Jun 22, 2008

SM American slugs its way out of hole

Deficit no problem; revenge can be had in today's second round vs. Hillsborough

By Vytas Mazeika / Daily News Staff Writer

With an impressive display of power, the San Mateo American Little League team dug its way out of an early hole to win 16-6 in four innings over Redwood City National in the opening round of the District 52 Majors Super Bowl Tournament on Saturday.

"I always knew we were still in the game," San Mateo American shortstop Manny Villsenor said. "We came back with our hitting."

Redwood City National jumped out to a 5-0 lead by scoring a run in the top of the first on a botched double steal, then getting a pair of two-run singles from Jacob Weller and Ethan Gentry in the second inning.

Momentum took a shift when San Mateo National first baseman Cody Waterman belted a three-run homer to right-center.

Weller's third single of the game helped Redwood City National lift the lead back up to 6-3 in the top of the third, but things took a turn for the worse in the span of four hitters.

The bottom of the third started with a walk and a Sean Dodge double to right. Villsenor then delivered a three-run homer of his own over the center-field wall, tying the game 6-6.

The next batter, Calvin Coker, hit it even farther, as his solo shot from the South Field reached the North Field at Lakeshore Park. The blast helped San Mateo American claim its first lead of the game, a lead that was extended to 9-6 two batters later when Waterman tomahawked his second home run of the game - the first time ever he's accomplished the feat.

"And the third time he was up they didn't want to pitch anywhere close to him," San Mateo American coach Paul Dodge said. "Everything was bouncing off the dirt."

San Mateo American added another pair of runs before all was said and done in the bottom of the third, and avoided giving up a run in the top of the fourth when Villsenor threw out the batter at first by an eyelash with two outs and the bases loaded.

In need of five runs to enable the mercy rule, seven consecutive batters reached base for San Mateo American with one out - two singles, four walks and a hit batsman. That brought up Villsenor with the score 15-6 and the bases loaded. His RBI single up the middle put an end to the game.

"I just wanted to put it in play, that's all I wanted to do," Villsenor said.

San Mateo American plays Hillsborough today at 2:30 p.m. on the North Field, the team that knocked them out of last year's Super Bowl.



E-mail Vytas Mazeika at vmazeika@dailynewsgroup.com.