THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 21, 1996 TAG: 9608211025
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: 50 lines
The Alacosta, Calif., Tri-Valley Tigers advanced to the semifinals of the 1996 Babe Ruth 16-18 World Series with a wild 10-9 win over Hammond, Ind., Monday night.
Danny Harkness drove in four runs and scored the game-winning run to lead the Tigers, and Corrigan Willis came in with the tying run on first to strike out two in relief to earn the save.
On the night, Harkness went 3-for-4. Brian Candelario added two hits. Hammond sluggers Johnny Craig and Ronnie Jones had 2 RBI each, and Mike Krueger went 2-for-4.
Alacosta next plays Friday at noon against the winner of Tuesday night's Iron Area, N.J. - Ansonia, Conn., game.
The Tigers came back from a 4-1 first inning deficit to defeat Hammond (1-1).
Rich Torres (1-0) got the win in relief of starter Justin Charbonneau.
The Tigers (2-0) scored two runs in the sixth to decide the contest. Steve Ahlers scored when Harkness hit a hard grounder in the hole. Second baseman Anthony Hofer made a nice backhanded stop, but threw wide to first. Ahlers came around to score, and Harkness wound up at second.
Catcher Chris Patrick then hit a sacrifice fly to center to get Harkness to third, and Blake DiPietro's ground ball out plated the game-winner.
In the bottom of the seventh, Hammond's Matt Gruett drew a walk with one out, and Willis came in to pitch. A wild pitch moved Gruett to second. But Willis, Alacosta's winner in its Saturday victory over Nederland, Texas, struck out Eric Benson and Mike Krueger to preserve the win.
The Tigers won despite five errors, four by second baseman Grant Dutra. Hammond committed four errors. In all, the teams combined for 19 runs, 18 hits and nine errors. Seven pitchers - four by Hammond and three by Alacosta - saw action in the game.
``The boys were able to handle it tonight with their bats,'' Coach Joe DeProspero said. ``Rich Torres pitched a good game in relief with two or three errors behind him. We were going to bring Corrigan in anyway, but we wanted to wait.''
DeProspero called the victory, ``a do-or-die win.''
``We didn't want to have to go into the losers' bracket,'' DeProspero said.
Trailing 4-1 in the second, Alacosta scored five times to take the lead, 6-4. A one-out bases-loaded double by Harkness drove home two runs. Ahlers, DiPietro and Brian Candelario also drove in runs. had RBI.
Harkness drove home the Tigers' first score in the opening inning when a ground ball advanced moved David Jensen from third.
Hammond's runs came in part thanks to two Dutra errors and a Charbonneau wild pitch. J.J. Swiatkowski also had an RBI single. by CNB