Connie Mack Baseball: Hoots No-Hit Northwest Champion to Open West Regional

The Danville Hoots opened up the Connie Mack West Regional with a 5-0 win against Northwest champion Puget Sound.

Spenser Linney threw six-plus innings of no-hit ball, before Andy Eslick finished the no-no for the Hoots at the University of Washington in Seattle.

"(Linney) did a great job of pounding the zone," Danville manager Don Johns said. "He didn't have any jams, just threw strikes and kept their hitters off balance with his change."

Danville won the West Regional in 2009 to advance to the Connie Mack World Series and will take its next step toward repeating as champions Thursday when it plays Southern California, which needed 12 innings to win its first-round game.

The Hoots didn't break through against Puget Sound until the seventh inning. Garrett Moore singled to lead off before Amador Valley teammate Chris Keck followed with a single. San Ramon Valley High's Scott Quinlan singled to load the bases and California High's Steven Moen walked to give Danville the lead. Campolindo's Corbin Chase drove in two runs on a double to add some cushion for Linney.

Monte Vista's Craig Lanza, who will pitch for U.C. Davis, will start Thursday's game, while Amador Valley's Nick Piscotty is slated to pitch Friday, Johns said.

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Danville Hoots roster

name, position, high school

Robert Anderson, P, Deerfield

David Camarena, INF, Foothill

Corbin Chase, OF, Campolindo

Cam Cox, INF, San Ramon Valley

Andy Eslick, P, Amador Valley

Josh Egan, C, Castro Valley

Brian Hamm, INF, Amador Valley

Raul Jacobson, P, Miramonte

Eric Jaffe, P/INF., Bishop O'Dowd

David Johnson, INF, Amador Valley

Michael Kathan, INF, Campolindo

Chris Keck, INF, Amador Valley

Craig Lanza, P/OF, Monte Vista

Tino Lipson, INF, El Cerrito

Spenser Linney, P, Head Royce

Caleb Lusty, P/OF, Antioch

Scott Mitchell, C/OF, Dublin

Garrett Moore, OF, Foothill

Seven Moen, C, California

Nick Piscotty, P/INF, Amador Valley

Tommy Pluschkell, INF, Amador Valley

Scott Quinlan, OF, San Ramon Valley

Kyle Slinger, P, San Ramon Valley

Michael Theofanopolous, P, Foothill