Bandits dedicate title run to injured coach.
SUNNYVALE – Before heading out to their positions on the field, the Garlic City Bandits, a travel baseball team of 11-year-olds, shouted their coach’s name – ‘C.J.’.
Coach C.J. Goularte – a sophomore second baseman and lead-off hitter for the Gavilan College baseball team – broke his leg when he tried to beat out a bunt and collided with the first baseman.
With their coach on crutches, the Bandits – who are also managed by Goularte’s mother Patty – dedicated their championship run in a tournament at Twin Creeks in Sunnyvale to Goularte, of San Martin. Garlic City won five straight games to claim the tournament title and also earned a National World Series berth in July.
The two-day tournament had the Bandits playing one game on Saturday and four consecutive games on Sunday.
Garlic City opened with an 11-2 victory over the Peninsula Patriots as pitcher Alex Davis registered the win with four strikeouts and first baseman Ryan Muir led the offense with a triple, single, and three runs-batted-in.
The next day, the Bandits beat up on Tabu by a score of 7-0. Winning pitcher Brodie Christman struck out 10 batters and catcher Jon Carin drove in three runs on a triple and two singles.
Following the game-two shutout, Garlic City pressed on with a 13-2 triumph over the Danville Dogs. Davis got the win and swung a hot bat – finishing with a triple, single and two RBIs.
In the semifinals, the Bandits recorded their second shutout with a 7-0 nod over Fremont. Winning pitcher Cole Campbell tallied three strikeouts, while leftfielder Gabe Bonilla had two singles and one RBI.
Garlic City stayed true to form in the championship game – topping the same Fremont team, 13-2. On the hill, Carin whiffed six batters. At the plate, second baseman Jordan Mitchell (three singles, four RBIs), Goularte’s nephew; Christman (two singles, double, three RBIs); and Jeff Stine (double, two singles) led the charge.
On the same weekend, the Gavilan College baseball team kept Goularte, the team captain, posted after each game of its tournament – where the Rams finished with a 3-1 record.
