The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Sox 'surprise' team of Big League season

By Dick Sparrer

No one expected much from the Sunnyvale White Sox at the Section 5 Big League baseball tournament.

No one, that is, except the White Sox.

The champs from District 44 surprised the field by winning their first three games before facing elimination.

"We were clearly the surprise team of the tournament," said Sox manager Tim Frecceri. "No one expected us to win one game, but we had dominant pitching and hitting for three straight games."

The White Sox opened the tourney with a 7-3 upset win over the heavily favored District 59 champs, then they knocked off District 39 13-4.

Back-to-back doubles by Gabe Garcia and Jon Frecceri staked starter Zach Calvert to an early 3-0 lead in game three, and that's all the southpaw needed to nail down a 6-2 win over host District 12 from Branham Hills. Calvert tossed a three-hitter to keep the dream alive for District 44.

But Branham came back out of the loser's bracket to beat Sunnyvale in a slugfest 11-8.

Garcia led the bat attack for the White Sox with a couple of doubles and game-tying homer in the sixth. But Branham came storming back to claim the victory.

Frecceri ripped three hits to lead the Sox and Josh Brown slapped a pair of singles.

The White Sox "storybook" season came to an end a game later when they dropped a 10-4 decision to the Cambrian All-Stars of District 12.

Garcia continued to swing a hot bat with three more hits against Cambrian. Frecceri chipped in with a pair of hits for Sunnyvale.

Frecceri led the club with a torrid .700 batting average in the five-game tourney. Garcia was close behind at .667.

Sunnyvale, the youngest team in the tournament, came within two games of advancing to the Northern California finals in Sacramento. Sunnyvale was the only club in the tourney without an 18-year-old player in the division for players ages 16-18.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, September 9, 1998.
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