Nick Christian nearly went the distance on the mound, Tyler
Triano, Ryan Platero and Isaiah Bueno each provided multiple hits
at the plate, and the Hollister National 9- and 10-year-old
All-Stars defeated Santa Clara Westside 9-3 on Wednesday night in
Milpitas to claim the Section 5 championship.
MILPITAS
Nick Christian nearly went the distance on the mound, Tyler Triano, Ryan Platero and Isaiah Bueno each provided multiple hits at the plate, and the Hollister National 9- and 10-year-old All-Stars defeated Santa Clara Westside 9-3 on Wednesday night in Milpitas to claim the Section 5 championship.
The game was never in doubt after Hollister National plated five runs in the first three innings, including three runs in the opening frame that set the tone for the remainder of the game.
With one out in the first, Platero doubled on and Bueno hit an RBI single to put Hollister up early in the contest. Triano then singled on and Ryan Quinby hit into a fielder’s choice, setting up a first-and-third situation for Giovanni Giannotta, who blooped a two-RBI single into right field.
Hollister added a fourth run in the second inning when Garrett Bourdet doubled to start the inning. Christian then helped his own cause with a sacrifice bunt, moving Bourdet to third base, while Mason Marquez followed with a sacrifice fly to right field, plating Bourdet for a 4-0 lead.
Triano and Quinby connected on a single and a double to start the third inning, respectively, and Javier Valdez’s fielder’s choice to first base scored Triano to push Hollister National further ahead.
Westside finally got on the scoreboard in the fourth inning with a pair of runs, cutting Hollister’s lead to just three runs. But the boys in blue responded with a three-run fourth inning, with all three runs coming with two outs.
Marquez hit a two-out single and advanced to second on a wild pitch when Platero knocked him home with an RBI single up the middle. Bueno then trailed with an RBI double, and Triano chased him with an RBI single up the middle, pushing Hollister ahead 8-2.
National made it a 9-2 game in the fifth when Christian’s fielder’s choice scored Ryan Jameson, who reached base after leading off the inning with a double.
Christian, meanwhile, tossed 5.2 innings on the mound, allowing just three hits while striking out six before exhausting his pitch count. Marquez came in for relief and picked up the final out of the game.
Hollister National, which now represents both District 9 and Section 5, advances to the NorCal Division II Tournament in Chico this weekend, where it will open against the Section 6 representative on Saturday at 6 p.m.
All games will be held at Chico Eastside Little League.
