Jul 26, 2008

San Carlos takes step toward a Series title

Reno Muckdogs first victim in World Series

By ANDY WILCOX / Daily News Correspondent

YOUNTVILLE - San Carlos pitcher Devin Bradley rolled through the Reno Muckdogs' lineup like a bullet train the first time he faced it Friday. He got stuck in some muck the second trip through but switched gears to get out of it, helping his team to a 3-1 victory in the first round of the 42nd annual Joe DiMaggio World Series.

San Carlos (26-5) advanced to play Napa (16-7) - a 12-3 winner over the Vallejo Spartans on Thursday - at 1:45 p.m. today at Cleve Borman Field in Yountville. San Carlos coach Tony Cooper said he will start pitcher Zack Turner, who held Napa hitless in 12-0 semifinal win in a Fourth of July tournament at the same Veterans Home of California ballpark on July 6. San Carlos also beat Napa by the 10-run mercy rule three weeks ago.

Bradley said his team will be ready for the third go-round.

"I think we're going to come out hungry and use the momentum from this game in that game," he said.

Using the sharp defense behind him Friday, Bradley threw only 25 pitches while facing the minimum through the first three innings. But he threw another 25 pitches in the fourth alone, getting the leadoff hitter to pop up before allowing four straight batters to reach base.

John Pelino's hot grounder just cleared third baseman Matt Watkins as he lunged to his left and was ruled an error. When Scott Underwood hit the next pitch to the same spot, just out of Watkins' reach, it was ruled a single. Damon Elder singled to center field to load the bases, and Cody Cate hit an RBI single just past Watkins to cut the San Carlos lead to 3-1.

"I didn't want to go too far to my left in case he hit it down the line because our left fielder was shifting toward left-center," Watkins said.

An automatic out on an infield fly ball and a fielder's choice by shortstop Jarrod Hopper on a diving stop of a ball up the middle stranded three Muckdogs.

"(Bradley) had a tough fourth. He wasn't getting first-pitch strikes, but he turned it around after that," said Cooper, who visited the mound after the RBI single. "We talked about his pitch selection. He was starting to be predictable. So we changed it up a little bit and started following fastballs with fastballs, instead of curveballs. Mixing it up made a big difference."

Bradley finished the seven-inning contest, allowing four hits and no walks while striking out five.

"They just started sticking their bats out there on the off-speed pitches, so I had to start throwing more fastballs," said the Carlmont High senior-to-be, who helped th Scots reach the playoffs for the first time in eight years last season.

San Carlos hopes to meet Pacifica in this tournament after losing to its rival 4-0 in the Fourth of July tournament title game.

"We have to take it one game at a time," Watkins said. "Hopefully, we'll come out tomorrow and score more than three runs. It's tough to win when it's a low-scoring game. A couple runners on can become a big momentum change."

Watkins gave his team the momentum Friday with a two-run double off the center-field wall in the second inning after Turner and Bradley had drawn full-count walks from Reno pitcher Matt Gardner. The relay man overthrew the catcher, allowing Watkins to take third on the play.

"It was a fastball, inside low, and I just drove it," said Watkins, who struck out in his other two at-bats. "He threw a two-seam fastball and everything kept tailing outside like a slider, but we got in his head that inning and just broke it open."

Three pitches later, Garrett Treadwell popped a suicide-squeeze bunt down the third-base line, allowing Watkins to score easily for a 3-0 lead. Treadwell and the next batter were retired, but Tony Cooper Jr. kept the rally alive with a single. With the hit-and-run on, however, Reno center fielder Cate made a diving catch of Hopper's drive to the right-center gap to end the inning.

The Muckdogs also squelched threats in the third, when Anthony Armanino and Bradley singled but were stranded, and in the fifth and sixth. Hopper led off the fifth with a single, but shortstop Casey Yokum turned a 4-6-3 gem, and second baseman John Pelino turned 5-4-3 in the sixth after Turner opened with a base hit.

Erik Underwood's one-out single gave Reno one last hope in the seventh, but Bradley struck out the last two batters looking.

"Facing one of the two best teams from Reno, I figured we'd have a pretty tough challenge. But we'll step up to whoever's out there," Tony Cooper Sr. said. "As long as we play good defense and hit the baseball a little bit, we'll be OK."