Monarchs pick off Sacred Heart

SAN JOSE – Sometimes, you don't have to wait long for the play that defines a ballgame. Every now and then, it presents itself early.

In Archbishop Mitty's 7-2 victory over visiting Sacred Heart Cathedral, it came just four hitters into the contest.

After Santino Baisman led off with a single, Quinn Middleton walked and Rohan Kahns dribbled an infield single up the third-base line to load the bases, the Irish had Joseph Engin on the ropes.

That's when senior catcher Cooper Salter took charge. He called a for a pickoff play at third, set up outside to ensure the pitch wouldn't be hit and threw a seed to Felix Chang, who tagged out Baisman for the first out of the inning.

Two pitches later Engin struck out cleanup hitter Chasin Deninger and he got Evan Liu to pop up for the third out.

"At that point, it was big," said Salter, who made the call on his own. "Our pitcher didn't have his A-game stuff on the mound, and I just think it helped him get through that first inning."

That play is quintessential Cooper Salter, says Mitty coach Brian Yocke. Each game he does the little things, the stuff that doesn't always appear in the box score, that helps a team win.

"Coop has been fantastic for us all year, blocking balls, throwing runners out, and hunting outs in different ways," Yocke said. "Probably the best part about that play is that it wasn't a shock that he was hunting for something in that situation."

The Monarchs (8-2) finally got to Middletoon in the fourth inning with consecutive hits from Derek Allen, Grayson Munoz and Ethan Chase to load the bases. Chang then hit a sacrifice fly and Austin Mak singled to right field to give Mitty a 2-0 lead.

Mitty broke it open in the fifth with five runs. Two two-out walks and a long home run by Munoz, his second straight game with a bomb, made it 5-0.

Chase singled, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on Chang's ground-rule double. Chang would eventually score on a stolen base on first-and-third rundown play.

The loss was Sacred Heart Cathedral's fourth straight and dropped them to 5-5.

"We're just tired right now," coach Gregg Franceschi said. "It's a long season."

Three Things We Liked

• Quinn Middleton. The Sacred Heart Cathedral senior threw three hitless innings, but his best moment came in the first inning when he battled Joseph Engin through a 13-pitch at-bat, fouling off several two-strike pitches, before finally drawing a walk.
• It's fitting, almost poetic, that Mitty is gritty, a team that won't wow you, but does a lot of things just well enough. Third baseman Felix Chang is one of those guys who flies below the radar. On Tuesday, he had two RBI and a ground-rule double. However, the burning question is how his uniform was already dirty from head to toe before a pitch had been thrown. That's gritty for you.
• Trailing 7-0 in the sixth and seventh, Sacred Heart Cathedral coach Gregg Franceschi emptied his bench allowing everyone the chance to hit. The Irish bench players put together four hits and scored their only two runs in the seventh inning – the big hit being a long double by Tommy Do.

He Said It

"They're coachable. They want to get better. And they buy into the team-oriented stuff. It's paying off in different ways to win games so far." Brian Yocke, Mitty coach.

W: Engin. L: Middleton. 2 hits- Munoz (AM), Baisman (SHC), Kahns (SHC), Chase (AM). 3 RBI- Munoz (AM). 2 RBI- Chang (AM). HR- Munoz (AM). 2B- Do (SHC), Chang (AM).

St. Ignatius Prep 4, Riordan 1

As the postgame spread was consumed at Fairmont Park – something more teams should do – one couldn't help but take inventory of St. Ignatius Prep's wealth of pitching.

Finn DeMuth made his first varsity start one to remember by not allowing a hit over two innings and touching 90 mph on the radar gun.

He along with Tycco Giometti, Spencer Guido and Eddie McCartney limited Riordan to one hit, while striking out 14 and not allowing a walk in a 4-0 shutout victory at Fairmont Park.

"We wanted to make sure he gets some innings," said Wildcats coach Brian Pollzzie. "He's one of our best arms."

St. Ignatius has one of the deepest pitching staffs north of Valley Christian – something that should serve them well in the WCAL season and Pollzzie showed on Tuesday he's not afraid to go deep into his bullpen, especially after Saturday's emotional win over rival Sacred Heart Cathedral at Oracle Park.

"Every game is big," Demuth said. "Any win in this league is huge."

By going with a bullpen game on Tuesday, the Wildcats (5-2-2) go into Friday's series finale at Riordan with a well-rested rotation.

The Wildcats scored all the runs they would need in the first inning on a run scoring double by catcher AJ Wineinger and a sacrifice fly by Beau Shaffer. They added two more runs in the third on a two-run single by Ryan Rosenthal and relied on their pitching to carry them the rest of the way.

W: Demuth. L: Cohn. 2 RBI- Rosenthal. 2B- Wineinger.

Terra Nova 3, Half Moon Bay 0

Aiden James threw a complete-game three-hit shutout with six strikeouts as Terra Nova opened its PAL Ocean Division season with its sixth straight victory, this one over its Coastside rivals to the south.

The two teams will play again on Thursday – again at Half Moon Bay as Terra Nova's field undergoes a yearlong renovation.

The Tigers (6-2-1) scored two runs in the fourth on a hit batter, a Brody Finale double and a two-run single by James. They added an insurance run in the fifth on a Luke Ornelas single and stolen base and a base hit from catcher Joey Donati.

Finale finished with three hits, while Donati and Ornelas had two hits each. Half Moon Bay managed just three hits, one on a double by sophomore shortstop Riley Jackson.

W: James. L: Kung. 3 hits- Finale (TN). 2 hits- Donati (TN), Ornelas (TN). 2 RBI- James (TN). 2B- Finale (TN), Jackson (HMB), Donati (TN), Ornelas (TN).

El Camino 1, Aragon 0

The Colts opened the PAL Oceana Division season with a victory over the Dons.

W: Q.Bromaghim. L: Shanker.

San Mateo 4, Menlo School 3

The Bearcats rode the right arm of Christian Louie, who won for the fourth time this season. He scattered six hits and struck out nine.

San Mateo (5-3) scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to record the come-from-behind victory.

Julien Bless had four hits, including two doubles, to lead San Mateo's 10-hit attack, while Peter Moy had three hits and Jesus Olivas had two RBI.

W: Louie. L: Plamondom. 4 hits- Bleess. 3 hits- Moy (SM). 2 RBI- Olivas. 2B- Bleess 2 (SM)

Capuchino 16, Branham 2

Lucas Zayac had a season-high five hits to fuel Capuchino's 14-hit attack. The Mustangs scored double-digit runs for the second straight night and won their third straight game.

Zayac, the senior catcher, drove in four runs, while third baseman Anakin Manuel added three hits and three RBI. Travis Ciardella had two hits. Andres Lopez walked five times.

W: Estrella. L:Smith. 5 hits- Zayac (C). 3 hits- Manuel (C). 2 hits- Ciardella (C). 4 RBI- Zayac (C). 3 RBI- Manuel (C). 2B- Manuel (C) 2, Chin (C), Mendel (C).

Woodside 2, Mills 1

The Wildcats improved to 4-4 by winning a pitcher's duel that ended with a walk-off passed ball.

Trent Amoroso and Nate Lafon matched zeros for most of the game. Amoroso scatter four hits and a run, while striking out four. Lafon allowed eight hits and struck out seven.

The Wildcats won the game in the bottom of the seventh when Hunter Taylor singled and moved all the way to third on an infield error. He scored on a passed ball.

Taylor and Amoroso had two hits each.

W: Amoroso. L: Nate Lafon. 2 hit- Amoroso (W), Taylor (W).

Valley Christian 3, Bellarmine 2

The Warriors (7-3) snapped a three-game winning streak, but it would be hard to say that their offensive woes have become a thing of the past. They managed just two hits and scored their three runs on two bases-loaded walks and a fielder's choice grounder.

Still, a win is a win and in the WCAL they are hard to come by.

Quinten Marsh picked up the pitching victory, while Rohan Kasanagottu picked up the save.

Bellarmine jumped to a 2-0 lead on a Luke McNeil double that scored two runs. Christian Duarte was sharp early for the Bells (5-5) but ran into control problems in the third when the Warriors struck for their three runs.

Marsh and Jordan Ortiz walked with the bases loaded, while Colton Hadfield beat the throw to first on an infield grounder that Bellarmine tried to turn into an inning-ending double play.

W: Marsh. L: Duarte. S: Kasanagottu. 2 RBI- McNeil (B).2B- McNeil (B).