Twenty-four hours after Morgan Hill surrendered five runs in the
seventh inning and lost 9-4 to Paso Robles in Game 1 of the
championship round, the two teams returned to Britton Middle School
on Thursday for a winner-take-all second meeting that was more like
a second helping. Paso Robles scored six runs in the final inning
and held off a spirited rally in the bottom half for an 8-4
victory, clinching the top seed in the section for next week’s
Central Region Tournament
MORGAN HILL
A case can be made that Morgan Hill’s A team was two innings away from capturing its Mustang-9 section title, an artificial yet confidence-boosting prize the locals could use as the stakes get higher this All-Star season.
Twenty-four hours after Morgan Hill surrendered five runs in the seventh inning and lost 9-4 to Paso Robles in Game 1 of the championship round, the two teams returned to Britton Middle School on Thursday for a winner-take-all second meeting that was more like a second helping.
Paso Robles scored six runs in the final inning and held off a spirited rally in the bottom half for an 8-4 victory, clinching the top seed in the section for next week’s Central Region Tournament.
“We’re disappointed we didn’t win our section championship,” Morgan Hill manager Vince LaGatta said. “I thought we were competitive this tournament. We did some great things, so I’m proud of our boys. It’s not like we can hang our heads.”
The A All-Stars, many of whom played for Morgan Hill’s Pinto World Series team in 2010, were seeded No. 1 in the tournament and lived up to it in their first three games, outscoring the opposition 40-10. Their closest game was a pristine 11-8 victory Sunday over rival Blossom Valley, who was coming off handing Paso Robles its only loss by 13-2 score.
“The three games we won, we hit it all over,” LaGatta said. “The last two, we came back to earth. We have to get back and start hitting the ball.”
Morgan Hill rode great pitching by Will Ansbro again Thursday — this time a four-inning gem. Zack Gieg supplied a two-run double in the sixth inning, and Cory Taylor drove in Tommy Troy for Morgan Hill.
“Losing like that two nights in a row, it hurts a little,” LaGatta said. “But we were right there. We’ll learn from it, and we’ll keep working hard and keep playing — that’s the good news. We have to keep playing our best and let the breaks come to us. That’s baseball.”
Morgan Hill earned the section’s No. 2 seed, and Blossom Valley received the No. 3 spot for next week’s double-elimination Central Regional, a qualifier for the West Zone finals in Walnut. The penultimate tournament will also include the top three teams from the East Bay Sectional, plus host Brentwood.
“The important thing is getting them prepared as best we can in the next three days,” LaGatta said. “We want them to enjoy the experience. Not every team gets to play in a World Series one year and be on the cusp of a section title the next and make it to Regionals. This is a special team made up of good kids from good families.
“I’m excited about where we’re at.”
