All Zachary Chamberlain had to do was get the final three outs. Only it was against a Pirates squad that had not lost a game all season and scored four runs the previous inning.
The task proved to be no problem for Chamberlain, who sat the Pirates down in order to force a game three for the Manteca Little League minor division championship Friday between the two clubs.
The Braves looked to have things in complete control, jumping out to a prompt 5-0 lead and extending it to 7-0 with a pair of runs in the top of the third. The Pirates finally responded in the bottom of the inning when Kenji Breitenbucher led things off with a walk and came around to score on an Alex Gouveia base hit.
The Pirates weren’t done, adding three more on back-to-back RBI hits from Logan Quan and Uriah Bonds to make it 7-4. The Braves would push across two more in the fourth lifting the lead to 9-4 with a two-RBI hit from Bobby McConologue and a RBI laser from Joseph Lomeli.
The Pirates turned into the championship-caliber team that they are in the fifth, exploding for four runs and nearly taking the lead except for the tremendous outfield play of the Braves’ Isaac Maldonado. The Braves leftfielder started a double play with a running catch in left, halting a Pirates rally and then ended the inning with a diving catch to close the door on the Pirates’ fifth.
Darin Gusters blasted a bases-loaded triple to the fence, clearing the bases and pulling the Pirates to a 9-8 deficit. The triple prefaced both of Maldonado’s defensive gems and preserved the Braves’ 9-8 lead, and left the Pirates one final shot at victory.
In the bottom of the sixth the Pirates sent the top of their order to the plate, but saw Gouveia fly out to left, Andrew Brunn bounce out to the pitcher and Kyle Rachels ground out to Chamberlain to end the game.
The two teams will meet up Friday for the right to compete in the District 67 Tournament of Champions. The contest is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. first pitch at Lincoln Park.
The task proved to be no problem for Chamberlain, who sat the Pirates down in order to force a game three for the Manteca Little League minor division championship Friday between the two clubs.
The Braves looked to have things in complete control, jumping out to a prompt 5-0 lead and extending it to 7-0 with a pair of runs in the top of the third. The Pirates finally responded in the bottom of the inning when Kenji Breitenbucher led things off with a walk and came around to score on an Alex Gouveia base hit.
The Pirates weren’t done, adding three more on back-to-back RBI hits from Logan Quan and Uriah Bonds to make it 7-4. The Braves would push across two more in the fourth lifting the lead to 9-4 with a two-RBI hit from Bobby McConologue and a RBI laser from Joseph Lomeli.
The Pirates turned into the championship-caliber team that they are in the fifth, exploding for four runs and nearly taking the lead except for the tremendous outfield play of the Braves’ Isaac Maldonado. The Braves leftfielder started a double play with a running catch in left, halting a Pirates rally and then ended the inning with a diving catch to close the door on the Pirates’ fifth.
Darin Gusters blasted a bases-loaded triple to the fence, clearing the bases and pulling the Pirates to a 9-8 deficit. The triple prefaced both of Maldonado’s defensive gems and preserved the Braves’ 9-8 lead, and left the Pirates one final shot at victory.
In the bottom of the sixth the Pirates sent the top of their order to the plate, but saw Gouveia fly out to left, Andrew Brunn bounce out to the pitcher and Kyle Rachels ground out to Chamberlain to end the game.
The two teams will meet up Friday for the right to compete in the District 67 Tournament of Champions. The contest is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. first pitch at Lincoln Park.
