By the time Morgan Hill's 11-and-under Bronco Division all-stars took the field for Monday's NorCal Regional championship, their 16th game in a month and a half, the weary Thrill was running on empty.
The team had survived another elimination game earlier in the day at Vacaville's John Arlington Park, beating Stockton 17-5. Fifteen minutes later, Morgan Hill took the field against a rested and revamped Blossom Valley all-star squad, the same one the Thrill beat in last week's Santa Clara/Alameda County Section title game.
"It's one thing to be tired," Morgan Hill coach Mike Zanotto began, "it's another thing to be tired and hungry."
The Thrill played like it was starving. Morgan Hill mustered one of its best performances of the season through the wind-chilled night but was put on ice in the seventh inning. Blossom Valley put two runs across to break a 4-4 tie in the sixth and held on for a 6-4 victory, handing the Thrill its second loss in 17 outings. This one ended Morgan Hill's all-star season at 6-2.
"It was a great game - probably the best these kids have played," Zanotto said. "It was like a heavyweight title match. We played a lot better than I thought we would under the circumstances.
"It was a different B.V. team than the one we saw in the section final. They made big plays when they needed to and that was the difference."
The regional tournament played out differently than most tournaments, Zanotto added. Usually, the winner's and loser's bracket champions have to either play another opponent earlier in the day or play the final series the following day, thus giving both squads adequate time to rest. Blossom Valley, though, who won the winner's bracket, had the afternoon off.
"Those are the breaks when you're in the loser's bracket," Zanotto said. "That did seem unfair a little, but it is what it is. We weren't complaining."
Morgan Hill's Alejandro Torres capped a 7-for-8 day at the plate with two home runs against Blossom Valley, including a three-run blast in the first inning. His second round-tripper, a solo shot, tied the score at 4-4 in the fourth inning after Blossom Valley, nicknamed the Vipers, scored four runs in the second. The Vipers pushed ahead in the sixth with a two-out rally.
"They just had a little more," Zanotto added of Blossom Valley.
Josh Alaniz pitched the first two innings for Morgan Hill and Mark Quinby worked a scoreless middle three.
Blossom Valley turned two double plays in the game and advanced to zone play next week.
Against Stockton, which beat the Thrill 16-10 earlier in the tournament, Morgan Hill broke away for good in the second inning. Six Thrill batters totaled multiple hits, including Torres who went 4 for 5.
"He was arguably our player of the tournament," Zanotto said.
Alaniz collected three hits and three runs, Domenic Zanotto had three runs and two hits; and Pat Muller and Brad Higgins strokes three hits apiece - all for Morgan Hill.
Torres got the win, striking out two batters and surrendering four runs in five innings, and teammate Jack Affourtit worked the final two. Affourtit struck out three and yielded one run.
Scott J. Adams Scott J. Adams covers Morgan Hill sports for South Valley Newspapers. Send him an email or call him at 779-4106.
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