The Indians' focus was not on the outstanding efforts turned in by Bubba Winters (three innings), Brandon Camargo (two) and Brambillo (one). No, entering their final at-bat on June 16 at the Sunnyvale Southern field, the Indians were losing 2-1 to the Santa Clara-Briarwood Dodgers and facing elimination from the District 44 minor division Tournament of Champions.

Unlike their first-round game when they scored in every inning, the Indians had managed just four hits and one run in five innings against a trio of Briarwood pitchers. But the Indians found their mojo.

Michael Angulo led off with a single and later scored the tying run on a passed ball. Two batters later Justin Rajah drove the first pitch he saw into right field, chasing home Abraham Arias and giving the Indians a 3-2 victory.

Two days later at McKelvey Park in Mountain View, the Indians claimed a 7-4 triumph over the Moreland Angels. The win earned them a berth in the minor TOC championship game opposite the Pirates from Santa Clara Westside. The final game was set for June 21 at Miller Middle School in west San Jose.

The Indians put together plenty of offense in their tourney opener against the Cupertino National Yankees, a 13-3 win called after four innings because of the 10-run rule. After the Yankees jumped to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, the Indians roared back with eight runs in the bottom half. Brambillo's triple, which turned into a four-bagger on an errant throw, was the biggest of four hits in the rally.

Angulo later had an RBI triple and scored on an error. Chad Scriver belted a double and James Mancebo scored a run for the Indians. Winters, who pitched the first three innings, was the winning pitcher.

In other minor TOC action, the champions from Sunnyvale Metro and Sunnyvale Serra won their openers, but lost in the second round. The Metro Yankees whipped the Mountain View Giants 17-5, before bowing to Moreland 10-2. The Serra Athletics dumped the Tri-Cities champion 17-7, then fell 16-6 to the Westside Pirates.

A 12-run, eight-hit explosion in the third inning keyed Metro's win over the Giants, a game called after four. Yankee Aaron Spanner walloped a home run in a three-run first, but Mountain View tied the game 3-3 before the Yankees put the game out of reach. Robert Campion, who had three of the Yankees' 12 hits, and teammate Thomas Back both rapped doubles. Leif Waugh was the winning pitcher.

The Sunnyvale Southern Rangers dropped an 11-5 decision to the Briarwood Dodgers in a first-round game.

Major TOC

Yuki Aihara ripped a two-run homer in the sixth inning, but the Sunnyvale Metro Indians' fine season ended with a 5-4 decision to the Cupertino American Yankees in a TOC opener on June 13.

Aihara and Dave Mar accounted for most of the Indians' offense with two hits apiece. The only other Metro hit was a double by Jason McRone. Calvin Van Horst allowed just three hits and struck out six Yankees in five innings of work for the Indians, who finished the season with a 19-7 overall record.

The champions from Southern, National and Serra all lost tough first-round contests.

Ryan Rouleau had two doubles and relief pitcher Victor Rodrigo whiffed five batters in the Southern Mariners' 10-4 defeat against the Angels from Santa Clara Westside.

The Sunnyvale Giants could not get a hit against Santa Clara Homestead hurlers Brandon White and Curtis Raiburn and lost 6-0. The Giants' pitching tandem of Jeff Amaral and Brandon Simon also performed well, notching 12 strikeouts.

Serra suffered a 3-0 setback to Campbell in a game featuring strong pitching and defense. Campbell ace Brian Scott allowed just one hit, a third-inning single by Troy Hoffman, and struck out 16 Serra batters. Matt Hopkins pitched well in defeat, striking out 10 Campbell batters in five innings of work.