AfterShox runner up in Field of Dreams Tourney; 12U baseball
team finishes up strong season
The Hollister AfterShox 12U travel baseball team finished up its 2005 season in second place in the prestigious Field of Dreams tournament in Fresno last weekend, losing to the Central Valley Crush.
The Shox had already quarlified for the winter National Championship to be held in Arizona after winning the Modesto Super Series Oct. 15-16.
The AfterShox first game in Fresno was against the Central Valley Corbas. Starting pitcher Craig Slipslager set the pace in the 11-1 victory.
Cody Gessel, Kevin Salvas, Zach Zanger, Marcus Sabette, Jake Moeller and Dustin Rovella provided the offense throughout the four-inning game in which the Shox 10-runned the Cobras.
In the second game, the Shox defeated the Central Valley Crush 6-5. The two teams went back and forth early, keeping the score close. Stellar pitching from Kevin Salvas kept the Shox close through the bottom of the fourth until the Crush took the lead and the win.
The Shox played the Hanford Inferno in the third game and won 10-4. After the Shox leadoff batters drew walks, Marcus Sabette brought in a pair of runs with a double to tie the game in the first inning.
In the third inning, Tyler Quimby brought in two more runs and gave the Shox a lead they would never relinquish. Joey Shulman, behind the plate, and Emmitt King, on the mound, worked well together in the victory.
The Shox had great defensive plays and big hits from the entire team to beat the Santa Clara Phatt 2 10-5 in the fourth game. Tyller Smith gave up just two runs through five innings.
In the championship game, the AfterShox had a rematch with the Central Valley Crush. Schlyer Shaw-Fuss got the nod to pitch. Against a very good hitting Crush team, Shaw-Fuss led his team from the mound to keep the game tight. The back-and-forth game ended with the Crush pulling ahead in the late innings and winning 8-5.
