Sports
Little League All Stars: Albany 12s Eliminated in 3-2 Defeat
Albany wasn't able to capitalize on its chances against South Oakland.
South Oakland 3, Albany 2
Records: Albany (3-2), South Oakland (5-1)
The Star: South Oakland starter Sam Hollenbach gave up two runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings, while striking out six while and walking one. He also worked his way out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fourth to keep South Oakland's lead intact.
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The Turning Point: Albany managed to load the bases with no outs in the fourth inning, but Albany couldn't push a run across.
The Quote: "That hurt. To get nobody home in that situation was frustrating," said Albany manager Frank Knowles of the fourth inning.
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Who's Next? Albany is eliminated from the International Tournament.
The Bottom Line: Albany lost a pair of one-run, tough-luck games (it lost to Alameda 5-4 Saturday) in being eliminated. Had a few more things gone its way, Albany could still be contending on the road to Williamsport, Penn.
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Albany Little League 12-year-old All Stars manager Frank Knowles wondered where the spark to his team's offense went on Tuesday.
The team put up double-digit runs in two of its three wins in the District 4 tournament, but in a 3-2 elimination-loss to South Oakland the offense went missing.
The best shot for Albany came and went in the fourth inning. Leo Pollack singled, Cameron James walked and Avery Tonkyn singled before a pair of strikeouts and a groundout ended the threat.
"That hurt. I think we had bases loaded and no outs and couldn't get a hit,"Knowles said. "To get nobody home in that situation was frustrating."
Albany scored a run in the first. Jordan Williams hit a two out double to right, advanced to third on an errant throw and scored on an infield single from Willie Bass.
Tonkyn hit a home run to straight-away center to give Albany a 2-0 lead in the second, but South Oakland responded in bottom half with a five-hit barrage, scoring all three of its runs.
Knowles' team couldn't solve South Oakland starter Sam Hollenbach. He nearly went the full distance, going 5 2/3 innings, but Andre Nnebe came in to get the save.
"Sammy's tough," Oakland manager Steve Bunner said. "He's just got great poise for a 12-year-old young man. I've been coaching him since he was eight years old and he just shown me great concentration on the mound all year long.
Knowles said his batters had trouble hitting off speed pitches and even tried moving them up in the batter's box, to no avail.
"The just couldn't get the bat on the ball and that's really what the difference was."
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South Oakland 3, Albany 2
Albany 110 000 — 2 7 1
South Oakland 030 00x — 3 11 1
Albany — Knowles 2-0-0, Warren 1-0-0, Whittemore 3-0-1, Williams 3-1-1, Bass 3-0-1, Pollack 3-0-2, James 1-0-0, Greco 1-0-0, Tonkyn 2-1-2, Camps 2-0-0, Tressler 1-0-0 Kate-Balmes 1-0-0, Layton 1-0-0. Totals 25-2-7.
South Oakland — Takeuchi 3-0-1, Kyrica 3-1-2, Nnebe 3-0-3, Mankin 3-0-0, Hentges 1-0-1, Crosby 1-0-0, Binder 1-0-0, Smith 3-1-2, Bunner 2-0-1, Ferreira 1-0-0, Hollenbach 2-1-1. Totals 23-3-11.
Pitching
Albany — James 3 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 8 H, 4 K, 1 BB; Williams 2 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 K, 0 BB.
South Oakland — Hollenbach 5 2/3 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 7 H, 6 K, 1 BB; Nnebe 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 K, 0 BB.
Hitting
2B — Williams, (Albany); Hentges, Kyrica (South Oakland). HR — Tonkyn (Albany).