By DAVE CAMPBELL

The Bulletin

STOCKTON – Losing a game on the field can hurt, but losing it in the rule book can be downright painful. 

 Having given the Tracy American Rattlers three runs on two overthrows in the second inning Saturday, the Lathrop Spartans were in striking distance going into the fourth inning of the championship game of the District 67 Juniors Tournament of Champions. 

 Josue Valle had caught the first three innings for the Spartans and moved to third to start the fourth with the plan of moving to the hill in the inning. When the move to the mound was made, it was challenged because although Valle did not catch at all in the fourth inning, his move to third had not been officially recorded so he was technically still catching, and therefore could not pitch.

 This forced Lathrop to use one pitcher who had not thrown all year and another who had a sore arm. The result was eight runs in the inning behind nine walks and just one hit on the way to a 13-3 mercy rule win for the Rattlers in six innings at Paul Weston Park. 

 Roman Giordano singled to open the game for the Spartans and came in on a bases-loaded walk to Jasper Tover to make the score 1-0. Shawn Blea doubled to start the third and was replaced on the base paths by Giordano. A.J. Duenez walked and both he and Giordano worked their way around to score to make the score 11-3. 

Lathrop Spartans 25, Salida 14

 In order to make it to the championship, the Spartans needed to bounce back from a 10-0 third-inning deficit Friday and bounce back they did, scoring 22 runs over the next three innings.  

 Caleb VanWetter led the Lathrop comeback, going 3 for 4 with a double and two runs. Tover (double, four runs, two walks) and Valle (double, run) were both 2 for 3; Chatin Sadhra was 2 for 4 with two runs and four stolen bases; Duenez went 2 for 5 with two runs; Giordano (five walks, four runs, three stolen bases) and Blea (three runs, two walks, stolen base) each had a hit and Seth Dunn walked and scored four times. 

Majors 

Northgate Giants 9, Mountain House Mets 6

 A six-run 4th inning broke open a 3-3 game for the Giants at Lincoln Park on Sunday. 

 With one out in the fourth, Mountain House issued three straight walks to Brady Alves (two walks, run), Josh Ojeda, and Tyler Watkins (two walks, two runs). Alves came home on a wild pitch, Adan Rosas (2 for 4, double, two runs) singled in Ojeda and Collins Schluer (2 for 3, three RBI, triple, double, two runs) tripled high off of the fence to score Watkins and Rosas. 

 Alijah Scott (2-3, two RBI, run) followed with his second RBI single of the game, Isaiah Yanez (2  for 3) singled Scott to third and Shane Lewis (1 for 3, RBI) closed out the scoring in the inning with an RBI on a  groundout.  

Schluer started on the hill and struck out four in 2.2 innings. Yanez followed Schuler on the mound and struck out three in 1.1 innings.  Rosas closed out the game by pitching the final two innings with two strikeouts while being aided by three stellar plays at second base by Josh Ojeda.  

 Northgate advances to play Salida on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Manteca Giants 10, Ripon Angels 0 (4) 

 Nate More knocked in the walk-off run to engage the mercy rule for the Giants in the fourth inning with his second hit of the day.

 Manteca’s Edward Anthony and Chris Chavez combined for a no-hit shutout, allowing only three base runners on three walks. Chavez knocked in two runs behind a single and a double Anthony added a two-RBI double. Julian Oliveri added two RBI on a double and a single, Lewis Logan had a two-RBI single and Michael Valdez had an RBI single. 

 The Giants advance and play Wednesday at 6 p.m. against either Tracy American or Spreckels.

Minors

Manteca White Sox 6, Mountain House A’s 5

Brixton Menchaca-Ortiz plated in Jacoby Salinas for the walk-off run for the White Sox in the bottom of the sixth on Saturday at Brock Elliott School.

 Salinas (RBI, two runs) and Aiona Nieto (run) were both 2 for 2. Menchaca-Ortiz was 2 for 3 with two RBI; Madden Melendez tripled and scored a run and Brody Carabello was 1 for 2 with an RBI, a triple, two runs and a walk. 

 Menchaca-Ortiz pitched 2.2 shutout innings, striking out five. Salinas gave up two runs and struck out three in 2.2 and Carabello made five putouts at shortstop

The A’s tied the score in the top of the sixth coming back from a 5-0 deficit after three innings, scoring four in the 4th and one in top of the sixth.

 The White Sox advance and play either Tracy American or Spreckels on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.