Alpine goes down swinging in Section 3 Little League All-Stars 11s tournament finals

“I just said I was proud of him no matter what happened,” Tim Katz said, “and go have fun out there.”

Alpine had already staged one epic comeback against San Ramon Valley in the four-team, double-elimination tournament. But a repeat performance was not to be, as left-hander Dom Barale induced a ground ball to third baseman Chase Rothschild, who stepped on the bag for the force as San Ramon Valley claimed the Section 3 championship banner Tuesday evening with a 7-1 win over host Alpine at Ford Field.

“We played from behind better last time than we did today,” Tim Katz said. “We mounted a big comeback last game.”

The last time the two teams met was in Saturday’s tourney opener, when Alpine overcame a 9-0 deficit in the bottom of the fourth with a game-tying nine-run rally. San Ramon survived to stay in the winners’ bracket, though, scoring three times in the top of the fifth for a wild 12-9 victory.

So, Tuesday, when Alpine loaded the bases in the sixth with Dante Delfino reaching on on one-out error, and Andrew Sutkin and Keegan Wolf tabbing back-to-back two-out hits, the Alpine dugout was still keeping the faith.

“I was just thinking: ‘We came back one time, so we can come back another,’” Alpine’s Tayo An said.

Starting pitcher Easton Morrison’s gutsy effort on the mound kept the game from getting away. With Alpine needing to conserve arms for a potential if-necessary game Wednesday night, Morrison overcame a four-run second inning to go the distance. It was the right-hander’s second straight complete game, after he finished out Alpine’s 10-0 mercy-rule win Sunday over Fremont-Centerville, recording a one-hit shutout on just 35 pitches in the abbreviated four-inning game.

Morrison’s effort in Tuesday’s tourney finale marked Alpine’s third straight CG as a team, as right-hander Keegan Wolf went the distance Monday in a 7-1 win over Castro Valley.

“[Morrison] was fantastic today,” Tim Katz said. “He was really, really great. Kept us in the game the whole time. Pumping strikes, the breaking ball was working. He did a great job for us. ... Just an all-around great kid, great player. So, it was really fun to see him show up in a big game and pitch well.”

Alpine had a grand opportunity to give Morrison a big lead in the top of the first, but San Ramon right-hander Griffin Rapp, with his back against the ropes, settled down, settled in and punched his team back into it.

The first three Alpine batters of the night reached base, with Wolf coaxing a walk, Charlie Katz singling to right, and Morrison drawing a four-pitch walk to load the bases. But after Wolf raced home on a wild pitch to get Alpine on the board, Rapp responded with back-to-back strikeouts before An hit a line-drive at ’em ball to the first baseman Barale to retire the side, stranding two runners in scoring position.

“We scored a run with nobody out in the first inning, we just couldn’t get anything going after that today,” Tim Katz said. “So, it was tough. They had a good pitcher out there. They’re a sharp team. So, tip your hat. But I was proud of the way the boys battled.”

San Ramon tied it in the bottom of the first when Wes Maruri tripled into the left-field corner, and Rapp followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 1-all.

Then in the second, San Ramon loaded the bases with three straight singles from Luke Vella, Mav Musgrave and Leo Panagotacos, settling the table for a fateful swing by Barale. The left-handed hitting Barale sent a Texas Leaguer down the left-field line that, off the bat, looked like it might slice foul.

“I just wanted [the left fielder] to get there or go foul,” Morrison said. “I was hoping it would go foul.”

But the towering popup kicked up chalk then kicked away from the Alpine left fielder and rolled into the corner for a bases-clearing three-run double. Barale later scored on an infield error on an RBI grounder off the bat of Scott Skinner to make it 5-1.

Rapp went on to retire 11 batters in a row, with Alpine not recording its second hit of the game until the fifth inning when Lol McNeil just missed a big fly by belting a double high off the wall in left-center.

“He got all barrel on that one,” said An, who was on deck. “Yeah, I was hoping it was (going to go out).”

With Barale just into the game, An greeted the southpaw with a hot smash to the right side that looked ticketed for the outfield. But the San Ramon second baseman Vella made a diving grab and threw from his knees to get the out at first. Barale then recorded a strikeout and a comebacker to strand McNeil at third base.

In the fifth, San Ramon added two insurance runs with Skinner singling to lead off the inning, and Sanjay Rajagopal getting hit by a pitch. The two eventually scored on back-to-back wild pitches.

San Ramon Valley now advances to the Northern California regional tournament hosted by District 52 Little League at Mann Park in Folsom. The seven-team, double-elimination tournament opens Saturday.

Ford Field playing host to the Section 3 tournament wasn’t confirmed until after Alpine wrapped up the District 52 11s championship. District 52 was committed to hosting sectionals, but was considering holding the tournament at Middlefield Ballpark in Palo Alto.

“We were potentially going to play at Palo Alto, but the opportunity to play here was just too good for us to pass up,” Tim Katz said. “So, we decided to play here. A little bit more work on our community and the league and all that stuff. But, well worth it to be able to come out here and put on a show for our fans.”