SAN ANDREAS – You cannot give extra outs to a good team and expect to win, and Manteca found that out the hard way Sunday with a pair of two-out, first-inning errors leading to two Delta of Stockton runs on the way to a 4-0 win for Delta in the championship of the Little League Juniors Section 6 All-Star Tournament at Alex Quinones Community Park in San Andreas.
“We made a few miscues early,” Manteca coach Kevin Alavezos said. “You can’t give teams four or five outs an inning. But it happens. They are 13- or 14-years old and they are going to make mistakes.
“These kids never gave up. They have played hard the whole tournament and gave it 100 percent. This was a great opportunity for these kids and I enjoyed coaching them. They will be successful.”
In addition to having to overcome fielding miscues – another one led to two more Delta runs in the sixth – Manteca had its had its hands full with Delta fireballer Joe Modesto. Modesto went the distance for Delta, striking out 10 and allowing just three hits. From the first into the sixth, Modesto retired 14 of 16 batters.
“You have to tip your hat to their guy (Modesto),” Alavezos said. “He pitched a great, great game.”
A.J. Kovacs started and pitched into the sixth for Manteca, allowing just four hits and the two unearned first-inning runs, striking out three.
“A.J. threw a stellar game and got us into the sixth inning,” Alavezos said. “You can’t ask for anything more from that guy.”
Manteca got just two runners to second – Tyler Garlets in the second who was running for Christian Tonna who had a single – and Briggs Alavezos with a double in the sixth. In addition to being stymied at the plate, two opportunities for hits were denied by the Delta defense.
In the fourth inning, Kovacs hit a shot between the Delta right and center fielders who viscously collided after center fielder Niko Brown made the catch and managed to hold on to the ball. Garlets was up next and hit a similar shot to right where Amir Brooks dove to make the inning-ending catch.
Manteca 13,
Amador West 3 (5)
Zimmermann tallied four strikeouts in the five-inning mercy rule win.
“Zimmerman threw a heck of a game for us,” Kevin Alavezos said. “An 84-pitch complete game. It was a stellar performance on his part.
“The kids came out swinging the bats hard. We scored six in the fifth and put it away.
Briggs Alavezos led a balanced 11- hit attack for Manteca, going 3 for 3 with a triple, double, four RBI and two runs. Kevin Thornburg was 2 for 2 with a double and two RBI. Kovacs and Isaac Searcy each had two RBI.
Correction
In Friday’s paper Manteca’s Jackson Brunn was credited with a putout at second from right field. The play was made by Garlets. The Bulletin regrets the error.
