After thrilling win, Yountville bound

SM-FC needed both games but came away with a 6-5 win in the nightcap to earn the trip to Yountville.

"The way the league went, it should have come down to the last game," said SM-FC manager Doug List. "How many years has it (come down to) San Carlos-San Mateo? It's fun to watch."

SM-FC wasn't having any fun in the first game. San Carlos starting pitcher Brian Belli forced the winner-take-all finale by taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning as San Carlos won the first game 5-1. Belli stranded three base runners through the first six innings before giving up two cheap hits and a run in the seventh.

SM-FC quickly put that loss behind it and came out swinging in the second game, garnering more hits in the first inning than it did in the first game. SM-FC scored three runs on three hits to take a quick 3-0 lead. Drew Pedersen scored on a Jesse Lehane sacrifice fly to give SM-FC a 1-0 lead.

"[List] told us to keep our heads up," Lehane said. "Our last game was Thursday. It took us a little while to come around."

Said List: "We needed to score first. No doubt about it."

Cleanup hitter Ryan Peterson followed and stroked a 1-1 pitch over the 370-foot sign in left field for a two-run homer and a 3-0 lead. SM-FC tacked on another run in the second when Dan Murcia doubled, went to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch.

San Carlos got a run back in the third when Mike Rivera led off the inning with a single, stole second, went to third on an errant pickoff throw and scored on a Chris Armanino single.

San Carlos tied the score in the fourth on a two-run triple off the bat of Rivera and a Dan Descalso single.

SM-FC came right back with two runs in the bottom of the fifth - without the benefit of a hit. SM-FC sent eight batters to the plate and had four walks, a hit batter and a fielder's choice sandwiched around two strikeouts and an out at the plate.

With the bases loaded, two outs and Kevin Scannell at the plate, San Carlos catcher Pat Coffey tried to pick off Ryan Peterson at first. The ball sailed over Belli's head and Drew Pedersen came home with the go-ahead run. SM-FC added a much-needed insurance run when Taylor Larsen drew a bases-loaded walk to push Lehane across the plate.

"That was a gift," List said.

SM-FC needed the extra run as San Carlos added another run in the sixth to cut the lead to 6-5. With two outs and Coffey on second, Rivera came up with an infield hit and Descalso followed with a chopper through the hole at second and into right field to score Coffey.

Rivera would have easily moved to third on the play, but he missed the second-base bag and had to backtrack, keeping him at second. It turned out to be a huge mistake as Chris Armanino singled to load the bases instead of driving Rivera home. SM-FC pitcher Danny Orlick got out of the inning with a groundout and had a one-two-three top of the seventh to end the game and secure SM-FC's spot in Yountville.

Despite the heartbreaking loss, San Carlos manager Bud Papadakis was happy with the way his team has played over the last week.

"I couldn't be any more proud of these kids," Papadakis said. "We played eight games in seven days and won seven of them. They played their asses off."

It looked like San Carlos was destined for Yountville after Belli's gem in the first game. Staked to a 2-0 lead after the top of the first on a Wade Reynoso RBI single and a Ken Turner sacrifice fly, Belli walked the first batter and hit the second but retired the next two batters and got a fielder's choice for the third out. He went on to retire nine of the next 10 batter, including striking out the side looking in the third.

"That was his best game. He's been throwing great all year," Papadakis said. "He had those guys looking foolish and they can swing the bats. He threw a gem."

Lehane was the hard-luck loser in the opener. He gave up three runs on eight hits while working into the seventh inning. As a teammate of Belli's at Serra, Lehane knew the 16-year-old Belli had that kind of game in him.

"He pitched very well. I pitched against them before and beat them giving up two runs," Lehane said.

Added List: "That was the best pitched game all year. [Belli] was throwing three pitches for strikes. We were helpless."