Morgan Hill looked like a team that barely qualified for the
Bronco Regional on Tuesday as opposed to one that was ready to turn
the corner
SAN JOSE
Morgan Hill looked like a team that barely qualified for Bronco Regionals on Tuesday as opposed to one that was ready to turn the corner.
The 12-year-old All-Stars lasted 4 1/2 innings in their tournament opener at PAL Stadium, losing 14-0 to a Vacaville club that was aggressive on the basepaths, crisp in the field and patient at the plate.
Morgan Hill hurt its cause with three errors, four passed balls and eight walks allowed. For each mistake the locals committed — be it an errant throw, wild pitch or dropped third strike — Vacaville was laying in wait.
“It was one of those games,” Morgan Hill manager Brian Bantilan said. “When you get to the region (tournament), they wash out all the weaker teams. So you see games like this. It happens if you’re not ready.”
There was no more telling statistic than the box score after two innings. Morgan Hill surrendered three hits but trailed 7-0. The locals did show life, loading the bases for leadoff hitter Ryan Spohn in the second and retiring Vacaville’s first two batters in the third.
But each step forward led to a deflating fall back; Spohn lined out to center fielder Dylan Lamb, who made a diving catch in full extension, and Vacaville reeled off a three-run, two-out rally in the third to lead 10-0.
Morgan Hill had two runners in scoring position from there.
“We just didn’t show up, did not show up,” Bantilan said. “It’s hard to pinpoint things after a game like that. The kids kept on battling at least against a good team. That was a positive.”
Morgan Hill was coming off an inspired run at Sectionals, where it rebounded from an early 10-run loss to Blossom Valley A to win two of its next three games in the losers’ bracket to advance.
The locals need a similar rally to stay alive in this week’s regional, a qualifier for the Aug. 4-11 Bronco World Series in Monterey. Their next game is at 5 p.m. Thursday against Bel Passi, which lost 7-0 Tuesday to Los Altos/Mountain View. The winner plays Saturday.
“At this point, you just regroup and play on,” Bantilan said. “It’s a different thought process now.”
Kekoa Bantilan and R.J. Kerr singled Tuesday for Morgan Hill’s two hits off Dustin Henderson, who struck out seven in a complete game. Bantilan also walked, and Kerr was hit by a pitch.
Angel Sanchez and Michael Ibarra drew walks as well for Morgan Hill, and starting pitcher Nick Hoefling had four strikeouts in one inning — a rare and telling stat line.
Henderson tripled, doubled, singled and drove in three runs, and Nicholas Roach added a run-scoring triple to lead Vacaville, which plays Los Altos/Mountain View at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
