Lancers deliver another walk-off

MOUNTAIN VIEW – Matteo Pignati says his eyes got big when he saw the hanging curveball. It was the bottom of the 10th inning – maybe an inning or two later than usual, but definitely around the time Saint Francis has been at its best throughout the first month of the season.

Pignati took advantage. He stayed back and attacked it, lining a long double over the head of Capuchino right fielder Gavin Sekioka to score Jack Leeper with the game-winning run in the Lancers' 2-1 victory the Mustangs Thursday.

It was Saint Francis' fourth walk-off base hit of the young season, and the second by Pignati.

"I got a hanger, and I just banged it," he said. "I crushed it pretty good."

The base hit ended a marathon – 10 innings is the longest game on the Peninsula this year – that lasted nearly three hours and sent Capuchino home without a win despite outhitting the Lancers, 12-6. It was a good high school baseball game that featured solid pitching, good defense and – in the end – some timely hitting.

Leeper led off the bottom of the 10th with a single. Tanner Wall then walked and, after a strikeout, Pagnoti ended it.

Capuchino scored its only run in the first inning on a Travis Ciardella single – one of his three hits on the night – that scored Anakin Manuel.

Declan Mendel was rolling for the Mustangs, but Saint Francis tied it in the fifth when Reid Cole was hit by a pitch. He scored two outs later on a longer triple by Wall.

The Mustangs had their chances, but stranded runners in scoring position in both the third and fifth innings.

"We just did not get the big hit in the big situation like we needed to," said Capuchino coach Matt Wilson, whose team fell to 5-3.

Three Things We Liked

• Anakin Manuel. The Capuchino third baseman is solid defensively. He also had three hits against Saint Francis and was walked intentionally in the ninth inning.
• Solid play at shortstop. Cap's Andres Gomez and Saint Francis' Bobby Hill combined to make 11 plays without a miscue. Gomez charged and threw off balance on consecutive plays in the second inning, while it was Hill whose glove shined in the fifth when the Mustangs put runners on second and third bases with one out. With the infield in, Hill handled a hard-hit one hopper off the bat of Ciardella, looked back Lucas Zayac to third base and threw to first for the out. He made the inning-ending play on another grounder one hitter later.
• John Ferreira. The Capuchino right-hander came on in relief of Mendel in the sixth inning. He faced 10 hitters and didn't allow a hit despite not getting a strikeout. He threw strikes and kept the Lancers off balance.

Key Play

Take your pick. Hill snagging the Ciardella grounder with the infield in in the fifth or Pagnati's second walk-off hit of the year.

He Said It

"The body starts to wear down, but with the mentality, that's where it comes in. After seven or eight innings, it just comes down to our guys and how we can step up to try to win any way possible. We did that tonight." – Matteo Pignati, Saint Francis senior outfielder.

W: LaRoque. L: B. Gomez. 3 hits- Manuel (C), Ciardella (C). 2 hits- Brooks (C). 3B- Wall ((SF). 2B- Manuel (C), Cappellazzo (SF), Pignati (SF).

Aragon 2, Sacred Heart Prep 1

Nico Pollioni's single in the bottom of the seventh broke a 1-1 tie and brought home freshman Sully Fischbein with the game-winning run.

The victory evened the Gators' record to 3-3.

Devin Saltzgaber went the threw 6 2/3 innings – his longest outing of the year – and struck out nine, but didn't factor in the decsion.

W: Pollioni. L: Kammer. 2B- Gee (SHP).