San Bruno rolls into North Division final of Joe DiMaggio playoffs

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Jul 19, 2008 | by John Baker

SAN BRUNO -- Not only did the San Bruno Joe DiMaggio team advance to today's win-two-or-go-home North Division ifinal against Pacifica, but it also made a statement Friday night.

Getting a one-hit effort from starter Dan DelaTorre and four RBI from Tom Harlan, San Bruno crushed Daly City 11-2 at Tom Lara Field.

San Bruno will now face Pacifica today at 11 a.m. at Terra Nova High School. If Pacifica wins, it will advance to the Joe DiMaggio playoffs in Yountville. If San Bruno wins, the two squads will immediately play a second game, with the winner advancing.

In a South division semifinal, Millbrae played San Mateo with the winner playing one or two games against San Carlos in the final at Burton Park on Sunday. San Mateo was leading 3-1 in the sixth inning at press time.

Daly City starter Eric Herrera started with two strong innings Friday, but San Bruno's Kevin Daniele lined the first pitch of the third inning into left for a double. Herrera looked as if he would recover when he struck out the next two hitters, but San Bruno then got two walks and four hits en route to a six-run frame. The first of three RBI doubles by Harlan was the big blow.

"We can finally swing the bats now," Harlan said of his team's recently weak offense. "We haven't been swinging that well, but the bats are back."

Four more San Bruno runs came over in the fourth, thanks mainly to a two-RBI double from Anthony Gutierrez and another two-bagger by Harlan.

DelaTorre shut down Daly City by getting 11 ground outs in six innings. DelaTorre didn't allow a hit until Herrera hit a liner down the left-field line with one out in the sixth.

"(I threw) pretty much just fastballs, keeping it low and outside," DelaTorre said. "Sometimes it's hard to pitch when your up by so much because you don't feel like you have to fight for something."

A Harlan ground-rule double to right in the sixth drove in DelaTorre, who had reached on a fielder's choice.

Daly City got its only runs in the seventh when Daniel Zamudio walked and Jonathon Gangale reached on an error. Kennith Rosales then blooped a single to right, scoring Zamudio and Gangale rushed home as well when the throw went wide.

San Bruno 11, Daly City 2

San Bruno 006 401 0 - 11 11 3

Daly City 000 000 2 - 2 2 2

DelaTorre, Daniele (7) and Daniele, Cukar (7). Herrera, Cerda (4), Dea (4), Ortega (7) and Rosales. Win: DelaTorre. Loss: Herrera. 2b: S- Harlan 3, Daniele, Gutierrez. D-Herrera. Multiple RBI: S- Harlan 4, Delatorre 2, Gutierrez 2.