By Dick Sparrer
Trent Edwards is a man among boys.
OK, maybe not a man--after all, the Los Gatos Little Leaguer is just a 12-year-old boy himself. But he's at least a big boy among boys, especially when he walks to the middle of a diamond to pitch.
And you'd certainly get no argument on that score from the Cubs of the Los Gatos Little League major division. Edwards was mowing down the Cubbies when he tossed the Pirates to a 3-2 victory and the league championship.
Edwards struck out 14 on his way to tossing a 2-hitter to lead the Bucs to the win. He was touched for two unearned runs in the fifth, but otherwise handled the Cubs to help the Pirates secure the title.
Edwards and the Pirates took a 3-0 lead into the fifth, but the Cubs battled from behind. Danny Politi reached on an error and two outs later Charlie Clarke roped a run-scoring double into the left field corner.
Stephen Sweeney, whose two-out single up the middle in the third was the only other hit of the game for the Cubs, walked and stole second to put runners on second and third.
Clarke scored on a passed ball before Edwards got the next hitter on strikes to get out of the jam.
The Cubs had cut the lead to one, but Edwards struck out the clinch the victory.
The Pirates jumped in front early with three runs in the first. Trevor Branon, Edwards and Nick Russell each walked to fill the bags and Eric Brown walked to force home a run. Cory Graham followed with a two-run single to left to up the score to 3-0. Graham stole second, but Cubs hurler Travis Howell worked out of trouble with no more damage.
Howell blanked the Pirates the rest of the way, but his mates could get only two runs off of Edwards. Howell went the distance to flip a 2-hitter, fanning seven but walking nine.
Russell's third-inning single was the only other hit of the game for the Pirates.
The Cubs had forced the title game after beating the Pirates 9-6 earlier in the week.
Jon Branch ripped a two-run single to key a four-run rally in the fourth that gave the Cubs a commanding 8-3 lead.
The Bucs had gone in front early when Drew Bothman beat out an infield hit and Edwards drilled a two-run homer.
But the Cubs came right back with three in the bottom of the first. Singles by Kevin Credelle and Williams Lampe drove in the first two runs and the third scored on a passed ball.
The Cubs added another run in the second. Politi singled and scored on three straight wild pitches.
The Pirates trimmed the lead to
4-3 in the third when Bothman reached on an error, Edwards singled and Russell drove in a run with a ground ball.
That just set the stage for the Cubs' big rally in the fourth.
There was no quit in the Pirates, though. Bothman reached on an error and Edwards walked with two out in the fifth. The runners moved to second and third on a passed ball and scored on a single by Russell. Brown got on on an error and Russell scored, making it close at 8-6.
But Politi was hit by a pitch and ended up scoring an insurance run in the fifth to give the Cubs a 9-6 lead.
Hans Jorgensen led off the sixth with a fly ball up the alley in right-center. But James Furlo came racing over from left-center to make a running catch. Sweeney struck out the next two hitters to nail down the win.
Sweeney went the distance to fire a 5-hitter for the Cubs. He struck out nine and walked just two.
Aaron Goldfarb had two hits to lead the Cubs at the plate and Russell and Edwards had two hits apiece for the Pirates.
Pirates in TOC
By winning the Los Gatos Little League major division title, the Pirates advanced to the District 12 Tournament of Champions. But the Bucs lost 8-2 in the first round to the Cambrian Cubs.
The Cubs scored two runs each in the first and third to lead 4-0, but the Pirates came flying back. Jorgensen and Geoff Frey each walked to open the fifth and Branon walked to load the bags. The Cubs forced Jorgensen at the plate on Bothman's comebacker, but Edwards followed with a two-run double.
Cambrian put the game away, though, with four more runs in the fifth.
Graham singled in the sixth for the Pirates' only other hit of the day.
Bothman made an outstanding diving stop at second base and threw a runner out at first, and Edwards made a fine play up the middle to start a doubleplay in the second inning. Logan Schafer came through with an outstanding running catch in left field late in the game.
Los Gatos all-stars
The Tournament of Champions was the end of the line for the Pirates, but it certainly wasn't the end of the year for the Los Gatos Little League. In fact, it's only the beginning.
The league will now send teams into all-star and tournament competition, with the major division all-stars setting their sights on an ultimate trip to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.
That road begins July 1 when the American Little League hosts the District 12 Major Division all-star tournament at its field behind Valley Fair (Cory Elementary School).
Frey will manage the Los Gatos entry. Members of the all-star team include Trent Edwards, Trevor Branon and Nick Russell of the Pirates; Daniel Holtzman and Jason Furia of the Indians; Adam Rude and Alex Anderson of the Rangers; Chris McMorrow and Kris Zanotto of the Giants; Stephen Sweeney and Charlie Clarke of the Cubs; Matt Cooke of the Padres; Anthony Frangadakis of the A's; and Bobby Galmeister of the Yankees. Kelly Mitchell, Andy Edwards and Bill Frey will serve as coaches.
Tournament teams
Postseason play begins this weekend for the 11-year-old, 10-year-old and 9-year-old tournament teams.
The 11-year-old tournament will be played at the home of the Branham Hills Little League (on Ross Avenue off of Branham Lane); the 10-year-old tourney is set for the Cambrian Park Little League field (on Foxworthy near Ross); and the 9-year-old event will be played at the Union Little League field (Challenger School at Camden and Blossom Hill).
Dan O'Gorman will manage the Los Gatos 11-year-olds with Les Schiefelbein his coach. The club opens tourney play on June 22, 3 p.m., against Lincoln Glen.
Members of the team include Travis Howell of the Cubs; Andrew O'Gorman and Matt DePalma of the Indians; Bryan Schiefelbein, Adam Crane and Patrick Murphy of the Padres; Eric Brown of the Pirates; Ryan Daily and Kyle Schafer of the Expos; Alex Rollin of the Giants; and Derek Tam and Adam Nelson of the A's.
Making up the Los Gatos 10-year-old team will be David Holtzman and Nic Perrone of the Indians; Danny Politi of the Cubs; Cory Graham and J.P. Grist of the Pirates; Matt Finelli and Chad Rabello of the Giants; Wes Piper of the A's; Justin Moles and Eric Rude of the Rangers; Michael Robards of the Yankees; and Matt Martini of the Expos.
The club will be managed by Ira Holtzman and Dan Krop is his coach. Gatos opens tournament action on June 21, 5:30 p.m., against Almaden.
Members of the league's 9-year-old tournament team include major division players Kenny Rodriguez of the Cubs, Logan Schafer of the Pirates, Nathan Swartley of the Yankees, Erik Rollin of the Giants and Spencer Doyle of the Indians. Triple-A players on the squad are Kyle Jensen of the Angels, Andrew Ketteman and Scott Heller of the Royals and Kevin McCarty of the Phillies, and Double-A players include Jack Wall and Jeremey Bays of the Marlins and Scott Brown of the Pirates.
Ken Rodrigues is the manager of the squad and Randy Schafer is his coach. The 9-year-old team meets American on June 22, 12:30 p.m., in its tourney opener.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, June 19, 1996.
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