Local team begins tourney with wins over Slovakia and host
Lafayette
After travelling all the way to Indiana for the Colt World Series, the Morgan Hill All-Stars don’t want to make the long trip a waste and not win.
Two games in, the team has made sure the trip is still worthwhile with a pair of victories to put itself in first place in the Red Division.
Morgan Hill scored eight runs in the first inning en route to a 18-0 win over Slovakia in the opener Thursday and followed that up by silencing a crowd of about 4,000 in a 5-3 win over the host Lafayette All-Stars on Friday.
“It was good to get our feet wet and get used to that atmosphere,” assistant coach Mark Cummins said after the opening win. “It relaxed us a little bit and helped build some confidence.”
Morgan Hill also took an early lead in its win over Lafayette, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first in front of a packed house.
“You can’t ask for more,” third baseman and pitcher Matt Cummins said after Friday’s win. “4,000 fans on a Friday night, 3,900 rooting against you.”
Billy Hill (Sobrato) drew a leadoff walk to start the first inning rally and Cummins followed with a single. Jon Hughes, who also threw 6 1/3 innings to get the win, smashed an RBI double.
Kevin Evanger (Gilroy) made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly to score Cummins and Christian Lam (Valley Christian) delivered a two-out RBI single for the third run.
Morgan Hill added single runs in the second and third innings and never trailed in the game and has yet to trail in the tournament.
Lafayette narrowed the gap with three unearned runs in the fourth and put the tying runs on base when Hughes walked two in the seventh.
But Cummins relieved Hughes and got a strike out and pop-out to end the game and get the save.
In the opener against Slovakia, which is a country where organized baseball has only existed since 1990, the European representatives threatened in the first inning when Andrie Mikas led off with a triple.
But Morgan Hill starting pitcher Alika Bantilan got a pop-up and two ground outs to strand the runner at third.
Morgan Hill’s offense immediately exploded, sending twelve batters to the plate in the first inning.
The leadoff batter Hill was hit by a pitch to lead off the game and Cummins reached on an error. Hughes drove in both runs with a double and Evanger followed with another double to drive in Hughes.
After Slovakia’s pitcher Michal Miklosovik retired the next two batters, Charlie McClung (Monte Vista Christian) reached on an error by the shortstop to keep the inning alive and allow Evanger to score to make it 4-0.
Bantilan and Danny Nelson (Sobrato) walked to load the bases and Hill followed with a bases clearing triple to widen the lead to 7-0. Cummins followed with a double to drive in Hill and Hughes lined out to finally end the inning.
Bantilan shutout Slovakia in the second inning and he left the game fresh having thrown only 22 pitches.
“We don’t wanna burn him too much,” Mark Cummins said. ”
James Johnson came in to pitch for Morgan Hill in the third inning and allowed only two base runners in the three scoreless innings.
Morgan Hill’s offense exploded for ten more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to put the game completely out of reach.
With one out, Evanger and Kevin Grove (Gilroy) both singled and Lam hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Evanger. McClung doubled to score Grove and Johnson walked.
After a wild pitch moved McClung and Johnson up a base, Mike Devine (Live Oak) singled to score both runners. The rally continued when Hill was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game and Stephen Smith singled to drive in two more runs.
Hughes and Adam Hill each walked and Blake Winzeler followed with an infield single to drive in a run. Lam singled and Steven Rodriguez reached on an error by the second baseman as the final run crossed the plate in the 18-0 win.
Morgan Hill continues play when it takes on winless Mexico on Sunday at 9:30am and plays O’Fallon, Miss. on Monday at 11:30am. One more win likely moves Morgan Hill to the medal round and the team has no plans to lose anytime soon.
“We want this bad,” Hughes said. “We’re looking forward to a 6-0 record.”
Listen to webcasts at www.coltworldseries.com.
