Morgan Hill Athletics finish out All-Star tourney on a strong
note
SAN JOSE – The Morgan Hill Colt Athletics team finished in fourth place after splitting its final two games Friday in the Zone All-Star tournament at PAL Stadium.
If the Athletics had won three or four games, they would be heading to the World Series. Morgan Hill defeated San Bruno during the first game 12-5, but then lost the night cap 10-2 to Norwalk, who Morgan Hill had defeated in the first game. After losing that first game, Norwalk went on to win the rest of its games and claim the championship.
The Athletics wrapped up their season after winning both the Sectional and Regional tournaments with a 25-3 record.
“I think that this is the highest anyone has ever finished,” said manager Dave Newton. “We were probably a pitcher away from going to the World Series. The heat caught up to them. But hopefully we come back and do it again next year.”
Newton even received a free hair cut as a a result of winning the Regional tournament. He told the team before they played South San Francisco that if they won, he would let them shave his head. They wasted little time in making him keep his promise.
At the post-game party at Mountain Mike’s Pizza, the shaving utensils were brought in, and Newton received his haircut with the approval of the management as long as the mess in the back room was swept up.
The artists even got a little creative, and Newton later had to shave his head flat to remove their graffiti.
Morgan Hill and San Bruno matched up for the fourth time in All-Star play. Morgan Hill was 2-1 in the previous games, and all three were decided by a run.
The Athletics started against San Bruno off quickly on Friday scoring a run in the first inning and then another in the second on an RBI by Jake Bouslog that the right fielder tried to make a basket catch on but dropped.
In the bottom of the second inning, left fielder Andrew Cummins almost threw out a runner at second base. But he slid in safely for a double and scored on a hit to right for the first San Bruno run.
Cummins also made a nice running catch in foul territory for an out in the inning. However, San Bruno was still able to tie the game.
The Athletics regained the lead in the third inning after Bryce Wilson doubled and Doug Porras grounded out to bring him in.
After San Bruno tied the game again, Morgan Hill came back and took the lead for good in the fourth inning.
Mike Paresa led off the inning by getting knocked by a pitch. Jared Kwock rolled a beautiful bunt down the first base line. Bouslog loaded the bases with a base hit.
Eric Nelson knocked in two runs on the first pitch he saw. After Shane Christman walked to reload the bases, Cummins brought in two more with a hit just inside the right field line that the first baseman got a glove on.
San Bruno got out of further damage, leaving the bases loaded. The team got within 7-5 with runs in the fourth and fifth innings, but couldn’t get any more.
Morgan Hill shut the door in the final innings. Shane Christman led off the sixth inning with a single. He was replaced on the base path by Brian Rusch. Despite several attempts to keep him on, San Bruno was unable to keep Rusch from stealing second.
Wilson had a hit to right and tried to get picked off between first and third to allow Rusch to slide in safely to score. Wilson slid home safely on a fielder’s choice by Porras that San Bruno tried to come home on.
Kwock came in the sixth inning after Jess Dimas, who pitched well, gave up a pair of walks to start the inning. Kwock induced a popup that Nelson chased down in foul territory then got a popup to Paresa at short stop. Kwock fielded the last out to leave the bases loaded. The Athletics scored four more in the seventh inning highlighted by Cummins’ two-RBI double.
The game against Norwalk was a different story. Morgan Hill’s 11 errors was more than both teams combined in the hitting department.
“Our wheels just came off,” Newton said. “You could tell the kids were tired. We made a good run. We all went bad not just one or two players.”
The Athletics scored a run in the first and the second inning, but that was all they could manage as they committed error after error. Kwock was 2-for-2 in the game.
Christman had to leave the game in the first inning after fielding a ball that took off his fingernail while he was at third base. Bouslog came in to play third and did a good job away from his normal catcher roll.
“If our defense ever got going, it would be a good game,” Newton said. “The pitching and defense has been solid all year.”
Earlier in the tournament, Porras came within one hit of throwing a perfect game.
