Sports
Juniors All-Stars March Through District Play
Behind outstanding pitching that yields only three runs in three games, squad seems poised for long summer run.
Only three players returned from the Mill Valley Juniors All-Stars team that won the District 3 Little League championship in 2009, but the new blood has infused the squad with some ace pitching. Three games into district pool play, the 13- and 14-year-old all-stars are 3-0, with two shut outs and three total runs yielded.
"It's a much different team," said manager Martin Gamboa. "We have as good or better pitching this year. Our bats haven't proven themselves quite yet, but they're starting to wake up."
That strong pitching has come from an array of strong arms.
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In the opening game of pool play against San Rafael, starter Michael Brewer threw three shutout innings and was relieved by Kenny Rosenberg and Gabe Bouchard, who threw two shutout innings apiece on the way to a 5-0 win. Mill Valley held a scant 1-0 lead until the fifth inning, when singles by Rosenberg and Brewer and a double and single from Jay Hopelain blew the game open.
Jay Hopelain was the star of the team's second game, pitching three innings of no-hit baseball and blasting two triples and a double in a 6-3 win over West Marin. Brewer pitched four strong innings in relief, giving up two runs on two hits, with Rosenberg and Chris Hayman providing additional scoring punch with a double apiece.
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Monday night proved to be the Juniors' best outing, as four pitchers threw a combined two hitter in a 10-0 win over Dixie-Terra Linda that was stopped after six innings due to the mercy rule. Max Gamboa started it off by scattering six strikeouts over three innings, while Rosenberg, Hayman and Sammy Huffman finished it off.
Elliot Dorenbaum got the Juniors off to a quick start with a solo homer in the first and Angelo De Lorenzi keyed his team's four-run fourth with a two-run double. Rosenberg had two hits and Brewer added a double for MV.
The Juniors play San Francisco Thursday night at Treasure Island at 5:30pm in the final game of pool play. Teams in District 3 are then seeded one through four and square off in the semifinals at Benedetti Field at the University of San Francisco Saturday. The finals take place at 2pm at Treasure Island on Sunday.
"I think we're ready for another good run," Gamboa said.
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