Willow Glen Resident
Sports
Photograph by Zach Beecher
Cloud of Dust: There's a collision at third base and the dust goes flying, but Moreland's Tanner Vinson is safe despite a solid tag by Jimmy Riley of Lincoln. Moreland ended up winning the game 5-3 to claim the Section 5 championship.
Lincoln Glen falls in sectional finale
But the local 11 'stars go down swinging
By Mike Barnhart
When Lincoln Glen Little League's 11-year-old all-stars got together for their first practice in June, they didn't need to spend a lot of time on introductions.
After all, most of the team members played together on the 10-year-old squad that won the District 12 championship last season. In fact, "eight of them have been together (in post-season play) for four years," explained manager Mike Riley, who has been a coach or manager for this group of all-stars for four seasons now. "It's a great bunch of kids. They have fun and always seem to be laughing and joking together."
And they know how to win together. Just ask their District 12 opponents, who after an inning or two likely were thinking, "Yup, Lincoln Glen is still tough to beat." For the most part, they were up against the same LGLL all-stars that got their feet wet in 2003 with a second-place finish as 8 year olds, then became district champions as 9 year olds in 2004 and 10 year olds in 2005.
This summer Lincoln Glen's 11 year olds made it a three-peat, knocking off all six challengers they faced en route to another District 12 flag. Then, against champions of four other districts, they nearly survived a gauntlet of six games in six days and severe temperatures in the Section 5 tournament, held July 20-25 at Anderson School in south San Jose.
A day after handing Moreland of District 44 its first sectional loss and forcing an "if necessary" game, Lincoln Glen's never-say-die squad trailed 5-3, but started a two-out rally. Cole Carnahan and Austin Hatfield worked walks against Moreland pitcher Sean Downey. Tucker Bacon then spanked a sharp single to right, loading the bases and setting the stage for clean-up hitter Taylor Meeker.
Before the suspense could get any thicker, Meeker drilled the first pitch at center fielder Kane Wolfe. Had the line drive been a little to the left or right, the ball likely would have bounced off the fence and tied the game, perhaps clearing the bags and sending Lincoln Glen to Oakland for the California State Division II tournament. But it was directly at Wolfe, who gloved it for the last out of the LGLL season.
Under the direction of Riley and coach Todd Meeker, Lincoln Glen finished post-season play with a 10-2 record.
"We gave it all we had, but the number of games combined with the worst heat on record in this area ultimately did us in," Riley lamented. "The six games in six days got to our concentration level a little. We made some errors the last few games, and each seemed to cost us."
One of the miscues occurred during the first inning of the final game, when Moreland jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Three games earlier, Moreland had scored what proved to be the winning run of a 4-3 decision when Lincoln Glen misplayed a routine pop fly during the last of the fifth.
The costly errors were out of character for the Lincoln Glen boys, who totaled just one error in the six District 12 games.
In pool play, June 30-July 8 at River Glen Park, LGLL put away Almaden South 9-0, Union 13-5, Branham Hills 11-1 and Los Gatos National 5-2. It beat Cambrian Park 6-3 in the semifinals, before edging Almaden North 5-4 in comeback fashion.
In the championship game, July 11, Lincoln Glen scored all of its runs in the fourth. Jimmy Riley tied the game with a hard line drive to center, and Graham Moore sliced a single to right to knock in two more for the lead.
After an eight-day lay-off, Lincoln Glen opened Section 5 play with wins over Scotts Valley (District 39), 8-1, and Hollister American of District 9, 6-2. Bacon belted home runs in each game and split the pitching duties with Hatfield in the opener. Justin Bruce and Marquis Onorato shared the mound against Hollister.
Hatfield homered in the first Moreland meeting on July 22, but the 4-3 loss dropped Lincoln Glen into the consolation bracket for a rematch with Hollister the next day. Meeker's two-run single and an RBI single by Riley were the key hits of a three-run first. Onorato, who relieved Bruce in the third and pitched the rest of the 6-3 victory, earned the mound decision.
The next evening Lincoln Glen gave Moreland its only loss of the tourney, 3-1, as a three-run second supported Bacon's complete-game pitching effort. Carnahan singled and scored the first run on Hatfield's double. Later, Onorato ripped an RBI double and Riley added a run-scoring single.
In the section finale, Moreland's four-run first--including a three-run homer--proved to be too much for Lincoln Glen to overcome. Hatfield was impressive in six innings of relief, allowing just one run and two hits after taking over during the first.
Lincoln Glen scored all of its runs in the second. Leading off, Bruce was safe on an infield error and advanced to second on Moore's bloop single. After an out, Carnahan walked to fill the bases. Hatfield's ground out to second drove in the first run and Bacon chased home two more with one of his three hits, a line shot to right.
Lincoln Glen had plenty of chances, getting nine hits and putting runners in scoring position in five of the six innings. But it stranded 10 runners, including the three on base when the final out of the season was made.
"Not to take anything away from Moreland, but I would go to battle with my guys anytime," Riley emphasized. "But we tip our caps and move on. You let it bother you for an hour and then go play the next sport."
Other Lincoln Glen team members were Michael Johnston, Jordan Crocker, Troy Paskert and Zack Holback.
