San Mateo American robbed of chance to cinch Section 3 title

With American playing as the home team, Bollinger Canyon took the lead in the top of the eighth on a two-run single by Cruz Salinas. Then in the bottom of the inning, Salinas emerged the hero once again, as American’s Milo Werner came to the plate with two on and two out, and connected for a deep drive to center field. Salinas ranged back, and with his back up against the wall reached up and ended the game by robbing Werner of a walk-off homer.

“I was just screaming ‘Get out!’ because I thought it had a chance off the bat,” Werner said. “And I saw the fielder ... and I just collapsed at first.”

Werner fell to the ground on the infield dirt between first and second and could only hold his hands to his head. As Werner was helped off the ground by teammate Carter Weyer, he opened his eyes to see Bollinger Canyon mauling Salinas as he ran in from center field.

“That was a home run saving catch,” Bollinger Canyon manager Justin Wright said. “That ball was going over.”

Salinas, who has played every game through the District 57 and Section 3 tournaments in center field, said he has robbed several home runs in that very spot throughout his Little League career. Tuesday’s, he said, was the greatest catch he’s ever made.

“I thought it was gone and I knew I had to go back,” Salinas said. “And then I realized: ‘This is actually rob-able.’ So, I just put my glove out.”

American entered play by virtue of two previous wins in the Section 3 tournament, both shutouts. Bollinger Canyon, however, ended American’s streak of 10 scoreless innings almost immediately, jumping ahead 2-0 in the first inning on a two-run home run by cleanup hitter Jack Toton.

Bollinger Canyon didn’t lead long, however. In the bottom of the frame, American slugger Jagger O’Brien matched Toton by connecting for a two-run bomb of his own, a line shot just to the right of straightaway center field, to tie the game 2-all.

The two teams went on to trade zeroes for six consecutive innings, forcing extras, in the most dramatic game either has played all summer. Bollinger Canyon ran the table in the District 57 tournament, but outscored opponents by a relatively low-scoring cumulative margin of 20-6, including a 4-3 win over Danville in the opener.

“They were close games but they always felt like they were kind of in hand,” Wright said. “But this was different. We knew facing San Mateo that they were going to be an incredible team.”

American had its chances, stranding 12 baserunners in the game, including eight in scoring position. Bollinger Canyon starting pitcher Layken Wright left the bases full in the second. And in the third, with runners at the corners and one out, Werner got thrown out at home attempting to score on a chopper to third.

American later got cheesed by two calls at first base in the fifth. After Cody Gordon drew a leadoff walk, Weyer laid down a nice bunt between the mound and the plate, and motored to first to beat the throw, only to get rung up with an out call. Then with two outs and a runner at second, Hudson Wong hit a sharp grounder to second, and after a slight bobble allowed him to make it close at first, the call went against him and American to retire the side.

But the call that hurt the most was an 0-2 pitch to Salinas in the eighth, one pitch prior to his go-ahead, two-run single. Relief pitcher Connor Workman got ahead in the count, and followed by locating a fastball that O’Brien, the catcher, seemed to frame on the black. The pitch was called a ball, however. Workman followed with a curveball that the left-handed hitting Salinas floated just inside the right-field line to give Bollinger Canyon the lead.

“It was a tight zone all night,” Jason Gordon said. “What are you going to do? He was pretty consistent. We didn’t get any calls today. First base, behind the dish — whatever. It is what it is. It’s Little League.

“You’ve got to fight through it,” he said. “They did, we did, and they got the one hit. It hits fair by two feet, and we miss a home run by two feet. What are you going to do? That’s baseball.”

With the ghost-runner rule going into effect in the eighth, Maddox Stone started the inning at second base for American. Bollinger Canyon reliever Sammy Alikan retired the next two batters to bring up the No. 12 hitter Weyer, who caught the defense off guard for a bunt single, bringing Werner to the plate.

Werner is a recent addition to the leadoff spot in the order. Workman has batted leadoff for American since the team’s 10-year-old season two years ago, including through this year’s District 52 tournament. American shook up the lineup at the start of Section 3 play.

“[Werner] has been the hottest hitter on our team,” Jason Gordon said.“What we like about him in the leadoff spot is he can hit in any count. He doesn’t need to have a perfect pitch or a perfect count to hit. So, it’s worked out really well.”

Werner has experienced some dubious luck when it comes to home-run balls this year. During the regular season, Werner’s San Mateo American A’s team was trailing in the championship game 7-4. Werner connected for his only home run of the year, a two-run shot. The A’s ultimately fell 7-6 to the Yankees.

San Mateo American and Bollinger Canyon will meet again Wednesday in a winner-take-all, if-necessary showdown for the Section 3 title. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

“We’ve got to dominate and we’ve got to have better at-bats,” Werner said. “Get the runs up early. Just try to score first.”