Cap rallies to walk off Tigers

There’s a reputation surrounding Capuchino that is quickly spreading around the Peninsula.

The Mustangs should be taken seriously.

It’s the little things that they do – a well-worked walk here and a timely double play turned there. It’s a throwback style with a clear focus on hustle and grittiness, a brand of baseball that was on full display with a 4-3 extra-inning victory over Terra Nova on Friday night.

“I think our reputation is to win and go as far as we can,” said center fielder Jordan Estrella, who notched his first-ever walk-off hit. “I think we’re a great team, a lot of great players and we’re starting to click.”

Following a leadoff walk and stolen base by Andres Gomez, the stage was set for Estrella who sprinted up the line to first after dribbling a grounder that Tigers second baseman Isaac Roman ranged far to his left to snag.

Estrella beat the throw, and Gomez came around from second to score the winning run.

The Tigers had complete control of the game, carrying a 1-0 lead into the sixth after scoring their first run in the opening frame. Terra Nova starter Aiden James outdueled Cap righty Dominic Fanara by not allowing a hit until two away in the fifth.

A three-run sixth for the Mustangs — including a bases-loaded walk drawn by Estrella and an RBI single from Bobby Gomez — put Capuchino ahead 3-1, but the Tigers rallied to tie the game.

“It was great,” Estrella said. “We started being more patient and working the count more. It was a struggle in the first four or five innings, but we definitely picked it up.”

Three Things We Liked

● Clutch plate appearances were the name of the game in this one – by both teams, particularly late. They reached base with hits, by patiently working the count and waiting out walks and by forcing the action.

● John Ferrira kept his team in the game with a strong relief outing to pick up the victory for Capuchino. He even displayed emotion coming off the mound, a reasonable reaction to his 3 1/3 innings of work without allowing an earned run.

● Aiden James’ performance on the mound for the Tigers is an example every young arm should follow. There’s nothing that stands out about his stuff or repertoire. He can break glass but not shatter it. But his clean and fundamentally sound mechanics allowed him to stay around the strike zone with top-notch efficiency.

Player of the Game

The Mustangs pulled the trigger on a few different sacrifice bunts, but none oozed with more importance than Andres Gomez’s table-setter in the sixth. Bunts don’t scream excitement, but following a leadoff double, Gomez — a left-handed hitter — was able to beat out his perfectly-placed bunt up the third base side to spark a three-run inning for Capuchino.

“It was very important,” Gomez said. “Once I saw him get on, I knew I had to do my job.”

Up Next

Terra Nova (0-1-1) will travel to University on Tuesday, while Capuchino returns to play on Wednesday when it travels to No. 3 Serra, a team the Mustangs beat last year.

-- Steven Rissotto

W: Ferreira L: Martinez. 2 hits- Donati (TN). 2 RBI- Donati (TN). Estrella (C). 2B- Ciardella (C).

Saint Francis 3, Lincoln (Stockton) 1

Landon Kim tossed complete game, allowing just three hits – both in the first inning – and striking out eight as the Lancers improved to 3-1.

Kim needed just 90 pitches to go the distance. He allowed a run in the first inning on a two-out single by Taylor Tran, who stole second base and scored ahead of Xavier Ayala's single to right-center field.

Kim was nearly perfect the rest of the way, allowing just a walk and a bunt single.

"I got my slider going after the first so that helped me mix my pitches more effectively," Kim said. "I've been struggling with that pitch over my last couple of outings, so it was good to get it back."

The Lancers scored two runs in the fourth to take the lead for good. Sophomore Jack Leeper led off with a long double to left-center field. He moved to third when a pickoff play at second went into centerfield. After Gino Cappellazzo walked and stole second, Leeper scored on Matteo Pagnotti's grounder.

Cappellazzo scored two pitches later on a balk.

Reid Cole scored Saint Francis' third run in the fifth inning after singling and eventually scoring on Leeper's bases-loaded grounder that was booted.

W: Kim. L: Hill. 2B- Leeper (SF).

Mitty 11, Christopher 0

Mitty's bats sounded off for the first time all season and Joseph Engin no-hit Chirstopher High of Gilroy over five innings as the Monarchs won an opening-round game of the Wilcox tourney.

Engin, who threw 68 pitches, went the distance in the game called after five innings. He walked two and struck out nine.

Waylon Walsh had his first three-hit game of the day. The senior shortstop scored two runs and drove in another, while Grayson Munoz added two hits and four RBI.

Andre Lopez-Monsivais had two hits with two RBI and three runs scored, while Ethan Chase added two hits.

W: Engin. L: Anderson. 3 hits- Walsh (M). 2 hits- Munoz (M), Lopez-Monsivais (M), Chase (M). 4 RBI- Munoz (M). 2 RBI- Lopez-Monsivais.

Half Moon Bay 7, Cupertino 1

Kai Kung went the distance, allowing an unearned run on three hits and striking out a career-high 13 batters as the Cougars won their first game of the season after an 0-3 start.

Kung needed 102 pitches but was in control throughout.

Jason Couto had two hits and scored three runs for Half Moon Bay, while Clark Colucci had a two-run single for the Cougars.

W: Kung. L: Hattoti. 2 hits- Couto (HMB), Ormando (HMB). 2 RBI- Ormando (HMB), Colucci (HMB).

Menlo School 6, Design Tech 5

The Knights picked up their first win of the season in walk-off fashion, scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to record the come-from-behind victory.

Liam Widner had the game-winning hit – one of three hits he collected on the day – for Menlo School (1-3). Renner Barnett had three hits, while Zach Roeder added two hits.

Senior Eoin Hallili had two hits for Design Tech, while Eddie Yee added a triple.

W: Plamondon. L: Hom. 3 hits- Barnett (MS), Widner (MS) 2 hits- Halili (DT), Roeder (MS). 3 RBI- Widner. 3B- Yee (DT). 2B- Widner (MS), Freehill (MS).

Woodside 6, Lincoln (San Francisco) 2

Trent Amoroso struck out eight over five innings as the Wildcats picked up their first victory – a 6-2 decision over Lincoln of San Francisco.

Amoroso allowed two runs and four hits in picking up the decision.

Hunter Taylor and Anderson Comfort had two hits each for the Wildcats. Comfort added a double and two RBI, while Junior Cattaneo also doubled for Woodside.

W: Amoroso. L: Derrington. 2 hits- Taylor (W), Comfort (W). 2 RBI- Comfort (W). 2B- Comfort (W), Cattaneo (W).