After dominating their section tournament early on, beating Los
Altos/Mountain B, Fremont and Blossom Valley by a combined margin
of 40-10, Morgan Hill’s Mustang-9 A All-Stars made earning a trip
to the Central Regional in Brentwood look easy. They are assured a
spot in next week’s seven-team qualifier for the Zone Tournament,
the final level in Mustang-9, but they’re stuck in Sectionals for
another day thanks to a pesky Paso Robles team that was not ready
to go home Wednesday in Game 1 of the championship round
MORGAN HILL
Nobody said the road to Regionals wouldn’t have speed bumps.
After dominating their section tournament early on, beating Los Altos/Mountain B, Fremont and Blossom Valley by a combined margin of 40-10, Morgan Hill’s Mustang-9 A All-Stars made earning a trip to the Central Regional in Brentwood look easy. They are assured a spot in next week’s seven-team qualifier for the Zone Tournament, the final level in Mustang-9, but on Wednesday were stuck in Sectionals for another day, thanks to a pesky Paso Robles team that was not ready to go home in Game 1 of the championship round.
Paso Robles rolled up the red carpet, scoring five runs in the seventh inning to upstage their hosts 9-4 at Britton Middle School and extend the tournament to a decisive final game set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
The teams could meet again in Brentwood.
“They’re a tough team. They came through the losers’ bracket; they’ve done some good things,” Morgan Hill manager Vince LaGatta said. “I give a lot of credit to them. They came out and made plays when they had to.”
That is not to say the A All-Stars didn’t flash the leather or display their usual offensive power. The locals had 11 hits, including four in the first inning, but left six runners in scoring position. All but two of Morgan Hill’s 12 players reached base. Vinnie LaGatta, Gio Saso and Tommy Troy had two hits apiece with Troy doubling home Saso in the fifth as part of a two-run rally that made it 4-4. Zack Gieg doubled and scored on a Vinnie LaGatta single in the second.
Morgan Hill reliever Cory Taylor and catcher Jonathan Singleton got their team out of a jam in the sixth with runners on first and third and one out; Taylor cut off Singleton’s bluffed throw to second on a double-steal attempt and threw to Braden Huffman at third to tag out Reece Brumley on a close play. Taylor, who struck out four and allowed two hits in three innings, fanned leadoff hitter Taylor Bonham for the third out.
Morgan Hill was undercut by miscues and a dearth of clutch hits early and late in the game.
“They’re 9-year-olds, so they’re going to have days like they had today,” Vince LaGatta said. “It wasn’t our best effort. We’ll turn it around, and hopefully we come out with a better effort (Thursday).”
Winning pitcher Hunter Barnhart struck out six and yielded five hits and two walks in the final five innings. He held Morgan Hill at bay long enough for Paso Robles to strike in the extra inning with consecutive RBI singles by Lucas Climer and Nick Mecham, and a two-run double by Huffman.
After pulling even against Barnhart in the fifth, Morgan Hill went down in order in the final two innings.
“We have a lot of heart on this team, coming back like that,” LaGatta said. “I have no worries.”
