Jul 16, 2008

RWC National stays alive

6 unearned runs don't keep stars from section final

By Vytas Mazeika / Daily News Staff Writer

Six unearned runs are often too much to overcome, but not Tuesday night for the Redwood City National All-Stars.

The District 52 Juniors champs managed to stay alive in the Section 3 Tournament with a 10-7 come-from-behind victory over Niles-Centerville, the District 14 champs from Fremont. Next up is the championship round against undefeated Tracy, with the first pitch today at 5:30 p.m. at Sequoia High in Redwood City.

"We lost 12-0 last time and they're a great team, but we know we can beat them," said RWC National's Anthony Hillberby, the winning pitcher Tuesday. "We all need to stick together as one team."

RWC National briefly enjoyed the lead in the top of the first on a two-run single by Hillerby, but an error, a single and a double in the bottom half of the frame accounted for two unearned runs to tie the game. Then in the bottom of the second, after two walks and an error loaded the bases, a two-out single by Alec Ferber over the third base bag made it 4-2 in favor of Niles-Centerville.

"I wasn't feeling that good because the defense wasn't at its best," Hillerby said. "After we regained our lead, I started to calm down."

With only three hits, RWC National scored six runs in the top of the fourth to reclaim the lead. Five walks accounted for the majority of the damage, as Nicholas Gasparini, Nicholas Hillerby and Edwin Garcia all drew free passes with the bases loaded. Catcher Brian Clifford came through with the big hit during the rally, a two-run double to left-center that gave RWC National the lead for good at 6-4.

"The coaches are the ones that are getting us hyped up," Gasparini said. "They make us laugh without trying, and we get all happy about it. When there's less pressure, we play better."

An aggressive Niles-Centerville cut into the deficit with a double steal in the bottom of the fourth. While the baserunner at second was thrown out, the one from third scored without a throw to make it 8-5 - the only earned run charged to Anthony Hillerby, who went 5 2/3 innings and scattered five hits plus five walks before being pulled after 98 pitches.

RWC National added insurance runs in the fifth and seventh with sacrifice flies from Clifford and Anthony Hillerby, both of whom finished with a game-high three RBIs.

With little sunlight left, the first two outs in the bottom of the seventh came quickly. RWC National third baseman Gino Cockrum's nifty play at the hot corner put his team one out away from a spot in the championship round, but an error, a walk and two singles produced another two unearned runs and brought the tying run to the plate.

"I was tripping, just because I was pitching and I didn't want it to be my fault," said Gasparini, who entered the game in relief in the bottom of the sixth.

"When I went up to the mound, he was like, 'Oh, I need five minutes of focusing right now,'" Clifford said.

The last-gasp rally ended with a squibber to first base that refused to roll foul, allowing RWC National first baseman Oliver Contento to tag out the base runner for a happy ending.

"I was so scared our first baseman was going to miss that because it was spinning around like a curveball and he didn't know where it was going to go," Clifford said. "It was really scary."



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