Let’s get this cousin business straight. Daniel Arevalo and
Oscar Ramirez of the Hollister National Little League 9-10
All-Stars are cousins once removed, not first cousins as most folks
would like to believe.
Let’s get this cousin business straight. Daniel Arevalo and Oscar Ramirez of the Hollister National Little League 9-10 All-Stars are cousins once removed, not first cousins as most folks would like to believe. The dynamic duo are playing like the “Terrorizing Ten’s” right now, ripping up the Section 5 Tournament which is ongoing at Vets Park.
Ramirez followed his kin and best buddy Arevalo home run for home run Sunday as Hollister National blitzed Los Altos 16-1 in four innings to reach Tuesday night’s championship game. Hollister National faces tonight’s Los Altos-Almaden victor at 7 p.m. Almaden eliminated Gilroy Sunday by a score of 7-6. Hollister National eked out a 4-3 decision over Almaden on Saturday with Arevalo going the distance for the win.
Arevalo also had a little something to do with Hollister National’s run production on Saturday, blasting two home runs for 3-RBI. One of his homers went high over the shed in left-center, a hefty poke indeed. The other hit high up on the tree in straightaway center field.
But, Ramirez apparently took the attitude that anything ‘cuz can do, he can do just as well. Ramirez hit the second pitch he saw from Los Altos hurler Brian Bostrom way past the left-center field fence, scoring Ricky Garcia ahead of him. Garcia had led off the game with a first-pitch double to left.
In the third inning, Ramirez hit a sac fly to center for his third RBI of the game. Then, in the fourth, Ramirez clubbed a two-run shot down the left field line off reliever Parker Smith for RBI’s four and five. Hollister National scored six runs in that fourth inning, taking advantage of five of Los Altos’ 10 errors committed in the game.
“They may not think so, but I think there’s a healthy competition between Daniel and Oscar,” said Hollister National manager Jerry Sepulveda. “They have a little rivalry going. They’re more like brothers than cousins.”
“Daniel hit two home runs so I thought I had better, too,” said Ramirez, whose homers were his first two home runs of the year. “The first home run was on a fastball. The second was on a curve.”
Hollister National had production up and down its lineup. Garcia scored three times from his leadoff spot in the order. Arevalo, batting third, spanked a two-run double in the third inning. Cooper Sepulveda, batting clean-up, tripled into the right field corner in the third inning and doubled in the fourth. He also scored two runs.
Jahz Gonzalez, who batted sixth, had a sac fly RBI in the first, singled and scored in the third and walked and scored in the fourth. Michael Martinez, who batted seventh, was on base all three times via an error and toed the plate twice. Rolo Robles, the ninth place hitter, went 2-2 with an RBI and a run scored.
Even reserve Joey Schulman joined the fray with an RBI single to center field in the fourth inning.
“Hollister really hit the ball well,” said Los Altos manager Pat Ferrell. “And their aggressiveness on the basepaths forced us into mistakes.”
“We run more than most teams,” said Sepulveda. “These kids do things on the field that I can’t believe sometimes.”
For example, Gonzalez, who was the winning pitcher, allowing just a bunt single through the first three innings, made an instinctive play in the second inning. Gonzalez hustled over for Tyler Harney’s swinging bunt down the third baseline, barehanded the ball and hit Cooper Sepulveda on the money for the out. That was right after Arevalo, the shortstop, went to his right gracefully to take a hit away from Bostrom.
And on the basepaths, Hollister National feels right at home, so to speak. Garcia, in particular, is quite the menace when he’s on base. In the second inning, Garcia reached first on a fielder’s choice play. He stole second, then executed a delayed steal of third. When Los Altos tried to throw Garcia out at third, the ball went down the line for an error, allowing Garcia to score.
Ramirez pitched the fourth frame, retiring the side in order with two strikeouts, combining with Gonzalez for a one-hitter. Arevalo is scheduled to get the pitching nod on Tuesday with Ramirez and Robles available for duty, as well.
Section 5 11 year-old stars update: Hollister National 11 year-old All-Star manager Manny Amaral called it “bad baseball.” Not much could be said by the National 11’s following a 20-6 drubbing by Almaden at the Section 5 Tournament at Aptos Little League Field on Sunday.
“We threw strikes, they hit the ball hard and we made errors,” said Amaral. “It was a brutal game.”
Hollister National, which won by forfeit on Saturday, plays Scotts Valley in an elimination game tonight at 5:30 p.m. Daniel Schulman is slated to pitch for Hollister National.
Hol Nat 415 6 – 16 9 1
Los Altos 001 0 – 1 1 10
Gonzalez, Ramirez (4) and Garcia; Bostrom, Smith (4) and O’Such. WP-Gonzalez. LP-Bostrom. 2B – Garcia, Arevalo, Sepulveda (HN). 3B – Sepulveda (HN). HR – Ramirez 2 (HN). 2 hits – Ramirez, Sepulveda, Robles (H). 5 RBI – Ramirez (HN). 2 RBI – Arevalo (HN).
