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Red Sox swing the lumber for tournament title
Team won 4 straight games to win baseball tournament in July
By Dick Sparrer
There was a time when all baseball bats were made of wood.
But that was more than a lifetime ago for the 16 members of ther Willow Glen Red Sox baseball team.
The 16- and 17-year-olds who make up the Red Sox roster have played their entire lives with metal bats, while only seeing wooden bats used at the professional level.
But the Sox got the chance to swing the lumber at the Redondo Beach High School Wood Bat Classic held in late July. And they must have liked the feeling because the Red Sox won four straight games to claim the tournament championship, beating Lenzinger High School 5-1, the South Bay Sharks 6-4, the Sacramento Cannons 4-3 and Loyola High School 4-1.
Willow Glen could manage just four hits in the championship game, but that was more than enough for the title-clinching win. In each of the previous three games, the Sox got enough wood on the ball for 10 hits a game.
Nathan Guido ripped a two-out, bases-loaded triple to lead Willow Glen to the 4-1 win over Loyola in the tournament finals.
Danny Yoder belted two hits in the game and also made three outstanding plays at third base.
Catcher Doug Silverman also starred defensively for the champs in the final game, gunning down two runners attempting to steal third.
Joey Armao was the pitching star in the finals, going the distance to toss a three-hitter.
Chris Russo helped the Red Sox get off to a good start in the tournament by tossing a two-hitter in the 5-1 win over Lenzinger. Russo struck out 10 and just two in his complete game effort.
Damion Hall was the winning pitcher in the 6-4 win over the South Bay Sharks, and Matt Durkin allowed just two hits over five and a third innings to get the win in the 4-3 victory over the Cannons. Carlos Torres came on in relief of both Hall and Durkin, picking up two saves for the Red Sox.
Chris Ralston and Chris Morgan must have enjoyed swinging the wooden bats, because each hit .462 in the four games to lead the club in hitting.
The other members of the Willow Glen squad included shortstop Darin Vieira, third basemen Chris Biggam and Dan Schnieder, first baseman Andrew Knapp, outfielder Evan Wallace and catcher Tyler LaToree. John Vieira was the club's manager and Mike Guido, Richard Hall and Mike Ralston were his coaches.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
