The Sunnyvale Sun

Sports

Serra Reds drop tough 4-3 nod to Giants in district finals

By Mike Barnhart

Greg Wallis and Quinn Sullivan combined on a 3-hitter as the Cupertino American Giants defeated the Serra Reds 4-3 to claim the title in the District 44 senior division Tournament of Champions on June 28 at Santa Clara University's Schott Stadium.

After a 15-game, five-week schedule following the local high school season, the Reds (12-3) and Giants (10-5) finished as the top two of six senior division teams (ages 15-16), earning berths in the district title game.

Wallis' fifth-inning double drove in Kevin Reuter with what proved to be the decisive run. Wallis had three of the Giants' eight hits, while Reuter and Ajay Arora had two each.

The Giants broke a 1-1 tie with two runs in the top of the third. Elliott Wagner-Rosales' bunt single started the inning and Reuter's double put runners on second and third. Yoshi Takahashi's squeeze bunt and Sullivan's sacrifice fly plated the runs.

Daniel Willems pulled the Reds a little closer with a single and a run in the fifth. An inning later, teammate Bryan Hu rapped a base hit and came around to score on an infield grounder hit by Kyle Soutar. Serra's threat was squelched when Giants catcher Tyler Anthony threw out Soutar attempting to steal third.

Paul Kamradt provided Serra with another chance to tie when he belted a two-out double in the last of the seventh. Sullivan was able to get the final out, though, to preserve the win and the District flag for the Giants.

Minor TOC

Santa Clara Westside's Mets defeated the Moreland Red Sox 11-7 for the championship.

The Cupertino National Giants, who lost to Moreland in the semi-final round, followed up a first-round bye with a 23-6 pasting of the Los Altos Yankees.

Three other local champions--the Serra Reds, Tri-Cities Giants and Cupertino American Yankees--did not survive the first round, although the Reds, behind starting pitcher Brian Willems, held a one-run lead into the fifth inning before falling to the Los Altos champion.

Joining Willems on manager Jay Cena's Reds were Justin Cena, Garrett Crawford, Nicholas Hargis, Itai Intrater, Ashwin Iyer, Jehan Keval, Daniel Marquez, Ryan Norris, Ian Pearman, Ilias Tostado and Lucas Yan. Coaches were Zachary Hargis, Lisa Norris, A.J. Keval and Steve Crawford.