Half Moon Bay needed to win Monday and Tuesday to remain in the tournament. Results of those games were not available at press time.
If Half Moon Bay won those games, it would need to win tonight, Thursday and Friday to claim the tournament and advance to the regional tournament in Southern California.
|
|
Half Moon Bay made it to the tournament by going undefeated in the sectional tournament last week. It claimed the title in the dark, defeating Niles-Centerville, 8-5, Thursday.
Half Moon Bay made it to the finals with an 8-2 win over Mt. Eden three days earlier.
Half Moon Bay looked as if it would take care of business quickly against Niles-Centerville, scoring five runs in the first.
Half Moon Bay added to its lead. But it couldn’t get a 10-run lead after five innings, and thus end the game on the mercy rule.
It set up a surreal scene in the bottom of the seventh as Niles-Centerville attempted to come back from a six-run deficit as darkness was descending. Niles-Centerville was hoping to tie the score before it became too dark for the game to be continued. Had that happened, by rule, Half Moon Bay would have been declared the winner, based on its lead after six innings.
Everyone from Half Moon Bay was glad when they recorded the final out.
“I was nervous a ball would be hit to me,” said winning pitcher Brett Berghammer, who was playing center in the seventh. “I couldn’t see the ball.”
Relief pitcher Zac LeBlanc was having problems seeing catcher Enrico Nuño’s black glove in the dark.
“That glove just made it hard to see,” LeBlanc said.
Had the game ended in a tie, it would have been replayed Friday.
“It’s a great win for the kids,” Forslund said after getting drenched with apple cider. “I’m glad we got the job done tonight. I didn’t want to return.”
About 48 hours after the win came the nine-run loss to Hollister.
“Hopefully we will bounce back and play for a while,” Forslund said. “You hate to make a long drive and lose by a lot.”
w