After powering through the Colt Sectional and Regional
tournament, the Morgan Hill Athletics are off to a 1-1 record in
the Zone Tournament being held at PAL Stadium this week in San
Jose.
Staff Reports
SAN JOSE – After powering through the Colt Sectional and Regional tournament, the Morgan Hill Athletics are off to a 1-1 record in the Zone Tournament being held at PAL Stadium this week in San Jose.
With Thursday’s loss to Redlands, the Athletics drop down to the loser’s bracket and play Friday at 2:30 p.m. against San Bruno. Morgan Hill has played San Bruno three times in the All-Star tournament and is 2-1. All games were decided by a run.
To get to the championship, they have to win three games and maybe four. But they did it in the Regionals and may be able to do it again.
Morgan Hill, the North Region winner, started off on Wednesday with a 5-2 victory against Coast Division winner Norwalk.
Bryce Wilson and Mike Paresa led the way with two hits each for the Athletics. Paresa picked up the win after going all seven innings, giving up four hits and four walks.
Norwalk worked out a run in the first inning to take an early lead.
It wasn’t until the fourth inning that Morgan Hill was able to get on the board, and then the team scored four runs.
Jess Dimas led off the inning with a single and scored on a base hit by Paresa, who later scored the second run.
Eric Nelson, who walked, and Mike Christman, who reached on an error, also scored in the inning.
The Athletics added a final run in the seventh inning on an RBI single by catcher Jake Bouslog that knocked in Paresa.
But it was the Morgan Hill defense that came up big in this game, turning three double plays.
In the second inning, Dimas and Doug Porras turned a 6-4-3 double play. In the third inning, Dimas made a nice back handed stop at second base, tagged the runner and then threw to first base.
And again in the sixth inning, the Athletics came up with a gem as Andrew Cummins ranged into foul territory to make a catch and doubled off the runner tagging up.
Morgan Hill played the South Division winner, Redlands, on Thursday. The Athletics were up 3-0 before Redlands scored a couple runs on bunts that weren’t fielded cleanly and then a two-run home run in the sixth inning to win 4-3.
“They beat us fair and square,” said manager Dave Newton. “We blew a couple opportunities. You can’t make mistakes against a really good team like they are. We could have quit, but we kept battling. We gave our team a chance.”
Morgan Hill scored in the third inning. Christman singled. Bryce Wilson reached on a throwing error by the pitcher. Porras tripled in two runs and then scored as the relay from the shortstop went under the third baseman’s legs.
Porras threw a strong game on the mound for the Athletics. He went against a tough pitcher, who threw heat and mixed in the offspead pitches nicely. Morgan Hill out hit Redlands 6-5, but Redlands had three extra-base hits including a pair of doubles in the fourth inning, while Morgan Hill had just extra-base hit.
It was 3-2 going into the sixth inning, before the two-run home run. Morgan Hill had a chance in the seventh innings. Nelson singled and Christman bunted him over. Brian Rusch came in to pinch run. Andrew Cummins walked, but Morgan Hill left them stranded at second and third.
The Athletics had four runners in scoring position with two outs in the game. And all four batters grounded out to second baseman.
Jess Dimas will start the first game on Friday, Newton said.
“We got heart and we got fight, so we should be fine,” Newton said. “It is going to be hard to advance to the World Series, but we are going to give it a shot.”
Near perfection
Following a game 3 loss to San Bruno in the recent Colt Regional Tournament, the Morgan Hill Athletics were in a do or die situation.
With one loss already in the double elimination tournament, the team was faced with having to win each of its three remaining games in order to avoid being eliminated and not advancing to Zone.
Morgan Hill picked up it first of the three needed wins against a tough hitting South San Francisco team. Neither South San Francisco, Morgan Hill, nor the fans attending the game realize what they were about to experience.
In the first Inning, South San Francisco sends its leadoff batters to the plate. Doug Porras is on the mound for Morgan Hill, not knowing he is about to pitch the game of his life. Ten pitches later, the three South City batters are retired.
Morgan Hill jumps off to a quick 2-0 lead. Andrew Cummins singles, Porras triples driving in Cummins, Porras scores on a Jess Dimas sacrifice to give Morgan Hill a 2-0 lead.
In the second Inning, Porras once again retires the batters in order with only 11 pitches.
Morgan Hill scores once again behind hits from Mike Marquez and Cummins.
In the third inning, South San Francisco sends three more batters to the plate to face Porras, who seems to have them frustrated with his pitches.
Going into the fourth inning, Porras has sent each batter he has faced back to the dugout without a hit. The rest of the Morgan Hill squad are all contributing with a solid defense, outstanding base running and timely hitting.
A very frustrated South San Francisco team once again comes to bat, struggling for a hit against the Morgan Hill defense. Twelve pitches later, the South San Francisco frustration continues.
Morgan Hill explodes with five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Doubles by Cummins and Porra and singles from Jess Dimas and Shane Christman lead the way. And Morgan Hill had an 8-0 lead.
In the fifth inning, as South San Francisco is about to take the plate once again, everyone now realizes Porras has not only a no-hitter in the works and also has a shot at a very rare perfect game.
South San Francisco is trying everything possible to muster up a hit to get a runner on base.
Porras takes the mound – seven pitches later three more South City batters head back to the dugout without a hit. The perfect game is getting even closer for Porras and his teammates.
Morgan Hill goes scoreless in the bottom of the fifth inning despite hits from Jarod Kwock, Eric Nelson and Christman.
In the sixth inning, Morgan Hill is in control and South San Francisco knows it.
They take the plate again against Porras, who has kept their batters second guessing themselves through the game. Ten pitches later: three up and three down once again. Is this really happening?
After six innings, 18 South San Francisco batters were set down 62 pitches later. Porras and his teammates are one inning away from their perfect day.
Trailing 8-0, South San Francisco once again comes to the plate. The team’s goal now is not to win the game anymore.
One hit, one walk, one Morgan Hill error will put a South City runner on base, ending Morgan Hill’s perfect day and salvaging a small piece of satisfaction.
Porras once again prepares to face the top of the South San Francisco batting order. Both dugouts are unusually quiet as are the stands. Most everyone realizes what is in reach of Porras and the Morgan Hill team.
South San Francisco’s leadoff batter heads to the plate. Porras circles the mound and heads to the hill. The dugouts now get fired up – one dugout wanting a runner on base and the other wanting three outs.
As for the fans, no one really is paying attention to the score. Will we see a perfect game?
Fastball on the outside corner. “Strike one.”
Another fastball on the outside corner – soft grounder to first. One out. Porras takes another walk around the mound while the infield fires the ball around.
“C’mon kid. One down, two to go. Atta kid,” one of the Morgan Hill coaches yells out as he paces the dugout.
Jason Neil, already 0-for-2 at the plate, steps to the plate. Porras winds up and delivers. “Strike” on the inside corner.
Neil steps out of the box, takes a look at his third base coach. “Just hit away,” his coach says.
Neil steps back into the batter box, ready to “just hit away.” Porras winds up and delivers.
A hard grounder to the left side of the infield. Shane Christman dives to his left as Mike Paresa moves to his right and lunges at the ball. It was a base hit through the hole into left field. Porras 6 1/3 innings of a perfect game came to a close.
The score was insignificant. What Morgan Hill accomplished this game was an experience they will talk about for years.
Morgan Hill stayed alive in the Region Tournament with the win and eventually won the tournament, advancing to the prestigious Zone Tournament.
