SOUTHPAW SLANTS - Bear River Giants hurler Brandon Donely kept the Sierra Foothill Rangers bats in check Thursday night as he fired a five-inning 10-0 shutout win. Donely fanned 10 batters and did not allow a walk as the Giants moved into today's Game One of the District 11 TOC championship series.

June 27, 2008

Bear River Giants claim Area II crown

Pitching, key hitting and defense are three ingredients that the Bear River Giants have used all season long to be successful.

Thursday night at the Bear River Little League Complex the Giants were up to their usual antics once again and this time the team’s dominating traits paid off with a Tournament of Champions Area II title.

Getting a 10-strikeout no-walk mound showing from Brandon Donely and picking up timely hits from Andrew Reiss, Steven Ertola, Seth Loftin and Jake DePass, the Giants blanked the Sierra Foothills Rangers, 10-0, to advance to the District 11 TOC championship series.

The Giants, now 22-3 on the season, will open Game One of the district title series tonight at Bear River at 7 p.m. against the Rocklin Orioles.

The Orioles, the Rocklin LL’s “B” team, defeated the Tri-City Yankees, 4-1, Thursday in Auburn to earn the Area I title.

Game Two of the series is slated for Saturday evening in Auburn at 7 p.m. while a third game, if necessary, would be played Sunday back at Bear River also at 7 p.m.

In Thursday’s win, the Giants used a patient, steady attack to build a 6-0 lead by the third inning.

The winners jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first when Ertola legged out an infield hit, was pushed to second on a walk and scored when Reiss ripped an RBI single.

With Ryan Anderson and Loftin then setting the table at the top of the order, the Giants expanded on their lead with Reiss finishing the game with three hits and DePass and Ertola collecting a pair each.

Shining in the field for the Giants was catcher Jerry Fuhrman, DePass at shortstop and Ertola at third base.