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Justin Schafer of Los Gatos slides into the homebase during a 11-year-old all-star game at the Los Gatos little league field. Los Gatos won 12-1.
Photograph by Dai Sugano
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Gatos 11's win district title
Little League teams shine in District 12
By Dick Sparrer
The Los Gatos Little League 11-year-old all-stars didn't score nearly as many runs against Branham Hills in the finals of the District 12 Tournament as they did against the same club earlier in the tourney.
They didn't have to.
Los Gatos scored more than enough to knock off Branham Hills to win the district championship and earn a place in the section tournament.
Gatos pounded Branham 22-5 in the winner's bracket final, then ripped Branham 12-1 last week to clinch the tourney title.
Derek Thomas went the distance to toss a three-hitter for the win in the finals. He struck out 11, and took a one-hitter into the sixth inning.
Thomas, Forrest Gallien and Chris Keesling led the bat attack with two hits each, and Justin Schafer ripped a run-scoring double.
Los Gatos took the early lead with a run in the first when Marty Mullins walked and eventually scored on a passed ball.
Gatos gave Thomas all the cushion he needed with two more runs in the second. Keesling singled and raced home on the double by Schafer. Rusty Wall singled home Schafer to make it 3-0.
The locals put the game away with six runs in the third. Thomas and Danny Sullivan each singled before Gallien singled home a run, and Matt Perrone belted a two-run single. Navneet Hakhu and Mullins each walked before Thomas delivered his second hit of the inning, a two-run single.
Los Gatos put the game on ice with three more runs in the sixth. Wall singled, but was forced at second by Thomas. Sullivan and David Pavicich each walked to load the bases before Gallien and Keesling followed with run-scoring singles. Schafer drove in the final run with a sacrifice fly.
Jake Schonig and Dylan Burke, who had each come through with big hits earlier in the tournament, are other members of the team that will now open play in the sectionals on July 24, 10 a.m., at the North Valley Little League field.
Photograph by Chad Pilster
Pitching for the Los Gatos 10-year-old all-stars is Sean Wasserman.
10-year-old division
Kyle Blair tossed a shutout, and Eric McDonald, Colby Moore and Sean Wasserman had two hits apiece to lead the Los Gatos 10-year-old "Orange" all-stars to a 10-0 win over Union in the first round of the district tournament.
Blair picked up the mound win, thanks in no small part to the errorless play of the Los Gatos defense.
Gatos broke open a tight 1-0 game with an eight-run rally in the fourth.
Gatos lost 8-4 to Saratoga a game later, but came back to beat Los Gatos "Black" 11-1.
Noah Henry and Wesley Howell tossed three innings apiece in the win over the "Black" 'stars.
The clubs played scoreless baseball through three innings, with Henry blanking the "Black" and Raymond Salazar throwing goose eggs at the "Orange" club.
But "Orange" broke the game open with five runs in the fourth and won it with six runs in the sixth.
Los Gatos, Quito, Saratoga and Almaden were the only teams still alive in the tournament heading into play last weekend.
Members of the team include Blair, McDonald, Moore, Wasserman, Mitch Benedetti, Bricklin Foley, John Gallien, Henry, Ben Hintz, Howell, Will Kapp and Stephen Stege. The team is managed by Mike Wasserman, and his coaches are Bo Hintz and Bob Moore.
The Los Gatos "Black" opened the 10-year-old tourney with a 9-8 win over Almaden No. 2, but then lost 18-1 to Almaden No. 1. Gatos came back with a tight 5-4 win over Cambrian 5-4 and beat American 4-2 to remain alive in the loser's bracket before losing to "Black" to face elimination.
9-year-old division
It's a tough road through the loser's bracket of a double-elimination tournament.
But that's just the road the Los Gatos 9-year-old all-stars found themselves on after losing their District 12 opener to Almaden.
Still, Gatos followed that road long enough to get to within a game of the championship before losing a 12-11 heartbreaker to Quito.
Los Gatos lost 12-2 to Almaden in the first game of the tourney, then battled back to beat Willow Glen 13-0, Lincoln Glen 17-7 and Branham Hills 16-3.
The three wins pushed LG into the loser's bracket final against Quito with the winner to go on to face Almaden for the district championship. But manager Mike Denevi's club lost by one to Quito to drop out of the tournament.
Cole Maleyco tossed six strong innings but was tagged with the tough one-run loss to Quito.
Garrett Blackwell had three hits to drive in two runs for Los Gatos, and Niki Chow, Karl Winkelman, Jackson Dallas and Maleyco knocked in two runs each.
Maleyco had tossed a three-hit shutout to lead Los Gatos to the 13-0 win over Willow Glen in the first loser's bracket game.
Paul Politi had three hits to drive in a pair of runs in the win, and Lucas Demillo drove in two runs with a couple of hits. Mikey Denevi, Ryan McKinley and Timmy Trobbe had two hits each in the win, and Blackwell drove in two runs.
Chow had two hits and scored three runs and also tossed three strong innings in a four-inning 17-7 win over Lincoln Glen. Politi finished up on the hill with an inning of relief work.
Chow and Dallas pitched three innings apiece in the 16-3 win over Branham Hills.
Blackwell knocked in five runs with three hits to lead the offensive attack. Dallas had two hits to knock home three runs, and Maleyco had two hits to plate a pair of runs.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
