On Saturday, the local Junior League All-Stars opened the NorCal
Division II Tournament in Sacramento on a far different note when
they picked up a pair of victories over Half Moon Bay and Petaluma
National, scoring a combined 22 runs on 22 hits.
SACRAMENTO
Just three days prior, it was perhaps safe to say the Hollister Junior League All-Stars were scratching and clawing their way to victory.
Against Los Altos, for instance, which equaled the team’s best competition at the Section 5 Tournament, Hollister mounted two come-from-behind victories, one of which came in the championship game where they scored five runs on just three hits.
But that was last week.
On Saturday, the local Junior League All-Stars opened the NorCal Division II Tournament in Sacramento on a far different note when they picked up a pair of victories over Half Moon Bay and Petaluma National, scoring a combined 22 runs on 22 hits.
After defeating Half Moon Bay 10-1 on Saturday and Petaluma National 12-1 on Sunday, Hollister will now square off against Rocklin in Tuesday’s Division II semifinal — the Section 4 representative having defeated Chowchilla 18-1 on Sunday night.
“I think they’re gonna be a much better team,” Hollister manager Todd Freitas said of Rocklin, which is located northeast of Sacramento.
“They have, traditionally, a very good program out of Rocklin,” Freitas said. “They’re gonna be much better competition, no doubt about it.”
Rocklin could perhaps even be a similar opponent to Los Altos, Freitas added.
That wasn’t necessarily the case last weekend at American River College, however. Hollister’s opener against Half Moon Bay included a seven-run fourth inning, while its matchup with Petaluma included a six-run sixth — each frame turning a somewhat close ball game into comfortable cushion for the local all-stars.
“We’re finally coming around,” Freitas said of the team’s offense. “We were getting that big, two-out hit. Now we’re getting three-hit innings to drive in runs.
“We’re just really hitting well right now.”
Hollister’s offensive display was evident in the very first inning against Petaluma on Sunday when Daniel Gonzales and Cody Freitas started the game with triples, while Robert Soto followed with an RBI single to push Hollister out to an early 2-0 lead.
Both Greg Steinbeck and Josh George reached base on an error to open the second inning when Freitas knocked them both home with a two-RBI single. Chris Manderson then knocked the pitcher out of the game with a hard-hit come-backer in the third, and then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Connor Menez. Chris Cook drew a walk to make it a first-and-second situation when Dylan Yamasaki connected on a two-out, two-RBI double to push Hollister up 6-0.
Petaluma plated its one and only run in the fourth. It was an unearned run off starting pitcher Robert Soto, who tossed five innings and allowed three hits and one walk, striking out five.
The five-run lead was as close as Petaluma would get, though. Hollister blew the game open in the sixth when George, Freitas and Soto each reached base to start the inning. Jordan Lopes then drew a bases-loaded walk, scoring George, while Manderson blasted an RBI single to score Freitas, and subsequently knocked another Petaluma pitcher from the game with another hard-hit come-backer.
Menez then hit an RBI single to extend the inning for Cook, who cleared the bases with a three-RBI triple.
“We’re hitting really well right now,” Freitas said.
Menez pitched the sixth inning in relief, going 1-2-3 on the mound for Hollister when the game was called due to the 10-run rule.
Hollister nearly equaled the 10-run rule on Saturday as well against Half Moon Bay, which scored its only run of the game in the second inning and, for a single frame, held a 1-0 lead over the local Junior League all-stars.
Hollister scored the next 10 runs unanswered, though, starting in the home half of the second inning when Lopes and Yamasaki both singled on and Nate Alvarez bunted them both over. Greg Steinbeck then drew a walk to load the bases, while Gonzales followed with a walk as well to score Lopes.
Freitas and Soto both singled on to start the third for Hollister when Lopes connected on an RBI double to push the local all-stars ahead, 2-1.
The narrow lead blossomed in the fourth when Menez, Steinbeck and Gonzales all reached base to start the inning and George followed with an RBI single. Freitas then connected on a three-RBI double.
Later in the fourth, Soto reached base on an error, and Lopes knocked him and Freitas home on a two-RBI double. Lopes later scored when Alvarez grounded into a fielder’s choice.
In the sixth, Hollister added another run on Cook’s sacrifice fly that scored Freitas.
The starting pitcher Steinbeck tossed six innings of four-hit baseball for Hollister to earn the win, striking out six and walking no one. Alvarez pitched the last inning in relief to close out the victory.
Manager Freitas isn’t expecting another one-sided affair with Rocklin, though. The Hollister coaching staff scouted the team’s 18-1 win over Chowchilla on Sunday night.
“And they look good,” Freitas said. “It’s gonna be a really good game.”
The two teams will meet at American River College in Sacramento on Tuesday night. First pitch is 8 p.m.
Chris Manderson is expected to start for Hollister on the mound.
Game 1 — Saturday
HMB — 1 3 4
HOL — 10 10 2
Game 2 — Sunday
PET — 1 3 1
HOL — 12 12 1
