Locals rally from 10 runs down to win section-title game over
Fremont
MORGAN HILL — With another lopsided victory, the best team of All-Stars from start to finish in the Morgan Hill Mustang Sectional claimed the top prize Friday at Britton Middle School, and you can’t say they didn’t earn it.
Morgan Hill 1 overcame its first legitimate test of this postseason with its usual firepower, rallying from 10 runs down to beat visiting Fremont 27-17 in a wild, five-inning championship round on field No. 1.
It was the fourth win by 10-run rule in as many tries for the local team, which advanced to this week’s regional at PAL Stadium in San Jose.
“Their attitude was outstanding,” Morgan Hill manager Dave Knopf said. “The kids only played four to six innings in their first games, so, when you suddenly have a long game like that, the biggest part is keeping focus through adversity.”
Morgan Hill treated Friday’s game like a true final, not wanting any part of a winner-take-all showdown Saturday. After the first inning ended with Fremont ahead 10-3, Knopf called a quick team meeting.
“I asked them what three times six is,” he said. “We were on pace to score 18 runs. They just had to keep their heads up, play defense and keep hitting the ball.”
The triumph was of equal credit to Morgan Hill’s offensive might and mental toughness. Trailing 15-7, the local All-Stars went back to work in the third inning and churned out 13 runs. Tyler Souza, who finished 5-for-5 batting, blasted an 0-1 pitch to deep left field for a three-run homer that made it 15-10. Souza totaled six RBIs.
Ethan Crawford scored the game-winning run on a walk-off base hit by Mason Handa. Max Duran set up the play with a pinch-hit line drive that advanced Crawford to third base.
“I’ve seen a thousand games in my lifetime, and I don’t think I’ve seen a game like this. It was crazy,” Knopf said. “I had to give my kids credit for not hanging their heads once. They stuck to the game plan and never gave up.”
For that, Morgan Hill also came away with a season’s worth of statistics. Jared Jones and Alex Petroskey stole four bases, drove in three runs and had a hit in each at-bat; Jones finished 5 for 5, and Petroskey 4 for 4. Crawford plated three RBIs as well in a 3-for-5 effort with two stolen bases, and Graham Grisedale had three hits and plated two runs. Chris Turner and Handa collected two hits and three stolen bases apiece for Morgan Hill. Nathan Alejo chipped in three RBIs, and Handa three runs.
Fremont, fresh off a thrilling 6-5 win over Los Altos/Mountain View in the loser’s-bracket final, were just as hot to start the game but cooled off against relief pitcher Christopher Knopf in the final two innings. The left-hander allowed two earned runs and a pair of hits.
“The kids came together to get this one,” Dave Knopf said. “This team has gelled to the point where they trust and believe in each other. They’re able to support each other when things are tight.”
That is an encouraging sign heading into Regionals. From here, the challenges will pick up with more intensity as Morgan Hill battles the best teams from Santa Clara and Alameda counties. The locals’ first game is against Marina at 5 p.m. today.
“I told the kids a win is great. They should be proud of themselves, but we have a lot of baseball left,” said Dave Knopf, whose team became the third Morgan Hill squad to win a section title this summer. “It was great for the kids to win Sectionals at home and represent Morgan Hill like that.”
NOTE: In the other Mustang Sectional at Britton Middle School, Ceres won 6-1 Saturday over Blossom Valley 1 in the second game of their championship round to make Regionals. Blossom Valley dealt Ceres its first loss (12-1) Friday but could not finish the job. Morgan Hill 2 was eliminated from that tournament with opening losses to Ceres (15-0) and San Jose Pacific (15-4).
