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Two titles, one league
Clutch pitching helps Brewers beat familiar foe
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Players and coaches from the Manteca Little League Brewers get together for pictures after capturing the first Manteca City Little League Minor Division Tournament championship at Neil Hafley School Monday. - photo by JONAMAR JACINTO

Bragging rights go to the oldest Little League organization in town.

It was an all-Manteca Little League finale in the first Manteca City Tournament minor-division title game at Neil Hafley School Monday, as the Brewers held off the Pirates, 5-1.

On Saturday, it was Manteca Little League’s Angels that claimed the tournament’s major-division championship by beating the Northgate Rays, 8-2.

The Brewers, who will soon represent their league in the District 67 Tournament of the Champions, relied on their pitching to get the job done.

Starter Jacob Moon shined in his four-plus innings of work, as he struck out 10, walked three and allowed one hit.

Lefty Dylan Gross pitched the final two innings for the save, but things didn’t go smoothly behind him. The Brewers committed three throwing errors in the sixth and final inning when the Pirates’ River Weahunt plated his team’s lone run.

Gross was able to get out of the bases-loaded jam with his sixth strikeout. The Pirates also threatened in the bottom of the fifth with two runners in scoring position and no out, but Gross fanned three of the next four batters he faced — all on full-count pitches.

Gross was the Brewers’ hero offensively in Saturday’s 13-3 semifinal win over the Northgate Orioles, who were victimized by his grand slam and eight total RBIs.

Angelo Nunez was 3 for 3 to lead the Brewers at the plate Monday. Moon helped his own cause with a 2-for-3 effort. He and Nico Ilardi went back-to-back for RBI base hits in the third inning, breaking the scoreless tie.

Steven Eaves also had an RBI knock, and Malio Elias plated two runs.

Jacob Welch accounted for two of the Pirates’ three hits, the other recorded by Logan Quan.