FULLERTON
– The Morgan Hill PONY-13 All-Star team travelled to Fullerton
and was one of only eight teams remaining in the Western United
States for Pony Baseball’s last All-Star tournament.
FULLERTON – The Morgan Hill PONY-13 All-Star team travelled to Fullerton and was one of only eight teams remaining in the Western United States for Pony Baseball’s last All-Star tournament.
The squad from northern California finished fifth, eliminating a team from Seattle.
Victoria 10, MH 1
In the first game, Morgan Hill was flat, mustering only five hits against the Riverside team. Starting pitcher James Johnson pitched very well, allowing just two earned runs over 4 1/3 innings.
The normally solid Morgan Hill defense had several uncharacteristic errors, and Victoria extended a 3-0 lead to 8-0 in the fifth inning.
Morgan Hill had several chances early in the game to score, but couldn’t come up with the decisive hits. In the first inning, Billy Hill, who had walked, was stranded at third base.
Kevin Grove and Jonathan Hughes both reached base safely in the second inning with no outs, but neither scored. Robert Barsanti and Johnson each had doubles for Morgan Hill, but they couldn’t score.
With Morgan Hill facing the 10-run mercy rule in the sixth inning, Hughes walked, and after Stephen Smith was hit by a pitch and a Ryan Evanger singled, Danny Nelson drew an RBI walk for Morgan Hill’s only run.
Nelson made the web gem of the tournament to end the sixth inning. He made a completely extended diving catch in deep centerfield. Vince Hatakeyama pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning, with two strikeouts. Grove (a single) and Hughes (a walk) reached base again, but couldn’t score.
MHl 17, Burien 8
Facing elimination, Morgan Hill responded with true character, exploding for eight runs in the first inning against the Northwest Regional Champions from Seattle. Morgan Hill’s first six hitters reached base, and all scored in the rally.
Hill and Matt Cummins each went 5-for-5 on the day.
Cummins’ double drove in Hill for the first run. Grove followed with a double to score Cummins and then Adam Perez (a walk), Johnson (a single) and Hughes (a walk) loaded the bases with Morgan Hill ahead 3-2.
Two throwing errors by the Burien catcher allowed two runs to score, and Nelson added a single to extend the rally. Hatakeyama drove in another run on a fielders’ choice, and Hill’s second hit of the inning plated two more runs.
The eighth run was driven in by Cummins’ second double of the inning, scoring Hill.
Staked to an 8-2 lead, starting pitcher Grove threw quite well, allowing two earned runs with no walks and two strikeouts over three innings. Hatakeyama pitched three innings as well and gave up just one earned run with two strikeouts. Morgan Hill won or tied all seven innings against Burien.
In the third inning, the first five batters had hits, but Morgan Hill scored only two runs as Burien made two nice defensive plays to stop the rally. Smith singled, Nelson doubled, Hatakeyama singled, Hill singled and Cummins singled to score Nelson and Hill. Hill, Cummins, and Grove combined to score 10 runs. Johnson went 3-for-5 and Nelson went 3-for-3 to lead Morgan Hill to the victory.
Tuscon 11, MH 8,
In probably their best game of the Zone Tournament, Morgan Hill couldn’t quite match the Tuscon hitting and fell 11-8. Morgan Hill jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first inning after Cummins doubled in Hill, who had walked. Grove and Johnson walked.
Cummins scored on a throwing error, and Grove scored on a Hughes groundout, but the rally ended as Tuscon back-doored Johnson at third base.
Tuscon responded in the bottom of the inning, matching the three runs off starting pitcher Cummins. Grove made a spectacular catch in deep right field as the leadoff hitter drove a ball near the fence that he caught going away. Each team scored a run in the second. Nelson singled and eventually scored for Morgan Hill to make the score 4-4.
After a scoreless third inning, Morgan Hill went quietly in the fourth inning, and Tuscon’s bats came alive in the bottom of the inning. With two outs and just one runner on base, Morgan Hill couldn’t get that elusive third out, and Tuscon plated four runs.
Finally, after an RBI single, left fielder Smith nailed a runner at the plate, with Perez applying the tag.
Down 8-4, Morgan Hill cut the lead in half in the fifth inning. Grove singled, Johnson reached on an error and Hughes had a bunt single. Grove scored on an RBI walk by Nelson, and Johnson scored on a wild pitch.
The rally ended as Tuscon’s relief pitcher picked off Hughes at third base. Relief pitcher Johnson retired Tuscon in the bottom of the inning, but Morgan Hill also went quietly in the top of the sixth.
Once again with two outs, Tuscon scored more runs in the bottom of the sixth, as three runs scored on several Morgan Hill miscues.
Now down 11-6, Morgan Hill needed a major comeback and started one. Both Grove and Perez doubled to start the inning. Grove and pinch runner Christian Lam both scored, with Lam scoring on an RBI single by Hughes, but Tuscon ended the game on a very close double play.
The Morgan Hill Pony team was sponsored by Giacalone Electric, Alain Pienel Realtors, Dr. Jon Hatakeyama, Evergreen Park Development, Grove Industries and Fritter, Shultz, Conlan physical Theropy.
