The Willow Glen Resident

Lincoln Glen plays for district title

By Dick Sparrer

The home runs were flying out of Baggerly Field in the District 12 Little League tournament being held at the home of the Los Gatos Little League.

A record 12 homers flew out of the park in a couple of games on Saturday. And four of them were blasted by the Lincoln Glen Little League all-stars.

Three, in fact, were ripped by one particular Lincoln Glen 'star. Justin Johnson, who had belted just one homer during the regular season, crashed three out of Baggerly Field to lead Lincoln Glen to a 14-6 win over Cambrian and into the District 12 championship game.

Lincoln Glen will return to the Gatos field on July 22, 5:30 p.m., to play for the district title.

"Lincoln Glen, Almaden and Cambrian-- they're a step above everyone else," said Randy Frey of host Los Gatos. "And Lincoln Glen looks really good right now."

"They've got a really fine team," Frey added. "These guys look like they really know how to play the game."

The locals pounded Cambrian to advance to the finals. Johnson led Lincoln Glen with his three homers and Scott Righetti blasted one.

Righetti's run-scoring single keyed a two-run rally in the first inning for Lincoln Glen, but the locals came back to unload for six runs in the third and five more in the fourth to take a commanding lead.

A walk and a single by Matt Dorsa set up Johnson for a three-run homer in the third. Johnie Reyes followed with a double and scored on a single by Taylor Reise. An out later, Anthony Trovato walked and Bryan Hewitt drilled a two-run single.

Back-to-back solo homers by Righetti and Johnson got Lincoln Glen started in the fourth. Singles by Reise, John Gibilisco, Hewitt and Randy Lewis helped Lincoln Glen pick up three more runs in the inning.

Cambrian cut the lead to 13-5 with four runs in the fourth, but Johnson got one back with his third homer of the game in the fifth.

Gibilisco struck out five in three innings to get the mound win for Lincoln Glen.

Willow Glen splits

Willow Glen split a pair of games last week, beating American 10-2 to open the week before losing a 3-2 heartbreaker in eight innings to Quito to face elimination from the tournament.

Matthew Koltosky went the distance to toss a four-hitter to lead Willow Glen to the 10-2 win that eliminated American from the district tourney. Koltosky struck out nine in the win.

Willow Glen gave Koltosky all the support he needed with a three-run rally in the first. Chris Hobbs cracked a run-scoring single for the key hit in the quick uprising.

But Willow Glen provided more than enough offense in the game, scoring in every inning against American.

Trevor Allen smacked a run-scoring single in the second to make it 4-0, and Willow Glen picked up two more in the third. Koltosky doubled, then scored when American walked the next three straight Willow Glen hitters. Justin Jeffrey knocked in the second run of the frame with a ground out.

American cut the lead to 6-2 with two in the home half of the third, but Willow Glen fought back with two in the fourth and one each in the fifth and sixth.

David Krause and Greg Levine each singled with two outs in the fourth. Kyle Costanza walked to load the bases before Justin Curry singled home a run. Jeffrey walked to push in another run.

Hobbs walked in the fifth and scored on a wild pitch, and Levine walked in the sixth and ultimately scored on a single by Curry.

The win kept Willow Glen alive, but the locals were knocked out of the tourney a game later by Quito.

Koltosky led off the second inning with a homer and Willow Glen scored again in the third when Trevor Allen and Krause walked before Koltosky drove in a run with a ground out. But Quito tied it in regulation, then won it in the eighth on a bunt single by Scott Heller, a wild pitch, a passed ball and a bloop single to right by Danny Sizemore.

Greg Duncan allowed just two runs and struck out three in six innings on the mound. Hobbs came on in relief to strike out the side in the seventh, but he was touched for the run in the eighth.

Jeffrey singled in the second for Willow Glen's only other hit of the day.

LG seniors win

The Lincoln Glen senior division all-stars opened the District 12 tournament with an impressive 6-0 win over Almaden. Kevin Shull tossed a nifty two-hit shutout to lead Lincoln Glen to the victory. Shull struck out eight in the win, and his teammates played errorless baseball behind him.

Pete Watts had two hits and knocked in a run to lead the offense for the winners.

Members of the senior all-star team include Watts, Shull, Michael DeBono, Lee Dionne, Nate Leal, Nathan McDonald, Charlie Nadeau, Scott Peltz, Chris Ralston, Bryson Reedy, Mike Rowe, Adrew Trapani, Scott Wallberg and Dan Yoder. The club's manager is Mike Ralston, and his coaches are Bill McDonald and Larry Schaffer.

Making up the Lincoln Glen junior all-star team are Andy Alves, Patrick Carter, Doug Dionne, Keith Doleshal, Devid Estrada, Michael Glomb, Keith Lewis, Matt McCluskey, Tista Perri, Bobby Ralston, Ryan Trapani, Domenic Vallejo, Michael Wittmayer and Brett Yoshihara. The manager is Dave Wittmayer, and his coaches are John Yoshihara and Tom Perri.

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