By Dick Sparrer
Never wake up a sleeping giant, the saying goes.
Or in the case of the Los Gatos Little League major division, a sleeping Pirate!
Because the Expos woke up the Pirates last week, and they responded with a convincing 15-1 victory on Saturday morning.
It all started earlier in the week when the Expos battled back from a 6-0 deficit to trail the Pirates just 6-5 in the final inning.
The unbeaten Bucs held off the Expos to pull out the win, then unloaded on Saturday to win 15-1.
Trent Edwards, who came on to put out the fire and get the save earlier in the week, tossed four innings of two-hit baseball to pick up the win on Saturday. He struck out nine and walked just two.
Edwards also tripled and singled twice, scoring three runs in the win. Trevor Branon was 3-for-3 with a double and four runs scored.
Eric Brown doubled twice and singled in the game and Chris Eagen, Nick Russell and Drew Bothman had two hits each. Eagen drove in three runs for the winners.
J.P. Bellotti ripped a run-scoring double in the first and Kyle Schafer doubled for the Expos.
Earlier in the week, Eagen had tossed four innings of no-hit, no-run baseball, but the Pirates had to hang on to pull out the 6-5 win over the Expos. Russell was 2-for-2 and kncoked in four runs for the Bucs. Eagen ripped a triple.
The two wins pushed the Pirates' season record to 14-0. They'll play the second-place Giants (9-3) this week. The Bucs, boasting a three game lead with four games to play, need just one win to clinch at least a share the title.
The Giants slipped to three games back when they were upset by the Rangers 20-6 last week.
Adam Rude singled, tripled and doubled twice to drive in three runs and Alex Anderson was 3-for-3 with three walks to lead the Rangers to the win. Anderson ripped a three-run homer in the second.
Kris Zanotto and Chris McMorrow had two hits each for the Giants.
In other action, consecutive doubles by Anthony Frangadakis, Adam Nelson and Cameron Shutts sparked a third-inning uprising that led the A's to a 7-3 win over the Cubs.
Frangadakis ripped a bases-loaded double to knock in three runs and get the A's started. Nelson to drive home Frangadakis, and Shutts doubled home Nelson. The three finished with two hits each.
Bret Roberts tossed three strong innings to pick up the win.
Charlie Clark and Aaron Goldfarb had two hits each for the Cubs.
The Cubs had beaten the A's 8-3 earlier in the week. Travis Howell went the distance to pick up the pitching win, striking out 13 along the way.
Howell doubled and tripled to lead the offensive attack for the Cubs. Stephen Sweeney singled and doubled. Shutts doubled in the loss for the A's.
Daniel Holtzman and Jason Furia combined to toss a one-hit shutout for the Indians in a 6-0 win over the Marlins. Holtzman fanned five in three no-hit innings, and Furia struck out seven over the final three.
Andrew O'Gorman singled and doubled to lead the attack for the Indians. Furia and Spencer Doyle each doubled and Nick Perrone tripled.
Adam Davis belted a double in the fourth for the only hit of the day for the Marlins.
The Indians came back to two-time the Padres.
Holtzman and Furia combined for another win in a 5-1 victory over the Pads. Holtzman tripled and singled twice, and O'Gorman and Furia had two hits each in the win.
Bryan Schiefelbein was 4-for-4 in the loss and Adam Crane had two hits.
Holtzman homered twice and doubled to lead the Indians to an 8-3 win over the Padres later in the week. Holtzman now has four homers for the year, and shares the league lead with Edwards of the Pirates.
Sean Penner was 3-for-3 and Matt DePalma had two hits in the win. David Varden and Chris Smith each doubled.
Holtzman and Furia combined for another win. Furia tossed three innings of no-hit, no-run baseball, fanning five.
Schiefelbein singled and doubled in the loss.
The Yankees and Marlins split a pair of games.
The Marlins scored three runs in the top of the seventh to break a 4-4 tie and pull out a 7-4 win over the Yankees.
Blake Garrett struck out six over the final four innings to pick up the win. It was a three-run homer by Davis in the seventh that pushed the Marlins to the victory.
Davis homered and doubled for the Marlins. Daniel Koch had two hits and Shane Heil and Jesse Fehtke each doubled.
Bobby Galmeister had two hits and Brian Cassel doubled for the Yanks.
Matt Rose was 5-for-5 with three doubles and Galmeister ripped four doubles and scored four runs to lead the Yankees to a 19-7 win over the Marlins. Cassel had three hits and Brandon Brigham doubled in the win.
Brandon Burks singled and doubled for the Marlins. Davis had two hits and Koch doubled.
Los Gatos Little League major division standings: Pirates 14-0, Giants 9-3, Padres 9-5, Indians 8-4, Rangers 6-8, A's 5-8, Cubs 5-9, Expos 5-9, Marlins 4-10, Yankees 2-12.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, May 15, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved