Local team falls to Paso Robles in losers’-bracket final
MORGAN HILL — Morgan Hill’s second-tier All-Stars were about as tough to decipher as their team name this week at the Morgan Hill Pinto Sectional.
They entered the tournament as a B team on paper, a C team by draft and a favorable opponent to their A-level counterparts from Seaside, Paso Robles and Morgan Hill. They ended up nearly playing for a trip to the World Series.
Insead, Morgan Hill C’s thrilling run ended Wednesday with a 10-4 loss to Paso Robles in the loser’s-bracket final at Britton Middle School. The local team settled for a bronze finish — and respect from their peers.
“I definitely think this was a success,” Morgan Hill C manager Matt Elam said. “I was talking to guys that had been with the tournament for years, and they said they couldn’t remember any C team even winning a game.
“If you’re a C team, you’re a success if you don’t (lose by 10-run rule) every game. We won a game — that’s even bigger.”
Elam’s team opened the five-team double-elimination tournament with a 6-4 stunner over Paso Robles. The other side got revenge Wednesday as Paso Robles opened up a 10-0 lead after 3 1/2 innings.
Morgan Hill scraped together four runs in the bottom of the fourth but could not find any consistency at the plate.
“We lived and died looking at third strikes and not swinging,” Elam said. “Paso Robles is a dang-good team. They hit the ball very well this time around. We just played mediocre baseball.”
Outfielder Travis Turnipseed threw a runner out at second to lead Morgan Hill’s defensive highlights, and Nathan Medeiros provided two hits in the lead-off spot. Matt Cicisly added two RBIs for Morgan Hill C.
The Paso Robles All-Stars earned a trip to the championship round where they faced Morgan Hill A on Thursday (results will be reported online today and in Tuesday’s print edition). The winner will advance to the Pinto World Series in San Jose.
“Our guys kept their heads up afterward,” Elam said. “They should be proud they made it this far.
