If Morgan Hill Colt Athletics Manager Dave Newton was concerned
about how his team would react to its first official postseason
competition of the year, he needn
’t have worried. The A’s came out on fire, scoring early and
often en route to a 10-3 shellacking of Saratoga in the West Zone
Tournament opener at PAL Stadium in San Jose on Wednesday.
If Morgan Hill Colt Athletics Manager Dave Newton was concerned about how his team would react to its first official postseason competition of the year, he needn’t have worried.
The A’s came out on fire, scoring early and often en route to a 10-3 shellacking of Saratoga in the West Zone Tournament opener at PAL Stadium in San Jose on Wednesday.
“It was a great start,” Newton said. “We played with basically no mistakes.”
MH, which is co-hosting the tourney, was scheduled to play fellow co-host San Jose PAL on Thursday night in the winner’s bracket semifinals.
The winner of that game will move on to the winner’s bracket finals on Friday at 5 p.m., while the loser will be forced to play a loser’s bracket game at noon on Friday.
The championship of the eight-team, double-elimination tourney will be held Saturday (and Sunday, if necessary). The West Zone champion qualifies for the Colt World Series.
On Wednesday, MH scored in every inning but the fifth in the victory, and with such stout offensive support, starting pitcher Mike Paresa coasted along on the mound.
Paresa surrendered just five hits and two walks in six innings of work while striking out seven. He also provided a spark at the top of the order as the A’s leadoff hitter, parlaying two hits and three stolen bases into five runs scored.
After Paresa scored in the first inning to give the MH A’s a 1-0 lead, the local squad added a run in the second and three more in third on three straight bunt basehits, followed by Eric Nelson’s two-run homer.
MH’s Shane Christman added three hits and four RBIs for the local squad.
A’s reliever Ryan Bennett pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
