Wild walk-off forces if-necessary game for San Mateo American 11s

Amid a scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth, American batter Milo Werner executed a perfect bunt with Wong at first base. On Danville’s throw to first, Wong rounded second and took off for the undefended third-base bag. With three Danville players converging on third, the throw across the diamond sailed down the left-field line, allowing Wong to scurry home with the game-winning run.

“He can absolutely fly,” San Mateo American manager Jason Gordon said. “The game, we could not break through ... so we were going to force the issue.”

The dramatic finish was set up by a brilliant pitching duel between American starting pitcher Matthew Ward and Danville starter Liam Manter, who allowed just two hits apiece.

Ward has been a mainstay in the American pitching rotation since last season, when the team claimed the Northern California 10s championship. The team totaled four no-hitters in nine wins last summer, including Ward’s complete-game no-no in the District 52 championship game.

Gordon said Monday’s two-hit shutout, in which Ward struck out 11, was the right-hander’s best outing yet.

“I think he threw better than in any of his no-hitters last year,” Gordon said.

Manter was matching zeroes with Ward, extending his streak of scoreless frames against American to seven innings. American lost Saturday’s opening game of the Section 3 tourney 4-0 to Danville, with Manter pitching two scoreless innings to close it out in support of starting pitcher Gunnar Lee’s four shutout innings.

“We were beginning to think they were just cursed against these guys,” Gordon said, “but the good news was Matthew was just mowing them down.”

Ward got some help in the top of the sixth with a defensive gem by Werner in right field. Danville opened the inning with a long fly ball that initially looked like it might get over Werner’s head, but the speedy right fielder ran it down for an over-the-shoulder catch.

“It definitely could have been a disaster,” Gordon said.

American managed just two hits in the game. Jagger O’Brien produced the first, but it wasn’t until the bottom of the sixth that Wong opened the inning with the second.

Werner followed with the sacrifice bunt on a designed play, one that called for Wong to go from first to third without hesitation on the sneak attack. Gordon said he has used the play on the travel baseball circuit with his West Coast Federals team, has has seen plenty of success with it.

Werner, who didn’t play for last year’s Nor Cal championship 10s team, is one of three new additions to this year’s All-Stars 11s roster.

“He’s been absolutely nails,” Gordon said.

With the win, American forces the if-necessary game in the championship round, and a winner-take-all finale Wednesday night. First pitch at Veterans Memorial Park is scheduled for 6 p.m.