Danville Little League 10-11s All-Stars pitcher Nick Bartenetti was concentrating so hard on a foul ball in the Section 3 championship elimination game July 23 that he didn’t see the fence until he slammed into it. He could have left the game injured; instead he stayed in and led his team to victory from a seven-run deficit against a home-run-hitting team from Half Moon Bay.
The Danville 11s won District 57 to go on to Sectionals, where they played in two games before this final contest against Half Moon Bay. In the first inning Bartenetti struck out two of the three batters he faced. Danville landed first on base but stranded two runners keeping the game scoreless.
Top of the second proved to be a power point in the game for Half Moon Bay, with three players hitting solo home runs and a two-run shot off the struggling Bartenetti, who had not given up a homerun all season, to make the score 5-0. The 11s were quiet with no hits or runs in the inning.
Half Moon Bay returned to the plate at the top of the third and in the middle of a four-hit, two-run rally, a hitter fouled a ball. That’s the one Bartenetti chased, banging into the fence. This event seemed to change the momentum of the game because the losing Danville team came back in the bottom of the third inning by scoring five runs.
“The Danville bats started coming alive,” said Coach Tony Bartenetti.
Charlie Adams opened with a line drive that was caught for an out on the first base line. Nick Bartenetti and Jarrett Dillon got on base with consecutive walks. Andrew Vawter hit a single to score Nick Bartenetti from second base.
Connor Young hit a double RBI single bringing in Dillon and Vawter. Alex Barden doubled and moved Young to third. Young came in to score, and Barden moved to third on a ground-out by Nate Kanat.
Barden reached home on a wild pitch. The batter struck out to end the inning.
Pitcher Bartenetti caught his rhythm in the fourth, striking out the next two opponents and serving a ground-out to bring his team back up. In the bottom of the fourth, Adams attempted to steal third base then ran home on the catcher’s throwing error to put Danville within one run of Half Moon Bay who were hushed by Bartenetti’s pitching the rest of the game.
The fifth inning was when Danville sealed the deal scoring two more runs to win the game. Cooper Berg and Barden led off with singles. Berg scored a run on Coby Erickson’s ball contact to tie up the game. A wild pitch was thrown bringing Barden home with a slide into home plate under the pitcher’s glove to score the winning run.
After a scoreless sixth inning, it was official that the Danville 11s Little League Team had won, 8-7. Nick Bartenetti totaled one walk and five strike-outs during his outing.
“This is a lesson of never giving up and always believing in yourself,” said Coach Bartenetti.
The Danville 11s played against Tri-City (Rocklin) Tuesday night at Vallejo Mills Elementary School in Fremont and won, 7-2. Next the 11s were to play Morada from Stockton at 5:30 p.m.; the winners face Albany or Saratoga. The championships continue in Fremont through Friday and Saturday. Visit DanvilleLittleLeague.net for more information.
“These kids are a humble, really good group of kids, “said Coach Bartenetti. “They’ve shown outstanding sportsmanship.”
