Hollister 11U baseball team goes 4-0 at Fremont tourney
FREMONT
The Hollister Junior ‘Balers 11U travel baseball team won the annual Turkey Baste Cookout tournament last weekend in Fremont, the fourth tournament win for the Junior ‘Balers this year.
The Turkey Baste Cookout tournament included five teams from Northern California.
On Saturday, the Junior ‘Balers beat the Pacifica Nationals by a score of 6-1. Josh Tonascia received the win after he pitched two innings, allowing only one run. Macen Schwehr and Jose Rodriquez, who earned the save, combined for three shutout innings in relief. The game-winning hit was in the first inning when Yurixa Gonzalez hit a one-run triple to right field.
The Junior ‘Balers easily dispatched the Los Banos Xtreme in their second game, 15-5. Adam Gonzales started for the ‘Balers and got the win, pitching three innings and allowing three runs. Earning the save was Andrew Sotelo, who allowed one run in one inning.
The Junior Balers took to the long ball in this game when Sotelo and Tonascia connected for two home runs, while Jose Rodriguez added a double. Macen Schwehr knocked in the game-winning run when he drew a walk in the fourth inning.
Hollister, which was coached by CR Gonzales, earned the No. 1 seed after compiling a 2-0 record in pool play, and awaited to play the Xtreme once again.
Though the Junior ‘Balers had beaten the Xtreme fairly handily the day before, Sunday’s match turned out to be a far different matter.
Tyler Biersdorff received the starting nod on the mound, and allowed one run in two innings of work. Daniel Hopkins and Sotelo each came in for relief, with Sotelo hurling 5 and 2/3 scoreless innings, and eventually earning the win in a game that went into extras.
Biersdorff (triple) and Rodriguez (double) each supplied extra-base hits for Hollister, but Tonascia’s walk-off single in the eighth inning proved to be the difference maker, as the Junior ‘Balers escaped with a 6-5 semifinal win.
Hollister advanced to the championship against the Pacifica Nationals. Gonzales started on the hill for the Junior ‘Balers and pitched two scoreless innings before Vincent Parker came in for the save and pitched two scoreless innings.
Sotelo hit a triple in the third inning, but Biersdorff had the game-winning hit with a sacrifice fly to center in the first, and Hollister cruised to a 12-0 win.
Rodriguez (.750), Joe Coffelt (.556) and Sotelo (.545) led the Junior ‘Balers at the plate for the weekend, while other top hitters were David Werolin (3 RBIs) and Biersdorff (3 RBIs).
Assistant coaches for the Junior ‘Balers are Anthony Sotelo and Jose Rodriquez.
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Story prepared by Vincent Parker
