Cinderella Story. It’s a term bandied about whenever an
unexpected, low-seeded team wins a championship. Wednesday night,
the Mission Powder Coating Giants put on the glass slippers and
danced the night away.
Finishing the regular season in seventh place out of nine teams,
the Giants’ completed their improbable run to the title by knocking
off the first-place Red Sox 5-1, becoming Gilroy Little League’s
Boys Majors champions.
GILROY – Cinderella Story. It’s a term bandied about whenever an unexpected, low-seeded team wins a championship. Wednesday night, the Mission Powder Coating Giants put on the glass slippers and danced the night away.
Finishing the regular season in seventh place out of nine teams, the Giants’ completed their improbable run to the title by knocking off the first-place Red Sox 5-1, becoming Gilroy Little League’s Boys Majors champions.
The game marked the second meeting in the playoffs between the two clubs. Both teams entered their initial playoff confrontation Monday night undefeated in the double-elimination tournament.
Hector Perez drove in three runs in a tense 7-6 Giants victory Monday, which sent the Red Sox to the consolation bracket. The Sox then defeated the Reds to earn a second chance at the Giants.
Giants manager Ruben Reyes opted for his team to take the Gilroy Sports Complex field as the visitors on Wednesday.
“The boys have been winning as a playoff underdog,” he said. “Why change it now?”
Chad Hartman pitched a one-run gem, throwing just 56 pitches to wrap up an All-Star season for the righty. Isaac Sepulveda took the goose-egg off the scoreboard for the Giants with an RBI double in the top of the second inning. The game would remain 1-0 until the top of the fourth, when Armando Gutierrez led a two-out offensive attack with a single. Perez then singled to keep the inning alive.
Eddy Garcia’s ensuing double gave the Giants a 2-0 lead, but it was Jared Huddleston who stole the show when he deposited a low, one-strike pitch neatly over the fence for a three-run home run.
“I don’t even know how I hit it,” Huddleston said. “All I know is that coach Ruben has been telling me all season how to position myself to hit.”
Five runs would be all the Giants needed. Hartman gave up a single and an RBI double in the fifth, but he kept Red Sox batters off balance by striking out seven.
Reyes credited team work for his team’s run to the title.
“And I don’t mean just the players,” he added. “The parents trust me. With that trust I am a better coach. Also, my coaches in the dugout do all the work, really. I’m just the manager; the coaches call pitches, coordinate the fielders, etc. Ultimately, though, it’s up to the kids to go out there and play their hearts out. These kids know they have teammates that will back them up no matter what. If a kid makes an error or has an unproductive at-bat, it’s OK. The rest of the team will pick them up. Every game a different player helps this team do well. I haven’t given a game ball twice to the same player all season.”
When asked about his team’s outlook for the upcoming Tournament of Champions, Reyes says he’ll tell his players what the Fairy Godmother told Cinderella: “Have fun! No matter what happens, they will carry with the experience of not only being champions, but also going to another venue and playing against kids they don’t know. I expect they’ll be nervous, but that makes them better players, more focused players.”
The Gilroy Giants will represent Gilroy Monday in the TOC at Aptos Little League Park. The game will begin at 5:30 p.m. and pits the Giants against the champions from Santa Cruz on Major Field.
The Gilroy Giants are most likely hoping to be visitors come Monday. After all, Cinderella did start out as a guest.
