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Published on 07/01/1996 All articles from this issue

Yanks grab title with 8-4 victory

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By Andy Nystrom

Town Crier Sports Editor

Tournament of Champions

Yankee Matt Kramer awaits a popup at first base. Kramer moved to first after four innings of no-hit pitching.Photo by Monique Schoenfeld, Town Crier

Los Altos American's junior Yankees may have been shut down in the Tri-Cities Baseball Tournament, but it opened fire in the District 44 Tournament of Champions.

Last Wednesday the team concluded its undefeated run through the tourney with an 8-4 win over the Cupertino American Dodgers to notch the championship. The Yankees (22-3) advanced to the final with victories over Sunnyvale Southern, 4-3, and Santa Clara Homestead, 9-2.

The Yankees, who finished up with a 2-1 record against the Dodgers this season, focused on hitting prior to the final at Cupertino High, said catcher Ronnie Remmel.

And it paid off right from the start, as leadoff hitter Brett Sollers roped a double to right and scored on a wild pitch; Daniel Hoffman followed Sollers with a walk and scored in similar fashion.

Los Altos upped its lead to 3-0 in the fourth with an Adam Sollers single and Matt Kramer RBI groundout, and blew the game open with five runs in the fifth to go up 8-0. Racking up hits in those two innings were Remmel with a double and Brett Sollers, Jeff Dralla and Justin Osborne with singles.

The Yanks' defense - sparked by some fine fielding by third baseman Bobby Templin - kept the Dodgers off the scoreboard through the first five frames, and starting pitcher Kramer didn't allow a hit in his four innings of work. "It was a good day for him," Remmel said.

Things started off well for pitcher Adam Sollers, who retired four of his first five batters. But in the sixth inning he walked two, gave up a two-run single to Menzies Chen and walked another before Hoffman relieved him.

Although Hoffman walked in two runners to cut Los Altos' lead to 8-4, he set down five of the last six batters - including a strikeout and two assists - to give the Yanks the title. "He was consistent, throwing strikes," Remmel said, adding that the team possesses a lot of natural talent.

"We have been playing with each other for a long time," he continued. "We were confident and wanted to win badly."

Cupertino........000 004 0 - 4 2 2

Los Altos.........200 150 x - 8 6 1

WP - Kramer (4 innings, 0 hits, 3 Ks), LP - Fratus (6 Ks); 2 hits - B. Sollers (LA); 2 runs scored - B. Sollers, Hoffman, A. Sollers (LA); 2 RBIs - Chen (CA).