Jul 5, 2008

Local DiMaggio clubs unbeaten in tournament

San Mateo, San Carlos can wrap up pool wins today in Napa Valley

FROM DAILY NEWS DISPATCHES

Two local Joe DiMaggio League teams are tearing it up at the Keith Connelly Invitational Fourth of July Tournament in Yountville. San Mateo and San Carlos are both undefeated and can finish pool play that way today. Wins today would put the teams into a four-team championship playoff that included four pool winners on Sunday.

San Mateo knocked off Sonoma 5-1 on Saturday at Napa High School. Left-hander Eric Sabita (Carlmont High) pitched all seven innings, allowing just one hit. He threw 76 pitches in the complete game, striking out five and walking one.

Matt Medieros had three singles and two RBIs for San Mateo, which got two singles from Chris Schindler. Center fielder Matt Calderon made a diving catch in the top of the seventh to preserve the lead. R.J. Pagano and Max Camplin also played well defensively in the outfield.

San Carlos, meanwhile, destroyed Daly City 15-2 at Justin Siena High School, one day after beating Mendocino 2-0 at Veterans Home Stadium in Yountville.

Marcus Pointer threw seven shutout innings in Friday's win, allowing six hits and two walks while striking out nine. Tony Cooper had an RBI single in the fourth, driving in David Dipaola. Zak Edgington scored in the fourth inning on a passed ball.

Saturday's game saw a lot of offensive highlights for San Carlos, including: Cooper (2 for 3, two doubles, an RBI), Jarrod Hopper (2 for 4, RBI), Devin Bradley (2 for 5, RBI), Anthony Armanino (2 for 5, 2 RBIs, a double), Zack Turner (3 for 5, 2 RBIs, home run in the fifth, triple in the seventh), Ryan Allgrove 4 for 5, 3 doubles) and Edgington (3 for 4, 5 RBIs, single, double, triple).

Allgrove pitched five innings, allowing one run on four hits. He struck out six and walked one. Edgington and Armanino pitched one inning each. Armanino had two strikeouts.

Daly City's offense was led by D.J. McDonough (2 for 3).

Woodside player named freshman All-American

San Jose State first baseman Danny Stienstra, a graduate of St. Francis High School in Mountain View, was named second-team freshman All-America by Rivals.com. Stanford right-handed pitcher Drew Storen also was named to the second team.

The publication had this to say about Stienstra: "It's not often that a freshman leads his team in hitting, but Stienstra accomplished that feat with the Spartans this season. The talented first baseman led the team with a .365 batting average. He also knocked in 32 runs, had seven doubles and three triples and sported a .420 on-base percentage."

The Woodside native previously was named a freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and third-team freshman All-America by Ping!, a college baseball magazine.

Stienstra's batting average finished tied for the eighth-highest in the WAC. He started 46 of 51 games played and made just one error in 359 chances defensively for a .997 fielding percentage in his first season of playing first base after his move there last fall.

Currently playing his summer ball in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League (CRSCBL) for the Bethesda (Md.) Big Train. Stienstra is hitting a team second-best .354 (23-for-65). He has appeared in every game, starting 19, and paces the Big Train with 16 runs, 23 hits and 14 walks. Two of his hits have been doubles and he has driven in seven runs while boasting a .463 on-base percentage. Defensively, he has two errors in 166 chances for a .988 fielding percentage.

Storen emerged as Stanford's closer as a true freshman and finished his first collegiate campaign with a 5-3 record, eight saves and a 3.51 ERA in a staff-high 31 relief appearances. The 6-2, 175-pound hurler compiled 50 strikeouts against 15 walks, while holding opposing hitters to a .257 average.