, Brandon Klien and Sheldon Perry. The manager was Dave Garner, and his coaches were Joe LaPage and Troy Frisbee.
Sunnyvale National
Troy Tulowitzki, Michael Mattman, Brett Bonetti, Javier Ereda, Felix Tabarez, Paul Russell, Daniel Sanchez, Bochan Caravallio, Vincent Gutierrez, Charles Martinez, Ali Sadat, Robert Perry, Bryan Beres and Daniel Murrell. The manager was Leonard Perry and his coaches were Danny Placencia and Kenneth Tulowitzki.
Serra
Ryan Katz, Ben Nunes, Tim Schrotenboer, Mike Bordoni, Derek Sibilia, Gus Gauntlett, Mark Pearson, Blake Bridges, Salvador Perez, Jeffrey Vanasse, Danny Glassanos, Shadi Hawawini, Brian Kwan and Cameron Cole. The manager was Sam Katz and his coaches were Ken Nunes and Dave Montellato.
Sunnyvale Southern
Edward Kelley, Delainy Durgin, Kevin Stichter, Matthew Johnson, Bradley McGee, Carlos Garcia, Kyle Severns, Russell Misaki, Brandon Dougherty, Bryan Silverman, Nicholas Miluso, Seamus Beall, Brian McGee and Jonathan Engquist. The manager was Tim Frecceri and his coaches were Joe Miluso and Stan Silvermani.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, August 7, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.