Regionals next for Morgan Hill’s undefeated Green All-Stars
MORGAN HILL — “What’s left to improve?”
It has to be the toughest question to ask Morgan Hill Mustang manager Rick Martinez, whose Green All-Stars won their fourth straight game by convincing margin Monday — this time to secure their host section pennant.
In suppressing their upset-savvy counterpart, Morgan Hill Gray, 33-3 in the championship round at Britton Middle School, the Green All-Stars capped an unprecedented run through the six-team double-elimination tournament. The city’s top group in the 9-10-year-old division won each of its contests by 12 runs or more, ending all but one by mercy rule.
“There is always room for improvement,” Martinez said. “With hard work and dedication, we can get better. It’s hard to say all the players are doing so well. I can tell you this: They are all playing their hearts out.”
Martinez, who helped guide a Morgan Hill Pinto squad to a section title a year ago, said his players have lofty goals for this summer — the biggest being the World Series in August.
So far, they have been unstoppable.
“They really do have a good chance of going far,” said Morgan Hill Gray manager P.J. Rochon, whose team of underdogs fell 14-1 to Green earlier in the tournament. “They have a team that’s built to go far … they have depth at every position. It would surprise me if they don’t go far.”
Their next stop is the eight-team PAL Sectional, a steppingstone to the West Zone tournament. Morgan Hill Green will play the East Bay Section champion at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in PAL Stadium.
“The challenge for us is to stay focused and keep the ultimate prize in hand,” Martinez said. “We try to keep the kids hungry and disciplined before games.
“They practice like they play. It was funny Monday; one minute they were celebrating the section title, the next they were playing catch and stickball, getting pumped for regionals.”
Martinez’s high-powered club got two singles, a double and a grand slam from slugger Kekoa Bantilan; three singles and a home run from D.J. Washington, and two singles a double from Anthony Picchi. Ricky Martinez batted 5 for 5 with three doubles.
“I’m proud of our team, but it wasn’t fun to win that way,” their manager said. “The Gray guys played their hearts out to get that far. I’m proud of them for making it — and they should be proud of themselves.”
Dylan Holler scored the Gray All-Stars’ first run on Christopher Knopf’s single to left in the second inning. Nathan Alejo advanced home on a passed ball in the third, and Angel Sanchez singled in P.J. Rochon Jr.
As the only ‘C’-level team in the tournament, Rochon’s young players became the biggest story of this All-Star season. They overcame large deficits in each of their three victories, including a thrilling 13-12 win over Los Altos/Mountain View to advance out of the loser’s bracket. That came after their humbling first loss to Green.
“It was hard for them to go through that one,” Rochon said of Monday’s game. “We got, I think, like two hits against them. We were mentally defeated.”
Their mood was anything but gray afterward, though, when Rochon’s players proudly donned their runner-up medals.
“You could tell they felt better. They were recognized for what they did,” their manager said. “They had the feeling that they accomplished something. I don’t think a ‘C’ team has ever made it this far.”
NOTE: Morgan Hill’s All-Star season continues this week with the Bronco 12 Section Tournament at Britton Middle School. The city has Green and Gold teams competing.
