The A’s did not score the first run Friday night, but they scored the rest and defeated the Rays via the mercy rule 11-1 in four innings for the Manteca Little League major championship at Lincoln Park.
Dylan DePrater doubled to lead off the game for the Rays and he came in on a wild pitch for the only Rays run.
A’s pitcher Tyler Paul Wentworth blanked the Rays the rest of the way until he left the game with two outs in the fourth inning. Relief pitcher James Dennis came on and threw just one pitch, inducing a groundout to end the game on the mercy rule.
Wentworth – who finished with five strikeouts – may have not allowed a run after DePrater’s, but he had to work at it. The Rays walked the bases loaded in the second only for Wentworth to field a comebacker and throw home, followed by two strikeouts. Zach Todd (2 for 2, double) singled to start the fourth for the Rays and Micah English walked for runners at first and second with no out.
Todd was cut down at third on an alert play on a grounder to first baseman Amrit Dehal and Wentworth followed that with a strikeout before reaching his pitch limit, making way for Dennis and his one-pitch outing.
The A’s wasted little time eclipsing their one-run deficit. In the bottom of the first, Wentworth, Dehal (2 for 2, two RBI, two runs), Garrison Reis (2 for 2, RBI, double, run), and Michael George singled with Reese George and Josh Dennis each hitting a double. When the dust settled the A’s led 6-1.
Bryan Lopez was hit by a pitch and Joey Wharton walked for the A’s in the second. Lopez scored on an error off the bat of Dennis, Dehal singled in Wharton and Dennis and Reis doubled in Dehal for a 9-1 A’s lead. In the third, Kaden MacDannald had a two-out double and scored on David Alvarado’s single. Alvarado took second on the throw to the infield and with indecision by the Rays he ran to third on the play and when the throw to third went to the outfield Alvarado came home for the final run of the game.
The A’s will open the District 67 Tournament of Champions on Saturday, June 18 against Mountain House at 9 a.m. on Gillen Field at Northgate Little League.