Jul 3, 2008

Billot pitches like ace

San Carlos advances by topping Hillsborough

By John Reid / Daily News Staff Writer

Julian Billot tossed the game ball up in the air, then told everyone within earshot what he was going to do with it.

"I'm going to put it in my room," Billot said.

Good plan, for that baseball is special. Billot twirled a complete game four-hitter as San Carlos held off Hillsborough 5-2 in a crucial Little League District 52 9-10-year-old All-Stars contest at crowded Marina Field in Belmont. San Carlos stayed in the winners bracket and encounters San Mateo National next Monday night at 5 p.m. Hillsborough will attempt to navigate the losers bracket, meeting Belmont/Redwood Shores Saturday at 2 p.m.

"I thought that if we held any team to five runs we would win," Hillsborough manager R.J. Waldsmith said. "Billot pitched a great game. He didn't walk anyone and was always around the plate. I was surprised we only got (four) hits."

Billot pitched the maximum 75 pitches allowed by tourney rule, though he could have finished the final batter, whom he got to ground out to end the game. Billot would have pitched fewer pitches, but his defense committed five errors behind him. He fanned three hitters and didn't walk a soul. Billot retired the side in order in the second and fourth frames. He pitched to just three batters in the fifth, thanks to a 6-u-3 double play instigated by smooth-fielding shortstop James Outman. Billot also helped himself with two fine defensive plays where he handled two tough comebackers.

"Billot was incredible," San Carlos manager Ross Kelly said. "Hillsborough is a classy team, one of the teams to beat in this tournament. For him to pitch like that was huge."

Five of the game's seven runs came in the first inning. San Carlos jumped to a 3-0 lead with Outman starting things off with a walk. Tyler Brandenburg, a real burner, beat out a bunt. With two outs, Jonathan Kelly drove a ball down the right field line that hit the chalk for a double as two runs scored. Kelly, who had taken third on the throw to the plate, scored on a wild pitch.

"That was the difference in the game," Waldsmith said. "That ball hit down the right field line was fair by two inches. If we get that batter out, it's a different game."

San Carlos, perhaps with a case of the jitters, made three errors just four batters into Hillsborough's bottom of the first inning. George Delegans singled in one run, but both Hillsborough runs were unearned.

San Carlos added a run in the fourth when Brandenburg's flare over first base scored Outman, who had reached base on a fielder's choice grounder. Outman used his speed in the sixth inning to score his third run of the game. After walking with one out, Outman stole second, then stole third. With the infield in, Brandenburg hit a hard smash that second baseman Jacob Tan made a heroic dive at to his right to knock down the ball. But Tan couldn't quite control it as Outman scored.

San Carlos center fielder Brenden Campbell robbed Delegans of extra bases to lead off the bottom of the sixth when he made a running catch in left-center field. Blake Marcus' fly ball was dropped in the outfield. Marcus moved up to third on a wild pitch, but he got no farther.

"We're going to enjoy this one," Ross Kelly said. "Then we'll worry about San Mateo National."



E-mail John Reid at jreid@dailynewsgroup.com.