Rollin tosses the Braves to Pony League shutout

By Dick Sparrer

Alex Rollin was tough to hit.

Tough? Heck, the Los Gatos Pony League hurler was nearly impossible to hit when he took the mound for the Braves against the Phillies last week.

Rollin tossed a 1-hit shutout for the Braves, striking out 16 and walking just one.

It was that one walk, a free pass he gave up to Russell Laubach, that spoiled Rollin's perfect game in the fifth inning. Brandon Burks broke up Rollin's bid for a no-hitter when he beat out an infield single, but then Rollin struck out the side to end the Phillie threat.

Rollin also led the offensive attack for the Braves with a double and triple in the win.

A two-run single by Bret Kasper keyed a four-run rally in the third as the Braves turned back the Devil Rays 5-3 in a game called after six innings because of darkness.

Adam Crane and Jared Murphy slapped run-scoring singles for the Rays, and Jeff Oleson had a hit.

Carter Wallace went the distance to fire a 5-hitter for the Braves in a 7-4 win over the Devil Rays. Wallace struck out 11 and walked just two.

In other Pony action, a two-run single by Travis Howell gave the Giants an early lead, and they went on to nail a 6-0 win over the Yankees. Howell ripped another two-run single in the fourth, and Kyle Schafer singled and doubled in the win. Brett Cavanaugh doubled for the Giants, and Jason Livingston and Matt Rose each singled.

Andrew O'Gorman doubled, and Brett Miller and Danny Dressman each singled for the Yankees.

Howell went the distance to whirl a three-hitter, striking out 18 along the way, to lead the Giants to a 6-5 win over the Marlins.

The Giants broke a 3-3 tie with three runs in the seventh. Howell blasted a run-scoring triple, and Schafer ripped a two-run double.

Matt Rose singled and doubled for the Giants.

Casey Furtado singled and doubled for the Marlins, and Damen Hirotsu doubled.

Ryan Daily was three for four with a pair of doubles to lead the Devil Rays to an 8-1 win over the Marlins.

J.P. Grist smacked a double in the win, and Oleson had two hits. Marc Ericson also singled for the Rays.

Drew Hoffman had three hits, including a triple, and Darien Hirotsu had two hits for the Marlins.

The Giants rallied for seven runs in the fifth inning in a 14-4 win over the Marlins.

Dressman flipped a four-hit shutout for the Yankees in a 9-0 win over the Phillies. Dressman struck out 17 in the game and helped his own cause with a two-run homer in the second inning.

David Holtzman, who drilled a two-run double in the Yankees' seven-run second, had two hits, and Dressman finished with a pair of hits. Jess Barron and O'Gorman also singled in the second inning rally.

Singles by Laubach, Bryan Schiefelbein, Patrick McDonald and David Towson were the only hits Dressman allowed in the game.

Police Report

'Tall' Bill Whelan remembered

Obituaries: Lloyd Mitchell, Rose Packard, Christine Self, Frederic Keplinger

Picture From the Past: Los Gatos Theatre and other early moviehouses

Sports Briefs

Los Gatos baseball team defeats Fremont

Rebels, Raptors, Cats are National Junior Basketball champs

Los Gatos Pony League

LG boys volleyball team tied for first in division