Tracy Press

An opponent's sixth-inning rally knocks the 9-10 Tracy American All-Stars from the section tournament. The 11-12s also wrap up their season, despite a last-minute home run.

A sixth-inning rally gave the Alpine Little League All-Stars of Menlo Park a second chance Sunday to end the Tracy American 9-10 All-Stars’ run for the Northern California Section 3 championship.

Tracy American’s Brandon Russell rounds third after hitting a solo home run for the 9-10s Sunday. Photo by Bob Brownne/Tracy Press.

Four innings later, in the bottom of the 10th, Alpine got the two hits it needed to score the winning run on a close play at home plate, claiming the 9-10 win.

Tracy coaches disputed the call, saying the runner should have been out because he went into the plate head-first — a move that's a violation of Little League rules. Umpires ruled that the runner slid feet-first, then rolled over and touched the plate with his hand underneath the tag.

“We gave them six runs in the bottom of the sixth, and that’s what put us in this position,” Tracy American Manager Bruce Russell said.

The frustration for his players, he said, was that Alpine’s offense didn’t swing the bat as much as most teams. Tracy American connected for 14 hits, compared with just nine for Alpine.

“We had a good run,” Russell said. “From the first game in the losers’ bracket to finish second place in the section isn’t bad.”

Tracy American had advanced to Sunday’s Section 3 championship game with a 5-1 win Saturday against Newark American Little League.

Tracy took advantage of Newark’s errors to score two in the first inning. Robbie Ramirez led off the fifth for Tracy with a triple down the right-field line, followed by a single from Dylan Von Hartman to score Ramirez. Noah Denoyer then pounded one over the right-field fence for a two-run home run.

In Sunday’s game, Tracy got on the scoreboard first with base hits from Justin Mills and Von Hartman. Denoyer was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Brandon Russell’s two-run double. Nick Medina drove in one more with a sacrifice fly. Mills drove in another in the second, and Dylan Von Hartman batted in two more.

Russell led off the third for Tracy with a solo homer over the left-field fence. Von Hartman led off the fourth for Tracy with a double, and Denoyer, Russell and Medina each batted in runs.

Bases on balls put the first two Alpine runners on base with one out in the bottom of the sixth, and a single loaded the bases. Alpine scored on a walk, an infield error, a two-run base hit from Jared Lucian to deep left field, a sacrifice grounder and a hit down the left-field line from Ryan Pade to tie the game.

The game remained scoreless for three more innings, including the top of the eighth, when Alpine again loaded the bases. With two out, Tracy American shortstop Ramirez snagged a line drive to end the inning.

With one out in the bottom of the 10th, Alpine’s Lucian hit a single into right field and sprinted around the bases on Matt Hennefarth’s base hit to deep left-center, which brought Lucian around for the score to end the game.

“We were very lucky to win,” Alpine manager Mark Martella said. “Tracy had the game in hand. That’s Little League. You never know what these guys will do, especially in the 9-10s.”

11-12

The Tracy 11-12 National All-Stars had one last chance to come from behind Sunday and stay in the Northern California Section 3 tournament when Anthony Nunez hit a grand-slam home run and threatened to put the game into extra innings. It was enough to tie the game, but the District 45 San Leandro All-Stars got the home run they needed in the bottom of the sixth to end the game, 9-8.

“We had a great run but made too many mistakes,” head coach Rick Helzer said.

Tracy got the hits, but San Leandro outscored Tracy through the first five innings. Nunez went 3-for-3, including two doubles and his bases-loaded homer. Jacob George, Braeden Oki and Juan Velasquez also got two hits each.

Tracy National started the tournament Friday with an 11-6 win against District 14’s Newark American All-Stars at Los Cerros School in Alamo, but it lost to the Danville Little League All-Stars, the District 57 champions, on Saturday, 17-5.

By the sixth inning of Sunday’s game, San Leandro had the 8-3 lead and was one out away from a win. Jordan DeWitt drew a walk, Jacob George got a base hit and Aaron Denholm also walked to load the bases. Oki started the comeback with a base hit to score one.

Nunez faced a 3-2 count when he got the pitch he wanted and sent the ball over the fence. With one out in the bottom of the sixth, though, San Leandro got a solo home run of its own to end the game.

The District 52 Half Moon Bay Little League All-Stars beat San Leandro on Monday and will play Danville in Tuesday’s championship game.

Major

The Major League Section 3 championship was decided Sunday at Jefferson School as the Pleasanton Little League All-Stars of District 57 won, 5-2, against the Hillsborough Little League All-Stars of District 52. Hillsborough eliminated District 67’s champions, Manteca Little League, on Friday.

• To reach Sports Editor Bob Brownne, call 830-4227 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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