Twin Cities All Stars Win Classic Pitching Duel To Reach Title Game
On a cold windy night, Twin Cities' Marco Castillo and Alameda's Max Turner battled in a classic pitching duel, in which Twin Cities prevailed 2-1 to reach the Section 1 Championship Game. This is the first time since 2003 and only the second time that Twin Cities has reached the Championship Game since the inception of the tournament in 1957.
Alameda took its only lead on a bizarre and unlucky play in the bottom of the 3rd. With two outs, Alameda raced from second to third on a wild pitch and continued home when the Twin Cities catcher could not locate the ball hidden far to his left against the backstop. This bizarre play would be the only run scored by Alameda.
The deciding top of the 4th began with a walk. After a strikeout and a clean base hit to right by Genki LeClair, a slow ground ball by Jack Morken loaded the bases. Haiden Jones then hit a high chop just beyond the mound to tie the score. With the bases still loaded, Scott Matthews followed with a ground ball to the Alameda shortstop who could only record one out allowing Twin Cities to score the go-ahead run. The 4th ended 2-1 with Twin Cities leading the game.
Despite Alameda getting runners on base in the bottom of the 4th and 5th, Castillo was able to shut out Alameda with solid pitching and great defensive plays by LeClair and Josh Cohen. Castillo recorded the final out of the fifth inning on his 85th pitch of the game (his pitch limit) with a great catch made by Cohen in shallow left field, preventing the tying run from reaching home. Castillo finished the game with nine strikeouts.
In the last of the 6th, Twin Cities' Evan Solter was charged with closing the game. After the lead-off man got on base on a close play at first base and stole second on a wild pitch, the tension grew on both sides with the crowd shivering from the cold wind and nerves. The next batter then hit a high chopper between third base and shortstop, causing the Alameda player on second base to believe that the ball was going to get through to left field. However, Castillo, who was now playing shortstop, raced over and snagged the ball above his head and threw it to third base, where LeClair tagged the Alameda player and held onto the ball despite a collision between the plAyers. With the first out recorded, Solter took over and struck out the next two batters leaving the tying run on first base, giving Twin Cities a very special victory.
With the win over Alameda, Twin Cities advances to the Championship Game of the Sectional Tournament against Vacaville Central at 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 17, 2013, at Hall Memorial Park, Dixon, California.
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