With the 10-0 win by the Northgate Blue Jays over the Lathrop Reds on Saturday, Northgate gained its second consecutive banner in the Little League District 67 Minors Tournament of Champions, having gone through the last two tournaments undefeated.
Zach Grabowski and Anthony Sy split the pitching duties for the Blue Jays, not allowing a Lathrop base runner past second base. Grabowski went the first four innings, striking out nine and allowing just one hit, a slow-roller in the fourth by Larry Cachua that died half way to third base. Sy closed out the game, retiring all six batters he faced with five strikeouts.
Owen Machado got the ball rolling for the 11-hit parade for Northgate in the second inning, hitting a two-out two-RBI single to plate Greg Adams (3 for 4, RBI, three runs) and Braden Glasgow for a 2-0 lead.
Grabowski (3 for 4, triple, RBI) had a two-out triple in the sixth – one of two three-run frames for the Blue Jays. Carson Sanders (2 for 4, double, RBI) knocked in Grabowski and Sanders came in on an error off of the bat of Adams. Blake Glasgow reached on an error that scored Adams for the last run of the game.
The other three-run inning for Northgate was the fourth. After Glasgow was hit by a pitch to start the frame, Braden Glasgow and Josiah Reif walked to load the bases. Julian Kelm drew a bases-loaded walk to score Blake Glasgow with Braden Glasgow coming in on a single by Sy and Reif scoring on a single by Grabowski.
Adams, Blake and Braden Glasgow all singled in the fourth inning to load the bases and Reif walked to plate Adams. In the third inning, Sy walked, took third on a double by Sanders and scored on an Adams single.
Majors
Northgate Braves 13,
Manteca A’s 9
The march through the consolation bracket for the A’s came to an abrupt halt Saturday by the team sent them there with the Braves scoring seven runs in the last two innings on Northgate’s Gillen Field.
The Braves entered the top of the fifth trailing 7-6. Josh Lewallen (3 for 4, double, RBI) led off the frame with a single followed by walks to Sean Beauchamp (RBI) and Michael Quaresma. Lewallen and Beauchamp scored on a single by Charlie Sanders (3 for 5, two RBI). Willie Segura (2 for 3, three RBI) singled in Quaresma and Sanders scored on a flyout by Tyler Looney (three RBI) to put Northgate ahead 10-7.
Lewallen led off the sixth for the Braves with a double and Beauchamp singled him in. Carl Hernandez (2 for 4, double, RBI) doubled to score Beauchamp and Hernandez came in to score on a throwing error for a 13-8 lead.
After closing a five-run sixth-inning deficit Friday to make it to Saturday, the A’s took up where they left off, jumping out to a 6-0 lead after two innings.
Tyler Paul Wentworth (4 for 4, double, home run) singled to start the first for Manteca and scored on an error. James Dennis gave the A’s a 2-0 lead when he came in on a passed ball after reaching on a fielder’s choice.
David Alvarado reached on an error to start the Manteca second and scored on Wentworth’s double. Armit Dehal singled in Wentworth with Dehal scoring on a bases-loaded walk to Josh Dennis and Garrison Reis (home run) scoring on a bases-loaded walk to Bryan Lopez for a 6-1 lead.
Not only did Northgate outhit the A’s 14-7, the Braves had a more balanced attack with eight players getting at least one hit. Conversely, Wentworth had four of his team’s seven hits and was the only multiple hitter for Manteca.
Beauchamp started and went two innings on the hill for the Braves, striking out three. Segura came on in the third and went the rest of the way, striking out 11 while allowing just three runs.
Northgate looks to avenge its 6-2 Friday night loss to the Tracy American Yankees at 5:30 p.m. today on Gillen Field. The Braves must win to force a winner-take-all contest on Tuesday.
