Is Carlmont ready to make a run?

Just when you're ready to count out Carlmont, they come through in a big way.

Saturday's 5-4 victory over Bellarmine Prep – by far their biggest win of the year – has no bearing on the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division standings, but it's the kind of win that can catapult the Scots to a strong second half and perhaps a Central Coast Section playoff berth.

But it remains to be seen if this one-forward victory can be built upon or if it is followed by two steps backward. The Scots are starting to get healthy again after seeing a number of key players – most notably Henry Massey and Zach Luzzo – go down with injuries early on.

We'll get an immediate answer on Wednesday as to whether Saturday's win is a springboard when Carlmont (6-9) travels to Sunnyvale to begin a two-game series with The King's Academy that suddenly has some newfound intrigue.

"That's definitely what we're thinking as we go into King's week," said Carlmont coach Ryan Hamilton. "We've been consistently just not good enough. That's kind of what it's been for us. ... We just need to get over that little hump. And so today, today's kind of that message. It's being able to get the help finding a way to win."

Grant Goetz was the offensive hero, hitting a two-run homer in the first inning that staked the Scots to an early lead and then, with the game tied at 4, hitting a seventh-inning double that scored Tyler Webster, who led off the frame reaching first on an error and was bunted to single by Jason Tofigh.

Jonathan Fong threw six innings, allowing four runs on eight hits to pick up the win. Nate Werbinski pitched a perfect seventh inning to pick up the save

Bellarmine rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game on a single by freshman Emmett Arnott and a two-run homer by Nate Bateman.

The Bells (9-8) were coming off a 2-0 upset of St. Ignatius Prep on Friday – their fourth straight win – but couldn't extend the streak.

W: Fong. L: Kim. S: Werbinski. 3 hits- Tavarez (B). 2 hits- Goetz (C), Arnott (B). 3 RBI- Goetz (C). 2 RBI- Bateman (B). HR- Bateman (B), Goetz (C). 2B- Goetz (B), Tavarez (B), McNeil (B).

Hillsdale 12, Aragon 3

Hillsdale won its third straight game by pounding out 12 hits and riding the arm of right-hander Hugo Guzman.

Curtis Lee drove in four runs with a pair of hits, while Parker Jessup had three RBI and two hits.

Jake Belloni and Bennet Young had two hits each.

Aragon's big hit came in the sixth when Adi Shanker led off with a home run. He had two hits for the Dons (5-9).

W: Guzman. L: Miller. 2 hits- Belloni (H), Guzman (H), Young (H), Lee (H), Shanker (A). 4 RBI- Lee (H). 3 RBI- Jessup (H). 2 RBI- Belloni (H), Guzman (H). HR- Shanker (A). 2B- Belloni (H), Jessup (H), Lee (H), Matye, Gilfether (A)

Half Moon Bay 5, Sacred Heart Prep 4

Half Moon Bay rallied from a 4-0 deficit to tie the game, and the Cougars plated the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth to snap a five-game losing streak.

Half Moon Bay (6-11) scored in the sixth when sophomore shortstop Riley Jackson led off by being hit by a Rallin Covey pitch. Ian Lemen then walked and Jackson scored from second on Connor Heath's single.

W: Hipkins. L: Covey. S: Johnson. 2 hits- Gee (SHP), Heath (HMB). 2 RBI- Heath (HMB). 2B- Barton (SHP).

The King’s Academy 3, Pioneer 1

After spotting Pioneer a 1-0 lead, The King's Academy slowly took charge by scoring a run in the second and two in the fourth.

Ethan Johnson, who pitched 2 1/3 innings to pick up the win, led off the second inning with a double – his fourth extra-base hit of the week. He moved to third on Toby Trotter's grounder to the right side and scored on a balk.

In the fourth inning, Nate Plata walked, Johnson was hit by a pitch and Trotter singled home Plata to give the Knights a 2-1 lead. They added an insurance run on Cyrus Sid's RBI sacrifice bunt.

W: Johnson. L: S: Peterson. Holmes. HR- Valdespino (P). 2B- Johnson (TKA), Jackson (P).

Riordan 6, Palo Alto 1

The Crusaders got a strong outing from winning pitcher Santino Williams, who struck out seven over five innings of work, to pick up the non-league win.

Williams and Colton Parenti had two hits each for Riordan (6-13-1).

W: Williams. L: Johnston. 2 hits- Parenti (R), Williams (R), Bader (PA). 2 RBI- Parenti (R). 2B- Oliver (R), Parenti (R), Vanderhaar (PA).

Justin-Siena 12, Sacred Heart Cathedral 0

It didn't get any easier for the Irish, who got out of the WCAL for a day to face one of the top teams from the North Bay.

Senior Spencer Nelson limited Sacred Heart to one hit, while the Braves (12-4) pounded out nine hits.

W: Nelson. L: Matthews. 2 hits- Nelson, DeBruner. 3 RBI- Nelson (JS). 2B- Sangiacomo (SJ).

Saint Francis 11, Carmel 2

Gino Cappellazzo had his best game of the season, hitting his first home run of the season and driving in five for the Lancers, who are beginning to hit their stride offensively.

Saint Francis (13-4) also got homers from Aaron Bonini and Jack Leeper.

The Lancers scored four runs in the first on Cappallazzo's three-run homer and a solo shot from Bonini.

Leeper, the sophomore centerfielder had three hits and two RBI.

Ian McMahon went the distance, scattering six hits and two runs, while striking out three in an 80-pitch effort.

W: McMahon. L: Watts. 3 hits- Leeper (SF). 2 hits- Cappellazzo (SF). 5 RBI- Cappellazzon (SF). 2 RBI- Leeper, Arnold (C). HR- Arnold (C), Cappellazzo (SF), Bonini (SF), Leeper (SF). 2B- Baretti (C), Leeper (SF).

Saint Francis 14, Palma 5

The Lancers completed the sweep with a 15-hit performance that featured five players – Tanner Wall, Gino Cappellazzo, Sione Tulua, Kyle McMillan and Bobby Hill – getting two hits each.

Hill had a home run and four RBI, while Tulua, a freshman, hit his first varsity home run.

The victory was Saint Francis' 15th and matches Serra for most wins on the Peninsula. The Lancers won't play again until April 25, when the travel to Marin Catholic.

W: Madrigal. L: Serrano. 2 hits- Wall (SF), Cappellazzo (SF), Sione Tulua, McMillan (SF), Hill (SF), Gonzalez (P), Bakker (P), Razzeca (P), Dorantes (P). 4 RBI- Hill (SF). 3 RBI- Gonzalez (P). 2 RBI- McMillan (SF), Cappellazzo (SF). HR- Hill (SF), Sione Tulua (SF), Gonzalez (P). 2B- Razzec (P), Wall (SF), Watten (SF).

Capuchino 1, Burlingame 0

Declan Mendel outdueled Dionisios Vorrises as the Mustangs snapped a losing skid by winning at Oracle Park.

Mendel went the distance, throwing 111 pitches and giving up four hits, while walking two. He struck out four in earning the shutout victory.

Vorrises scattered six hits and three walks. His only blemish came in the first inning when Lucas Zayac and Anakin Manuel singled. A walk to Travis Ciardella loaded the bases and the game's only run scored on Will Hafer's infield grounder.

Zayac had three hits for the Mustangs, while Jean-Luc Uharriet had a two hits for the Panthers (7-8).

W: Mendel. L: Vorrises. 3 hits- Zayac (C). 2 hits- Uharriet (B).