There could only be one team from Morgan Hill that would still be around after Thursday in the Pinto Super Regional tournament.
Between Morgan Hill A and Morgan Hill B, only one would be left alive in a quest to go to the World Series. In thrilling fashion, it was the B team that celebrated a 5-4 win with a pile on the mound centered around Joseph Schroder.
MH B team will play Freemont A Friday at 5:30 p.m. The winner will face Blossom Valley 1 that has outscored opponents 41-2 in three games.
The two local teams — dressed identically except for their belts — made the game as exciting as they could.
MH B starter Cody Thomas held a perfect game with two outs in the third inning before No. 9 hitter Andrew Giodanengo smacked a single through the right-center gap. After an error in left, Thomas got out of the inning with a ground out to short.
Meanwhile MH B scored two runs in the first and second innings, with Anaya and Ryan Roberts coming around in the first, followed by Eddie Benitez and Dominic Pereira scoring in the second.
Morgan Hill A’s team made things interesting in the fourth, putting up a four spot with two outs to tie the game.
Lucas Lange led off the inning with a walk, and scored on a ground ball hit by Aaron Valdez, taking advantage of a defensive lapse.
Valdez took advantage of the MH B defense himself one batter later on a single by Landon Stamp. Michael Froess capped off the inning with an RBI single, later coming around to score when he tried to take second on a passed ball and the catcher threw the ball passed second.
MH B settled down, however, allowing just four base runners for the rest of the game.
The B team was blanked in the fourth, but came back in the fifth on the back of Thomas, who singled and scored after a pair of wild pitches.
That set up a wild sixth inning.
Tyler Klapp walked to lead off the sixth and advanced to second on a passed ball then took third on a wild pitch. Then on a ground ball hit back to the pitcher, Klapp got caught in a run down and nearly made it home, but couldn’t slide under the tag of the catcher.
Benitez got the next batter to pop out and nearly got out of the inning when Froess hit a ground ball to second that just got passed the fielder.
But Benitez settled down and caught his last hitter looking to end the game to earn the save.
Schroeder earned the win, throwing a solid fifth inning and facing one batter of the sixth.
Friday’s game is at Britton Middle School against Fremont with the winner playing 10 a.m. Saturday for the championship.
