Surprise team in Santa Clara County Sectional will face winner
of today’s Morgan Hill A-Santa Clara game Friday
SANTA CLARA — The magic continues for Morgan Hill’s 13U Pony B All-Stars.
A day after upsetting the top team from Blossom Valley, 5-4, in elimination play, the local team took down Ceres 6-2 Wednesday to move within a game of playing for the Santa Clara County Sectional championship and qualifying for Regionals.
The Cinderella B squad will return to Lou Vierra Field on Friday to face the loser of today’s 5:30 p.m. game between Santa Clara and Morgan Hill A in the winners’ bracket.
The top prize may come down to Morgan Hill’s best.
“We came in as kind of the dark horse. Now, we’re the only B team still standing,” manager John Bennett said. “We’re knocking down some good teams.”
Bennett’s squad needed another rally to put away Ceres, a team from near Modesto. Ceres scored its two runs off errors in the first inning against Morgan Hill starter Karl Johnisee-Mann.
The B All-Stars cut the lead to one, then went ahead on Johnisee-Mann’s two-run knock in the fifth inning. They poured in three more runs in the sixth, including an RBI-base hit by Zach Clinger.
Johnisee-Mann was lights out after the first inning. He totaled seven strikeouts.
“He got his control back late in the game,” Bennett said. “The whole team was kind of flat for those first few innings. They woke up and started to play good baseball.
“Timely hitting, good pitching and good defense have been the formula in each of our wins.”
The B All-Stars have reeled off three straight after dropping their opener to Santa Clara. Now, they face a possible rematch with Santa Clara or a showdown with Morgan Hill A, the same group that reached the Bronco World Series in 2009. Friday’s game begins at 5:30 p.m.
“Both teams are great teams, so we’re gladly waiting for the loser,” Bennett said. “It’ll be a challenge no matter who we face.
“Our confidence is strong right now, a lot better than it was the first time we played Santa Clara. The kids are just having a blast right now. I know some of their parents might be upset. Their vacations are on hold.”
The championship round begins at 10 a.m. Saturday. If the losers’-bracket winner takes the first game, a second one will be played the same day.
Both finalists will advance to the Santa Clara and Alameda County Regional in Campbell.
