Featuring three MVPs from three different high school leagues,
the Morgan Hill Palomino Athletics make their first foray into
Regional Tournament play in a few years this weekend. In its
tourney opener, MH plays Santa Cruz Saturday at 10am at Valley
Christian High in San Jose.
Featuring three MVPs from three different high school leagues, the Morgan Hill Palomino Athletics make their first foray into Regional Tournament play in a few years this weekend.
In its tourney opener, MH plays Santa Cruz Saturday at 10am at Valley Christian High in San Jose.
The four-team tourney also includes San Mateo and Pittsburg, with the winner advancing to the West Zone Tournament at Santa Clara’s Washington Park next week.
Led by Live Oak High’s Doug Porras, the Tri-County Athletic League MVP, and several of his league champion Acorn teammates, the Palomino A’s (17-18) rolled to an outstanding 12-6 record to qualify for postseason play.
Other standouts include Santa Clara Valley Athletic League MVP Marty Mullins, a catcher, and Blossom Valley Athletic League MVP Jadd Correia, an outfielder.
According to Manager Roy Jackson, this year’s squad ranks among the best he’s coached in nearly two decades.
“If I’ve got the whole team there, they’re right up there with the top four or five teams (I’ve coached) in the last 15 years,” Jackson said..
Ironically, the local squad has had plenty of opportunities to match up against its regional tourney competition.
MH has already beaten Santa Cruz twice, including a 13-4 victory on Wednesday night, and also swept San Mateo.
Against Pittsburg, MH played with a short roster and dropped the opener of a doubleheader 4-2 before being forced to forfeit the nightcap.
“I think we can beat them,” Jackson said.
Pony 13s to begin Zone play, Colt A’s start next weekend
In other all-star play, the MH Pony 13 all-stars begin West Zone tourney play today at noon against Hawaii at Fullerton’s Amerige Field.
And, the MH Colt A’s are set to begin hosting West Zone tourney play at Valley Christian High next Thursday. The local squad plays its opener at 5pm.
Eariler, the MH Colt B all-star team lost two straight in its sectional tourney and was eliminated.
The B’s lost their opener to Sunnyvale/Cupertino 7-2 and dropped its second game to Los Altos/ Mt View 12-2.
Meanwhile, the MH Pony 14s A team was scheduled to play San Jose PAL on Thursday in the loser’s bracket of the Sectional Tournament at Fisher Middle School in Los Gatos.
The Pony 14s had won its first two games of the tourney – 16-6 over San Jose Pacific, and 18-5 over Los Gatos No. 2, but lost its third game 6-3 against host Los Gatos No. 1 to fall into the loser’s bracket.
Thursday’s winner qualified to play Los Gatos No. 1 for the sectional championship.
Bronco A’s eliminated from Britton tourney with loss on Thursday
Accepting the challenge of starting play at the Regional Tournament level, the Morgan Hill Pony Baseball Bronco A all-stars advanced all the way to the Final Four before being eliminated from the tourney at Britton Middle School.
MH bowed out in the loser’s bracket semifinal on Thursday, dropping a hard-fought 8-6 decision to South San Francisco.
Pitcher Ryan Webb was outstanding on the mound, allowing just two runs in 4 1/2 innings of work.
Offensively, Kolby Rousseau had three hits, including a pair of doubles, while Tim Giles added two hits for MH.
The Bronco A all-stars won their opener 16-10 over Blossom valley No. 2, then fell to Los Altos No. 1 12-0. MH beat Los Altos No. 2 to advance to Thursday’s game.
The local all-star team bypassed sectional tourney play in order to host the Regional Tournament in MH.
