San Carlos has lofty goals

The 2005 edition of the 9- and 10-year-old all stars would like to add a championship banner of its own at its home field, Highlands Park. San Carlos took a major step toward a 2005 District 52 title with a 6-2 win over Menlo-Atherton in a winners' bracket semifinal game. San Carlos plays in the winners' bracket final against Hillsborough 2 p.m. today at Highlands Park.

"We put a lineup out there where we thought we'd score some runs," said San Carlos manager George Descalso.

The game didn't start out too promising for San Carlos. The team made a base-running error in the top of the first and Menlo-Atherton struck for two runs in the bottom of the inning, getting four singles - including three infield hits - and an error to score twice against San Carlos starting pitcher Tyler Marley.

Keenan Carr, Nick Batchelder and Charles Grosse loaded the bases in the bottom of the first for Menlo-Atherton with a bunt, an infield hit and an error. Andrew Lim followed with a bases-loaded walk to drive in the first run of the game, at which point Descalso came out to have a talk with his pitcher.

"I just told him he was throwing great pitches," Descalso said. "We didn't make some plays for him."

The pep talk worked as Marley struck out the next batter. After an RBI single from Ricky Gallini, Marley got out of the inning without an further damage.

Despite the rocky start, Marley didn't panic.

"I felt good. I knew we would hit," Marley said. "We scored a lot of runs last game."

Turned out his feelings were dead on. Marley pitched into the fifth inning, allowing only one more hit and no runs. The San Carlos offense, meanwhile, finally got to Lim in the third inning. Jack Karasky led off the third with an infield hit, Zach Williams walked and Andrew Witt reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. After a strike out, Jordan Paroubeck strolled to the plate. He fell behind 1-2 before roping a pitch to deep center field that scored two runs to tie the game.

"When I have two strikes I try to look at the seams on the ball," Paroubeck said.

San Carlos took a 5-2 lead with a three-run fourth. With one out and the bases loaded, Nick Dupon stroked a run-scoring single to put San Carlos up 3-2. After a popout, Paroubeck again came to the plate with the bases loaded. Although he didn't come up with a hit, he put the ball in play and after that, anything can happen.

On a 2-2 pitch, he hit a ball to the left of the Menlo-Atherton shortstop, who couldn't make the play, allowing two unearned runs to score.

"He's a big, strong kid," Descalso said of Paroubeck. "He's a great athlete. Very clutch."

Paroubeck used his speed to add insurance run in the sixth. He singled, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Marley single.

San Carlos did benefit from a umpire's decision that wiped two Menlo-Atherton runs off the board in the fifth inning. With the bases loaded, Gallini hit a slow roller to the right of the San Carlos first baseman. Jake Mauldin could not get to the ball, however, as the Menlo-Atherton runner at first got in his way. As Menlo-Atherton proceeded to score two runs during the play and the crowd cheering, no one could the base umpire call runner interference, which results in the runner being out.

With two outs in the inning already, the call ended the inning and the two Menlo-Atherton runs were wiped off the scoreboard.

Now that his team is in the finals, Descalso believes they have a good shot at winning the whole thing.

"We're in good position. Our pitching is lined up," Descalso said. "These guys have been practicing every day for two weeks. They've been working very hard."