San Mateo American’s Koa Rosenberg takes a cut Wednesday in a 10-7 win over Redwood City in the District 52 Little League All-Stars 10s tournament at Trinta Park.
After opening a big nine-run lead, San Mateo American got a scare in the District 52 Little League All-Stars 10s tournament Wednesday evening at Trinta Park.
American scored eight runs in the top of the fourth, but Redwood City rallied back with two in the fourth and four more in the fifth. Then, with the bases loaded and two outs, RWC’s Grady Harmon connected with a laser-beam line drive to left field. Fortunately for American, left fielder Cameron Mayer was on the job, and ranged two steps over to turn the would-be tying hit into a can-of-corn fly-out for the third out of the inning.
“I thought it was going to be a gapper,” Mayer said.
Mayer then took the mound in the sixth and set down the side in order as American held on for a 10-7 victory.
With the win, American advances to the winners’ bracket semifinals. They are now set to take on Alpine, Saturday, at 10 a.m. The winner will advance to the championship round.
“It’s really important,” Mayer said of the win, “because this is my first time in the districts. And now we have a chance to go to the finals.”
Led by No. 3 hitter Pono Rosenberg, American got the bats going early. Rosenberg was 2 for 3 with a double and five RBIs, including a smash double up the right-center gap with the bases loaded to drive home three.
“I saw a high pitch.” Rosenberg said. “I like it high pitches and I just swung.”
Rosenberg’s bases-clearing two-bagger was the highlight of an inning that saw American send 14 batters to the plate. It all started with a walk to Jojo Piazza, but the next two batters reached on a pair of Redwood City errors.
Come the fifth inning, as the ball was leaving Harmon’s bat for the at ’em ball that found Mayer’s glove, all Redwood City manager John Brennan could think of was what the story might have been had his defense not committed six errors in the game.
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“It was hit hard and we were finally starting to play to our potential,” Brennan said. “But early in the game we did not play to the potential of the team that we know we are.”
Redwood City’s Luke Johnson tags a single in during a four-run fifth inning Wednesday evening at Trinta Park.
Terry Bernal/Daily Journal
With the two teams trading runs in the first inning, it was an infield error that allowed American’s Piazza, the first batter of the game, to reach base. Piazza moved around to third on a pair of passed ball, and scored on a groundout off the bat of Rosenberg.
American jumped ahead in the third. A one-out single by Piazza set the table, and Luke Murray followed with a walk. Rosenberg then gave his team the lead with a double to play Piazza, but RWC made a crisp relay to third base to throw out Murray.
After American went large in the fourth, RWC started chipping away at the lead. Carlo Minitti got his by a pitch to lead off the inning, and Matthew Brennan followed with a double to put runners at second and third. An RBI groundout off the bat of Grady Harmon scored Minitti. Brennan then scored on a passed ball to make it 10-3.
In the fifth, RBI singles by Logan Schaukowitch, Matthew Larsen and Matthew Brennan, and a bases-loaded walk to Camilo Sherer closed it to 10-7. Still, American manager Brad Murray opted to stay with reliever Luke Murray, who escaped the inning with the lead intact.
“He normally is able to find the zone,” Brad Murray said. “Big strike thrower ... and the defenders make the outs.”
American starting pitcher Traxton Kaho fired three innings to earn the win, allowing one run on two hits and two walks, while striking out one. Piazza pitched the fourth inning, allowing two runs (one earned) on one hit, one walk and one hit batsman. Sherer, Harmon and Larsen pitched for RWC.
Larsen and Brennan led RWC with two hits apiece.
RWC now falls to the elimination bracket, and returns to the field Friday at 5:30 p.m. to play the winner of Thursday’s elimination game between San Carlos and Foster City.
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