The San Benito 13-year-old All-Star team got one step closer to
a Western Regional berth in Utah with a 14-13 victory in eight
innings over Cotton Belt on Monday in Clovis.
The San Benito 13-year-old All-Star team got one step closer to a Western Regional berth in Utah with a 14-13 victory in eight innings over Cotton Belt on Monday in Clovis.
Needing to win four more games for the title, San Benito will play Buchanan at 5:30 p.m. today. Buchanan defeated San Benito in the opening game.
“If we get through tomorrow, I really like our chances to win the tournament,” said manager Rick Czernek. “We came through the loser’s bracket to win the last tournament. So I think we can do it again.”
The team should be in good shape with ace Justin Terrill ready to pitch seven innings and Russel Czernek available for six if needed, manager Czernek said.
Both San Benito and Cotton Belt had an uncharacteristically high four errors in the game. After several miscues early in the game, San Benito started to tighten up the defense and swing the bat better.
San Benito tied the game with a run in the sixth and then tied the game again with two in the seventh to send the game into extra innings.
In the seventh inning with two outs, Czernek had a huge two-run one-hop double to the fence to bring in two runs.
Cotton Belt scored a run in the eighth, but San Benito scored two runs in the bottom to win. Miles Sanchez led off with a walk but was picked off at second base by the catcher.
Chad Whitehead had a base hit, Anthony Alvarez drew a walk and Alfonso Reyes loaded the bases with a hit. Matthew Miguel’s only hit of the game was a big one to tie the game. Brett Furtado had a two-out hit up the middle to bring in the winning run.
Furtado went 4-for-4 and came in to pitch in the eighth inning and picked up all three outs in relief of Czernek. Czernek came in in the seventh inning and without throwing a pitch was able to get a runner caught in a pickle with a throw to Lance Villasenior at third base.
Alvarez pitched five innings in relief of Jacob Eichhorn.
Dane Lamanna went 3-for-5 and scored twice, Czernek went 2-for-3 and was hit by a pitch, Sanchez went 2-for-3 with a double and two walks and Reyes went 2-for-5 with a double.
