Regents Win, Look For Title Game -- New Westminster Named Co-Champ In Softball Tourney

-- BELLEVUE

New Westminster's Andre Blanleil chopped a Mike Ash drop ball past the first-baseman for the go-ahead run-scoring single in the eighth inning.

New West's Rob Sunderman then walked to the Hidden Valley Park pitching circle for his 16th inning of the day, and shut down hard-hitting Victoria Payless 1-2-3 for a 3-1 victory in yesterday's loser's bracket final of the Seafirst Holiday Classic fastpitch softball tournament.

Within minutes, New Westminster Regents players were lined up and each handed trophies. Blanleil was named the tournament's most valuable player. Sunderman was the most valuable pitcher.

They seemed to have it all. Nothing was missing.

Except an opponent and a championship game.

Guanella Brothers, the Santa Rosa, Calif., team that swept to the winner's bracket championship, had to catch an early flight for home last night, and couldn't stay for the final - which was three hours behind schedule anyway. Tournament officials compromised and named Guanella Brothers and New Westminster co-champions.

"We would like to have another shot at them," Blanleil said of the Californians.

But, as Sunderman admitted, "to be quite honest, we're pretty well spent right now. Our pitching's pretty well beat. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise."

Guanella Brothers (4-0 in the tournament, 32-5 overall) beat the Regents (6-1, 35-15) late Saturday night, 2-0, to knock New West into an 8 a.m. loser-bracket game yesterday. The Victoria victory was New West's fourth game on an 83-degree Sunday.

"It would have been a long road for us, but we would have liked to take a run at them," New West manager Cliff Bouillet said. "They would have been fresh on us, and we would have had to win two, but . . . I don't want to sound silly. It would have been a pretty tough road to take them twice."

Part of the desire for a Santa Rosa rematch was the way New West lost. A walk and an error set up one of only two Guanella Brothers' hits in the game: a two-run single off ace Terry Bell.

Regents players weren't the only ones who wanted to play.

"It's disappointing in a way, but you realize it's something that can't be avoided," said Santa Rosa outfielder Chuck Hamilton. "We really don't have any choice. Most of these guys have to work tomorrow."

Guanella manager Chuck D'Arcy said he didn't expect to be able to play in the final even if it was on time because of the team's 7:30 p.m. flight.

That was the latest flight to Sacramento the team could get, D'Arcy said.

"To get to the championship and not play, to most of the players and the fans, it must feel like they didn't get to see who was the best team in the tournament," said Guanella pitcher Chubb Tangeroa. "But to me, I would rather see the guys do what's best for them. If they've got to leave to go home. . ."

Tangaroa, who improved his record to 18-1 and extended his streak of innings pitched without an earned run to 80, threw his second no-hitter of the season when he beat New Westminster. The New Zealander will remain in town to join the New Zealand national team on its North American tour that starts with a pair of doubleheaders today and tomorrow against Seafirst.

Tangaroa pitched Santa Rosa to a pair of victories yesterday to earn the co-championship, beating host Seafirst 2-1 in the morning on teammate Jim Clark's 10th-inning homer and then beating Victoria Payless 4-0 on a one-hitter in the winner's bracket title game.

New West beat Lake Grove of Portland, Ore., 10-2 in its Sunday opener, then beat Mock's Ford of Grants Pass, Ore., (6-1) and the Vancouver Magicians (2-0) to get to the loser's bracket final.

Sunderman earned the victories in the Lake Grove and Mock's Ford games. He didn't have much strength left by the time he went to the pitching circle with a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the eighth against Victoria.

"I was trying to find it," he said, "but there wasn't much left."

Bouillet disagreed.

"When I went out the mound in the sixth inning to talk to him, he thought he was coming out," Bouillet said. "I thought he was throwing well, and I told him that. I thought he sucked it up right there. He wasn't going to lose it. He was unbeatable after that."

A first-inning homer by Antony Bertoia held up for a 1-0 Victoria lead through six innings, but Barrie Penman led off the New West seventh with a double, and after a sacrifice bunt moved him to third, Randy Lafrenier tied the game with an RBI single.

Rick Pimlott opened the New West eighth with another double, and an error put runners at the corners with none out for Blanleil. After his single, Penman slapped an RBI grounder to second for a 3-1 lead.

"It's pretty hot, and we're pretty exhausted, pretty much dragging," Blanleil said. "But when you're in a game like that, everyone just comes through, eh."