The Hollister American White Sox defeated the Hollister National Reds 7-6 on Wednesday at Ferrasci Park in Salinas to advance to the District 9 Tournament of Champions championship.
The game will be Friday at 5:30 p.m. against Hartnell, who defeated the Hollister American Indians, 13-3.
The Reds came back after being down 4-0 to take a 6-5 lead in the fourth inning with a double down the right field line by Damon Perez.
But in the fifth inning with two outs, Richie Beltran hit a 1-2 pitch over the center field wall to tie the game at six. It was Beltan's second home run of the tournament.
In the top of the sixth inning, Steven Hernandez started with a double. Adam Shackelton successfully laid down a bunt to advance Hernandez and get a hit. With runners on first and third, Cody Asp hit a base hit to bring in the winning run for the White Sox.
Tyler Pina pitched three strong innings for the White Sox before being relieved in the third inning by Robert Henderson. Beltran came in in the fourth and picked up the win.
"Our team played with tremendous heart, we were down to a few outs but we fought back," said White Sox manager Angel Rueda. "But they could have easily giving up after being down four runs. In my opinion, it should have been for the championship. It's too bad one team had to lose."
The White Sox got on the board with four runs in the first inning. Ray Rueda, Robert Henderson, Beltran and Hernandez had hits in the inning.
But in the bottom of the first inning, the Reds came back with two runs of their own, to make the score 4-2.
In the second inning, the White Sox scored a run on Tyler Klindt's base hit and then loaded the bases when Beltran hit a long fly ball that was chased down at the wall by Reds' James Flook.
The Reds scratched out a run in the second to cut the lead to 5-3 and then tied the game with two runs in the third inning.
Dylan Lomanto had a nice snag at short for the Reds. And third baseman Zach Zanger caught popup bunt. On another play, he bobbled a ball hit briefly but still got an out at second base.
"I am very proud of them with the young group we have," said Reds manager Sam Lomanto, whose team was the National League champion. "We played well enough to win, but I feel I didn't call the best game."
The White Sox take on the Hartnell Giants at Ferrasci Park on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
Minor TOC
Hartnell 13, Hollister American 3
The Indians (13-8) were eliminated from the single-elimination Tournament of Champions at Atlantic Park on Wednesday.
Hartnell scored six runs in the third inning and seven in the fourth to win by the 10-run mercy rule and advance to the championship game.
In the first inning, Austin Wahl laid down a bunt single, and Taylor Dukes had a base hit. Sergio Cosio had a triple in the fourth inning.
Farm A playoffs
A's 10, Mariners 9
The A's built up a 10-1 lead against the Yankees in the playoffs Farm A playoffs Wednesday night and held on to win 10-9 to advance to the championship game on Saturday.
Nathan Mixter Nathan Mixter covers sports for South Valley Newspapers. You can reach him at nmixter@svnewspapers.com.
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