The Hollister Junior League All-Stars are one big, happy family. No longer separated by wearing a red hat (American League) or blue hat (National League), the 13- and 14-year-olds have come together, and manager Todd Freitas couldn't be happier.
Previously a Little League coach in the National League, Freitas said he's often been in big games opposite big-game hurler Robert Soto, who previously pitched through the American League ranks.
"My exact words to him," Freitas said after the game, "'Thanks for being in my dugout and getting us one of these.'
"When you have Soto on the mound, Soto knows how to win championships."
Playing in the District 9 Junior League All-Star Tournament championship Thursday night at Salinas' Muni Stadium, against a team in which it needed a full seven innings to put away on Monday night, the local 13- and 14-year-old All-Stars made quick work of Continental in an all too-easy 10-0 victory.
The game was called following the fifth inning due to the 10-run mercy rule.
Soto, who allowed the first two hitters to reach base but didn't allow another base runner to reach second for the remainder of the game, allowed just four hits over five innings of shutout baseball, striking out four.
"He's stellar," Freitas said. "He's a great pitcher."
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Coupled with an offensive onslaught that unloaded 10 hits and exploded during a six-run fourth inning, Hollister advanced to the Section 5 All-Star Tournament, scheduled for July 18, and did so rather convincingly and without any flare for the dramatic.
Unlike last year, which saw Hollister score eight unanswered en route to a 13-11 win in the D-9 title game against Hartnell, or on Monday night, when Hollister trailed 2-1 in the seventh only to leapfrog Continental for a 3-2 triumph, the local 13- and 14-year-olds put Continental away early on Thursday night, and saved any last-minute efforts for perhaps another time.
"We just came out and swung the bats a lot better today," said Craig Slibsager, who was 2-for-3 with three RBI. "Their pitcher threw pretty well ... but we just kept hitting, playing our game."
Hollister recorded its first hit in the second inning when Cody Freitas wristed a ball opposite field that plated Chris Manderson from second base, giving Hollister an early lead. But while Freitas was jammed with his pitch, Slibsager blasted all of his offering in the third.
With two runners on, Slibsager connected on a moonshot into left field - it turned out to be about a 340-foot double - that scored both Dylan Ito and Michael Breen to give Hollister a 3-0 cushion.
"Last game, were weren't ready for the slower pitching," said Soto, who noted Continental's lower-velocity hurler in the previous game that seemed to baffle Hollister's bats. With Continental opting for a faster pitcher on Thursday, though, Hollister was right up to speed.
And in the fourth, they blew the game open. Jordan Lopes, Freitas and Angel Pasillas all singled to start the frame and loaded the bases for Jacob Tonascia, whose fielder's choice to second managed to score Lopes from third. Ito then followed Tonascia with an RBI single to center field, plating Freitas.
Later in the inning, Breen laced a grounder to short, but instead of making the throw, the shortstop opted to run to second base where Ito beat him to the bag, scoring Pasillas. Slibsager then belted a bad-hop RBI single over the shortstop's head, and teammate Richie Beltran then roped a two-run double into the left-center field gap to supply Hollister with a comfortable 9-0 lead.
"This kid threw a little bit harder, and we shook up the lineup a little bit and it paid off," Freitas said. "The kids came out focused ... much more focused.
"And the returners, I can't say enough of how they carried themselves."
Needing a single run in the fifth to force the mercy rule, Hollister drew three straight walks to load the bases for Josh George, who quickly bounced an RBI single up the middle to score Freitas from third base on what was, by definition, a walk-off.
"It was a total team effort," said Freitas, who also gave credit to a strong Continental team for battling back through the elimination bracket.
Hollister will now await its Section 5 slate, which is expected to begin on July 18. Last year saw Hollister lose two games - both to Almaden - en route to a runner-up finish in the Section 5 tourney.
And before the District 9 victory even sunk in on Thursday night, Hollister was already eyeing its next schedule of games, its next tournament, and perhaps, its next date with Almaden.
"We want to beat Almaden," Slibsager said.
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Andrew Matheson Andrew Matheson is a sports writer for South Valley Newspapers. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 334 or at amatheson@svnewspapers.com.
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