The Hollister American 10-11-year-old All-Stars fell in a 9-2
game to Briarwood on Saturday in the Section 5 All-Star
Tournament.
Staff Reports

Campbell – The Hollister American 10-11-year-old All-Stars fell in a 9-2 game to Briarwood on Saturday in the Section 5 All-Star Tournament. It was the second loss for American in the double-elimination tournament at Campbell Little League.

“It’s hard to keep repeating,” Manager Al Lopes said of his 10-11 team, who last year as a 9-10 squad, won the Northern California Divisional Tournament. “It was a great season and I don’t have any regrets.”

In a game that was far closer than the final score suggests, the two teams were involved in a pitchers duel for much of the contest.

American’s Tony Diaz threw 5.1 innings, allowed one run and struck out eight batters, while Briarwood’s Garrett Cluk pitched a complete game and struck out eight as well.

Said Lopes of Cluk, “He had two speeds: fast and faster.

“But Tony Diaz, he threw a great game.”

Briarwood scored their first run in the top of the second, while American matched it in the bottom of the third on an RBI single from Dylan Yamasaki, scoring Marco Cosio from second base.

The two teams would go scoreless until the sixth inning, when Briarwood plated eight runs in the top half.

In the bottom half of the sixth, Yamasaki led off with a solo home run to cut the lead to 9-2, but that’s where the score would remain. Yamasaki’s homer, though, was his fifth of the All-Star season, which included both the district and section tournaments.

“I’m extremely happy with the boys’ performance, but it just wasn’t meant to be,” Lopes said. “It’s always tough when you’re the defending champ.”

The American team is eliminated from the Section 5 All-Star Tournament, but were led by veteran leadership, and strong pitching from Diaz and Marco Cosio, Lopes said.

The championship, played on Monday night, was between Capitola/Soquel and Saratoga.

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A staff member wrote, edited or posted this article, which may include information provided by one or more third parties.

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