Jun 29, 2008

Campbell's HR lifts San Carlos to first-round win

By Vytas Mazeika / Daily News Staff Writer

One swing of the bat changed everything Saturday afternoon for the San Carlos 9-and-10-year-old All-Stars.

Down early on Day 1 of the Little League District 52 Tournament at the Belmont Sports Complex, a high fastball came Brenden Campbell's way and he turned on it, depositing it over the left-field fence.

"It was right where I wanted it to be, and I just hit it," Campbell said. "That brought so much excitement. That home run got us up by one and fired up the team."

The home run was the start of the seven-run second inning for San Carlos, which remains in the winner's bracket after an 8-6 victory over Menlo-Atherton.

"I'm happy and relieved - everything," said San Carlos' Dante Poleselli, who was on the mound when the last outwas recorded.

The first two runs were scored in a wild half of the second inning that saw five walks - two with the bases loaded - and no hits.

M-A went from being up 2-0 to trailing 7-2 in a span of less than three outs, and was behind 8-2 with three outs to go after San Carlos' Conor Folan scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fifth.

Finally, in the top of the sixth, the M-A bats awoke.

M-A had just three hits until the sixth-inning rally that got started with a Mason Randall leadoff single. After another single and a walk loaded the bases, Andrew Daschbach ripped a double down the right-field line to score a pair.

"I didn't have a very good game before that, and my dad just said, 'Rip this one; you can take a strike if you want to, but just rip it,'" Daschbach said. "And that's what I did."

Holden Kardos followed with a two-run single, and all of a sudden it was 8-6, with the tying run at the plate and just one out.

But back-to-back pop-ups to the right side of the infield put an end to the game.

"My teammates were telling me to take a break, it's not my fault, I'm doing my job," Poleselli said. "I just threw strikes, and that's really how we got the win."

San Carlos' big inning was highlighted by Campbell's one-out, three-run homer, but that just got things started, as the next seven batters reached base. After loading the bases, Connor Loucks and Jonathan Kelly delivered back-to-back RBI singles. San Carlos added two more runs on wild pitches to make it 7-2.

From there, Julian Billot, who was used for an effective 20 pitches, and Poleselli kept M-A in check until the top of the sixth. San Carlos will next play Wednesday, while M-A will have to fight its way through the loser's bracket.

"I think we're really a good team, and I think we could hit a little better," Daschbach said. "I think we could go far in this tournament."



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