Local all-star squad
’s only losses came against tourney finalists
It wasn’t exactly the finish the Morgan Hill Pony all-stars were hoping for but their journey to the West Zone Tournament had more than a few highlights.
Despite being eliminated from the tourney on Monday night after losing to eventual finalist and defending West Zone Pony-13 champion Los Alamitos, Calif. 11-6 in Fullerton, the local Pony all-star team can count itself among the top teams in the Western U.S.
That’s because the Pony all-stars’ only losses of the tournament came against the two eventual West Zone finalists — Los Alamitos and Mililani, Hawaii. (Mililani won the tourney title by beating L.A. 5-4 in the championship game on Wednesday).
Mililani saddled the local all-star squad with its first loss in postseason play — 3-0 on Sunday.
Officially, the MH team finished fourth in the tourney, a feat made even more amazing by the fact that this was the third year in a row that most of the players on this year’s team went to the West Zone tourney three years in a row.
“When all is said and considered, (we finished) fourth out of 128 teams in the Western U.S. — it’s a great accomplishment, and it’s a great accomplishment to make it (to the West Zone tourney) three years in a row,” MH Pony all-star manager Joe Grove said. “(The players) all have bright futures ahead of them. Obviously, we’re disappointed not to make it to Pennsylvania (to the Pony World Series) because that was our goal since last year. But the kids all played hard and they should be proud of themselves.”
After losing to Mililani last weekend, the local all-stars fell into the loser’s bracket and were forced to play a doubleheader on Monday.
In Monday’s first game, MH defeated Northwest Region champion Burien, Wa. 12-5, sending that team home for the second year in a row.
Immediately afterwards, Morgan Hill faced Los Alamitos and fell 11-6.
Following are the results from Monday’s games:
Morgan Hill 12, Burien, Wa. 5: Morgan Hill started slowly but their talent prevailed, as they defeated Burien, blowing the game open in the final inning. In the top of the 2nd inning, Hill’s sacrifice fly scored Christian Lam — who had singled — for the first run. Burien tied the score in the bottom of the inning, as MH starting pitcher Ryan Evanger yielded a lead-off double and a one-out RBI single. Evanger stopped the rally by striking out the final two hitters.
In the top of the third, MH extended its lead, as Matt Cummins led off with a single, and would eventually score on an RBI single from Lam. Jonathan Hughes lined a double down the left-field line, scoring Lam. Hughes scored on a two-out single from Jacob Dexter.
Evanger helped himself out in the bottom of the inning, picking off a runner attempting a delayed steal.
Burien made the game close in the bottom of the fourth, scoring two runs on a two-run homer to deep right-center.
Leading by just 4-3, MH matched Burien’s two runs with two of their own, as Adam Perez singled and Evanger was hit by a pitch. Both runners would score on a succession of walks and wild pitches.
Relief pitcher Vince Hatakeyama came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth, and allowed two runs before inducing three groundball outs.
With the lead a scant 6-5, Grove blasted a 1-1 pitch over the centerfield fence to give Morgan Hill a little cushion. And, in the top of the seventh, MH finally got to Burien’s pitching, scoring five runs to put the game away.
Los Alamitos 11, Morgan Hill 5: With a two-hour rest after their early afternoon game to help them, Los Alamitos jumped on MH early, scoring two runs with two outs in the top of the first inning, and five more runs in the top of the second inning. MH cut the lead to 7-2 in the bottom of the second inning, as Lam drove in Perez who had doubled.
Unfortunately, the next hitter grounded into a double play, as with the bases empty, Dexter launched a home run over the left-field fence to pull within 7-3.
Relief pitcher Cummins did his job, as he allowed just two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Los Alamitos committed three consecutive errors, loading the bases for Cummins. On a 2-1 count, Cummins blasted a fastball over the rightcenter fence, cutting the lead to 11-6, but Los Alamitos would prove the winner, as their pitcher retired the next two hitters to end the game.
