The clock has yet to strike on the Giants of Gilroy Little
League’s Boys Majors division. Finishing seventh in the regular
season standings only to pull off the upset for a league title last
week, the Giants continued their Cinderella season by winning their
first two games in the Tournament of Champions.
APTOS – The clock has yet to strike on the Giants of Gilroy Little League’s Boys Majors division. Finishing seventh in the regular season standings only to pull off the upset for a league title last week, the Giants continued their Cinderella season by winning their first two games in the Tournament of Champions.
Beating a heavily favored Aptos team 3-1 Wednesday behind a stellar pitching performance by Chad Hartman, the Giants are now 2-0 in the TOC after topping Santa Cruz 13-12 in a dramatic first-round contest Monday.
Visiting Santa Cruz did its part to make a Giants comeback as dramatic as possible. Falling behind 9-0, it wasn’t until the bottom of the fourth when the Giants began to climb back into contention.
Jared Huddleston hit an RBI single to score Hector Perez, and Jimmy Lemberger added a two-RBI knock to make it 9-3.
Relief pitcher Armando Gutierrez shut down Santa Cruz in the top of the fifth, setting up a six-run bottom half of the frame tie the game at 9-all. Gutierrez helped his own cause with an RBI single to score Makaio Duyao, Huddleston got the second of his three hits to score Perez, and Lemberger launched a fastball over the centerfield fence for a game-tying three-run home run.
Santa Cruz regained the lead with three runs in the top of the sixth, but Gilroy rallied when Duyao ripped a double and scored on a Galvan base hit. Gutierrez drew a walk and Perez added his third hit of the evening to score Galvan. Gutierrez then stole home to tie the game at 12.
Perez scored the winning run from third base when pinch hitter Isaac Sepulveda stroked a line drive into the outfield grass.
The surprising Giants now set their sights on a strong San Lorenzo Valley team, whom they will face Friday at 10 a.m. Aptos Middle School.
