2012 Dunn Division Champion Giants Season Highlights
Regular Season Summary
The 2012 Giants season can be summarized in two words — Great Pitching. The Giants allowed only 63 runs during the 20-game regular season — the lowest in the SJMSBL.
The Giants opened the season with the 2011 champion Indians and great pitching was the story. Matt Scott set the tone for the 2012 Giants season with a near perfect game. Matt gave up a hit with two outs in the 8th and the Giants went on to win the season opener 1-0.
The Giants brought in several newcomers this year to compliment a veteran team which included Mike Denevi, Jon Cannon, Matt Scott, Rich Zuvella, Mike Boesch, Huck Hibberd, Don Chambers, Chris Denevi, Steve Chase, Noah Sweeters, Steve Chase, Nick Caravelli, Erick Raich, Mark Sarpa, Paul Tomini, and Harold Sutherland. The rookies — Mike Cook, Cameron Radonich, Spencer Maltbie, Scott Ganz, Nathan Bennett, Darrell Kuykendahl, and Jared Aochi — breathed new life into a Giants team that struggled in 2011.
After the Giants opening day victory, the team went on a roll going 14-1 to start the season. Then the Giants hit a rough patch and dropped four in a row before beating the Brewers on the final day of the season to finish 15-5. The win put the Giants ½ game ahead of the Brewers in the standings. The Brewers had to win their final game of the season to get the #1 seed in the playoffs and they pulled off an extra inning win for a 15-5 record. Since the Brewers had the run-differential tie-breaker, the Giants finished with the #2 seed to enter the playoffs.
Playoff Summary
Semi-Final Series - Game 1
The Giants traveled to Gavilan College to face the defending champion Indians in a best of 3 series. In Game One, the Giants scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th to walk off with a 7-6 win. With one out, Huck Hibberd started the Giants rally with a double to the left field wall. After Chris Denevi's single moved Huck to 3rd, Harold Sutherland lined a base hit to center to drive in the tying run. With runners at the corners, Noah Sweeters hit a ground ball to 3rd and beat the throw to 1st as the Indians tried to turn the double play. Denevi scored on the play and the Giants won a close one to take a 1-0 lead in the best of 3 series. Jon Cannon pitched a gutty game to get the win.
Semi-Final Series - Game 2
In Game Two, Matt Scott threw a complete game one-hitter to close out the Indians 4-1. Matt gave up a single to lead off the game, and then retired the next 25 batters in a row before giving up a 1-out walk in the ninth which was turned into a game ending double play on the next pitch. Matt faced 28 batters - only 1 over the minimum. Noah Sweeters and Jon Cannon both hit triples to drive in 2 of the Giant's 4 runs. The Giants eliminated the defending champion Indians and advanced to the Dunn Division Wood Bat Championship Series against the Brewers.
Championship Series - Game 1
In the championship series opener, Jon Cannon pitched a great game ? giving up a single run on a wild pitch in the 2nd inning and then shutting out a very formidable Brewers line-up the rest of the way. John Hadley matched Cannon pitch for pitch as the game went into the ninth tied 1-1. After a base hit and a stolen base by Noah Sweeters, Mike Cook lined a single up the middle for the Giants first lead of the game. Cannon shut the Brewers down in the 9th to get the win and give the Giants a one game to none series lead.
Championship Series - Game 2
In Game 2, the Brewers bats came alive, scoring 5 runs in the 3rd and building a 9-2 lead after 6 innings. The Giants didn?t give up, scoring 2 runs in the 6th and another 5 in the 7th to cut the lead to 10-9 after 7 innings. The Brewers kept the pressure on and took a 15-9 lead. The Giants scored 2 runs in the 9th, but it wasn?t enough and the series was tied at 1 game apiece to set the stage for an elimination game the following Sunday.
Championship Series - Game 3
In the final game, Jon Cannon and John Hadley pitched a rematch for the championship. The Brewers started out hot with 2 doubles in the first to score the first run of the game. They scored 2 unearned runs in the 2nd to take a 3-0 lead. After the 2nd, Jon Cannon scattered 4 hits over the last 7 innings while shutting out the Brewers the rest of the way. Meanwhile, the Giant offense scored one in the 3rd, two in the 4th and one in the 6th to take a 4-2 lead. Then in the 8th, Jon Cannon broke the game open with a triple to right center to drive in Don Chambers and Mike Cook. Spencer Maltbie delivered an RBI single to drive in Cannon for a 7-3 lead. The Giants scored 2 more insurance runs in the 9th and Cannon closed out the game clinching the 2012 San José MSBL Dunn Division Wood Bat Championship - their 14th overall Championship and 3rd in the last 5 years.
Go Giants!