San Carlos Junior Little League All-Stars are Nor Cal finalists

It marks the third straight win through the winners’ bracket for San Carlos, which outscored its two previous opponents in the tourney 36-9.

“I think it was good for these kids to win one that was tight … that we can be in a tight game and still come out on top,” San Carlos manager Steve Magner said.

San Carlos was nails in two facets of the game — scoring eight runs on nine hits, while pitchers Reid Cole and Aidan Armando combined to allow just one earned run — but an abysmal performance on defense nearly cost the 14-and-under squad the victory. San Carlos committed seven errors on the night.

“We made a handful of errors that cost us,” Steve Magner said. “A couple errors on the infield, a couple dropped balls in the outfield that let [Porterville] back in the game. But our team, they fought it off … and came back to get the ‘W.’”

After jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the second, San Carlos saw the lead slowly disappear as Portersville scored three in the third, one in the fourth and one in the fifth to close it to 6-5.

But led by a 2-for-3, two-RBI night for Armando, and a three-run performance by leadoff hitter Clayton Magner, San Carlos rallied for two critical insurance runs in the top of the sixth.

Armando closed it out in the bottom of the seventh with his third strikeout of the night, earning the save with 2 1/3 innings of work.

“They’re pumped,” Steve Magner said of the postgame dog-pile in the middle of the infield. “They’re totally pumped to be where they are right now. And they’re in the driver’s seat. It’s our tournament to win right now being in the spot we’re in.”

San Carlos now advances to Thursday’s championship round with a game to give. First pitch in Healdsburg is slated for 7 p.m. An if-necessary game would be played Friday at 7 p.m.

The All-Stars enjoyed a strong showing some 90 miles away from home, and brought the noise in support of a Juniors team that is now just one win away from capturing the title in the final tournament of the summer.

“It was loud,” Steve Magner said. “They were cheering. And you’ve also got all the brothers and sisters of the players, they’re there screaming and stomping their feet. They’re all fired up, and the parents are all fired up. So it was an exciting game for everyone.”

With a core of players that two years ago advanced to the District 52 11-12s championship game, only to fall to San Mateo National, this year’s postseason run is fueled by a baseball fever that runs deep through the San Carlos community, according to Steve Magner.

“I think it’s big for the San Carlos community and our Little League program,” he said. “Not just the families of the players, there are a lot of other people in the community following it … so I think it’s a really cool community thing that everybody’s rallying around this team and getting to watch them do what they’re doing.”

Cole and Armando certainly put on a show for the San Carlos fans.

“Those two kids were probably the most fiery kids out there, and they were pumping tonight,” Steve Magner said.

Cole threw the maximum 95 pitches, working 4 2/3 innings to record the win. He allowed five runs (one earned) on four hits and one walk while striking out seven.

Cole also delivered a double and two RBIs at the dish.

“We strung [hits] together at the right time,” Steve Magner said. “We capitalized when base-runners were on, all our lineup came out and hit the ball when those guys were in scoring position to bring those runners in.”