TRACY — Ramiro Suarez twirled a five-inning no-hitter and drove in four runs Wednesday, as the Northgate Little League Rays toppled the Tracy National Giants 10-0 to advance in the District 67 Junior Division Tournament of Champions consolation bracket.
The Rays will face the winner of tonight’s Weston Ranch-Tracy American game Saturday back at Monticello School starting 10 a.m. Manteca and Spreckels Park square off in the winners-bracket semifinals Friday.
Wednesday’s one-sided affair was called off prematurely after an altercation between players from each team. It was likely on the way to an early finish anyway, as Northgate put the 10-run mercy rule at play with two scoring off a Suarez single in the top of the sixth.
Suarez finished 3 for 4 at the plate and was as impressive from the mound. He needed just 58 pitches to get through five innings and struck out six, including three in the third.
With his defense playing perfect behind him, Suarez’s only blemishes were walks to Kalio Aquino and Christian Silva at in the bottom of the fourth. He was able to work out of the jam quickly with help from the defense. After Aquino’s leadoff walk, he was gunned down by catcher Austin Orr while attempting to steal second base on the next pitch. Silva drew a full-count walk but was thrown out at second two pitches later after a Northgate infielder dropped a pop-up in shallow right-center field.
The Rays led 2-0 at this point, with Scotty Armstrong plating both runs on throwing errors in the second and fourth innings. They had a chance to break it open in the first but were thwarted by base-running miscues that led to the second and third outs.
Northgate made up for it with a six-run explosion in the firth, when the first six batters reached on base hits. Alex Duenas (1 for 3, two runs) sparked the rally with a leadoff infield hit, and Orr (1 for 2, two walks, two runs) followed with a single of his own.
Joey DaSilva knocked in Duenas with an opposite field hit, setting up Suarez’s sharp two-run single down the third-base line. Armstrong, who ended up with three runs scored, delivered game’s lone multi-base hit with a double to deep center. Josh Grabowski capped off the onslaught with a looping single to left.
Duenas and Orr reached on back-to-back walks in the sixth to set the table for Suarez’s second two-run hit.