Tigers roll seventh straight win

Sophomore Jesse Martinez threw another complete game, and Terra Nova won another baseball game – a 3-1 victory over Half Moon Bay that gave the Tigers a sweep of the season series with the Cougars.

And while Jared Milch warns the season isn't yet halfway complete, he likes that his Tigers, who started the season 0-2-1, currently resides atop the PAL Ocean Division and are in the midst of a seven-game winning streak. That's the second longest current streak on the Peninsula behind only Leigh's eight consecutive wins.

"We're feeling good for sure," Milch said. "But there's still a long way to go."

Martinez needed just 81 pitches to shut down Half Moon Bay (4-7). The sophomore right-hander allowed eight hits, but didn't walk a batter. Just as important, he made the pitches to get big outs for the Tigers.

"He had tremendous command of the strike zone and is able to throw three different pitches in any count," Milch said. "That really helps keep our defense engaged and keeps hitters off balance."

The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the third inning against Andreas Hipkins. Joey Donati walked and moved to second on an errant pickoff throw. JT Snead followed with a single and Donati scored on a Brody Finale sacrifice fly.

The Cougars tied it in the fourth, but Terra Nova – the home team on the scoreboard despite the fact that the game was played in Half Moon Bay while field renovations continued in Pacifica – took the lead in the bottom half of the inning.

Isaac Roman singled and was bunted to second by Austin Snead. He moved to third on a balk and scored on a wild pitch.

The Tigers added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on a single by Roman, a walk to Austin Snead and Wes McDougal's RBI single.

Ian Lemen had two hits for Half Moon Bay, while Maverick Johnson chipped in with a double. Hipkins was a hard-luck loser, allowing just two runs in 5 1/3 innings.

W: Martinez. L: Hipkins. 2 hits- Lemen (HMB), Roman (TN). 2B- M.Johnson (HMB).

Aragon 8, El Camino 2

Thursday might have served as a warning to the rest of the PAL Ocean Division: Josh Jacobs is back. His sore hammy appears to be behind him. And that's big for the Aragon Dons.

The senior picked up his first pitching victory of the season, going four innings (57 pitches) and allowing just three hits in an 8-2 victory over El Camino. He also pounded three doubles and drove in a run.

The victory evened the Dons' league record at 1-1 in the Ocean Division and 4-5 overall. The split with El Camino dropped the Colts' overall record to 2-6.

Keith Matye had two hits for Aragon, while Adi Shanker added two hits and a pair of RBI.

Caleb Oliveras drove in the Colts only two runs.

W: Jacobs. L: McCauley. 3 hits- Jacobs (A). 2 hits- Shanker (A), Matye (A). 2 RBI- Shanker (A), Oliveras (EC). 2B- Kiaaina (A).

Menlo School 4, San Mateo 1

Ben Salama picked up his first pitching win of the season, going six innings. The senior right-hander struck out six and walked four, while allowing a run and four hits.

The Knights (3-6) salvaged a series split with the visiting Bearcats by scoring two times in the third inning on a Salama walk and an RBI double from Jack Freehill. Chuck Wynn's run-scoring single plated Freehill.

Menlo added two more runs in the fifth on a Zach Roeder RBI single and a bases-loaded walk by Freehill.

W: Salama. L: Olivas. S: Widner. 2 hits- Barnett (MS), Freehill (MS), Louie (SM). 2 RBI- Freehill. 2B- Freehill (MS), Louie (SM).

Woodside 9, Mills 1

Joseph Hohl had his second straight strong start, allowing two hits and a run over six innings. He walked two and struck out 10 as the Wildcats have won five of their last six game after a slow start.

Hohl and Trent Amoroso, the winning pitcher Tuesday, limited Mills to five hits in sweeping the season series.

Woodside (6-4 and 2-0 in Ocean Division play) broke open Thursday's contest with five runs in the fifth inning.

Cruz Torres and Junior Cattaneo had two hits each, while Anderson Comfort and Jeremiah Arias Torres drove in two runs each.

W: Hohl. L: Janke. 2 hits- Torres (W), Cattaneo (W). 2 RBI- Comfort (W), Arias Torres (W). 2B- Lopez (W), Torres (W).