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Northgate Giants force Minor League TOC winner-take-all final
Spreckels-Northgate Minors TOC
Northgate’s Benjamin Rodrigues (11) is safe under the tag of Spreckels Park’s Donovan Silva. - photo by SEAN KAHLER

Having emerged from the consolation bracket of the District 67 Minors Tournament of Champions, the Northgate Giants minors forced a winner take-all championship when they jumped out to an early lead Sunday over the Spreckels Park Nationals and hung on for an 11-6 win on Northgate’s Gillen Field. The two teams will settle things Monday afternoon at 5:30.

Leading 6-4 in the fifth inning, Northgate exploded for five runs to cement the victory. Wyatt Heaney walked to start the frame and was followed by Grayson Hogan (double, two runs) who doubled. Jensyn Gann (3 for 3, three RBI, double, two runs) singled in Heaney and Hogan came in on a Cain Torres single. Benjamin Rodrigues (2 for 3, two RBI, double) singled in Gann and Torres with Cash Ussery walking and coming around to score on a passed ball to make the score 11-4.

Gann got the Northgate attack going with a two-RBI double in the first inning, plating Heaney and Hogan. Gann scored on a passed ball for a 3-1 lead. The Giants added three more in the second with an RBI single by Gann, scoring Levi Jensen. As a result of three errors in the frame, Northgate was able to add two more runs by Vincent Mercier and Sean Watson.

Ussery pitched the first 5.1 innings, allowing five runs on nine hits with six strikeouts. Jensen closed the game out with the final two outs, allowing one run on three hits with a strikeout.

The Nationals got two runs in the first two innings when Cutter Asuncion (2 for 3, two runs) singled and scored on a wild pitch and Noah Watkins singled and scored on a Hunter Pinho single. Taco Becerra belted a two-RBI double in the fifth, scoring Donavan Silva and Asuncion. Jack Carroll (2 for 3, run) and Jordan Silva (2 for 3, run) singled to start the sixth with Noah Watkins sacrificing Carroll in and Pinho (2 for 3, two RBI) knocking in Silva for the game’s final run.

Cutter Asuncion came on in relief for Spreckels Park in the first and pitched into the fifth, allowing four runs on two hits, striking out the side in order in the third and finishing with six strikeouts.