Warriors remain unbeaten

SANTA CLARA – On a chilly night against a kid throwing two speeds – slow and slower – Valley Christian's bats were just as cold.

Then again, when you have Kole Laubach and Rohan Kasanagottu on the mound, not a lot of offense is usually required.

The top-ranked Warriors (4-0) scored a run in the second and added an insurance run in the sixth.

That was plenty of offensive for Laubach, who didn't have his best stuff – four walks, a wild pitch and a throwing error on a pickoff play – but he allowed Wilcox only a bunt single in five innings of work.

The victory pushed Valley into Saturday's 7:15 p.m. championship game of the Mike Hazlett tournament against West Catholic Athletic League rival Mitty.

On a team filled with senior talent, it was a sophomore who figured in both runs for the Warriors. Second baseman Colton Hadfield doubled ahead of a Zach Koontz single in the second inning.

In the sixth, he laced a hard single into the hole between shortstop and third base with the bases loaded to score Quinten Marsh, who led off the inning with a bunt single.

"I just wanted to hit it hard," he said. "I got up in the box, made some adjustments. I was seeing the ball pretty well."

Play of the Game

The Chargers (3-2) loaded the bases in the top of the second, but Laubach got Gilbert Padilla to ground one to Hadfield, who began a 4-6-3 double play that kept the game scoreless.

"That was huge," Hadfield said. "Kole got a ground ball. And huge play, big time. We need that ground ball."

Three Things We Liked

• Wilcox pitcher RJ Argel. He kept the Warriors off balance all night with his mix of curveballs, slow curves and an occasional fastball. In the sixth inning, Valley scored by bunching together two of its four hits – two of them on bunts – but Argel worked out of a bases-loaded no-out situation by collecting two strikeouts and a ground ball to keep the score 2-0.
• Watching Quinten Marsh run from home plate to third on a first-inning triple. He hustled out of the box on the fly ball down the left-field line and legged out the final 90 feet just ahead of the throw.
• Stirrups. The Warriors' navy stirrups with light blue stripes worn to the knees were a throwback to a bygone era. Add in the light blue sanitary socks underneath and it was an homage to a time when that was standard attire on a baseball diamond.

He Said It

"I am happy that we're throwing strikes and getting guys out, and we've gotten a couple ground balls." Valley Christian coach John Diatte, whose team has allowed one earned run in four games.

W: Laubach. L: Argel. S: Kasanagottu. 2 hits- Marsh, Hadfield. 3B- Marsh. 2B- Hadfield.

Cardinal Newman 6, St. Ignatius Prep 5

Well, at least it didn't end in a tie. St. Ignatius, which saw its last two games called by darkness, gave up a late run in the road loss to Cardinal Newman, its first setback of the young season.

Chase Bromsted hit an inside-the-park grand-slam home run for Newman in the bottom of the fifth inning to break a 2-2 tie and give the Cardinals the lead for good.

The loss came amid another big performance by Archer Horn, who tripled and homered for the second time this week, while also driving in three runs. The junior shortstop has 13 total bases in two games this week.

Chase Gordon started for the Wildcats and went four innings, allowing two runs. He also had a triple, while Ryan Rosenthal had two hits, and Emmet Johnson added a double.

W: Jannicelli. L: Guido. 2 hits- Rosenthal (SI), Horn (SI), Pezzolo (CN), Bromsted (CN), Pezzolo (CN). 4 RBI- Bromsted (CN). 3 RBI- Horn (SI). HR- Horn (SI), Bromsted (CN). 3B- Horn, Gordon (SI). 2B- Johnson (SI), Pezzolo (CN).

Hollister 5, Carlmont 4

Carlmont dropped its second straight game at the Mike Hazlett tournament and fell to 2-2.

Grant Goetz had two hits, including a double, for the Scotts, while Tyler Webster had a double.

W: Barone. L: Werbinski. 2 hits- Esparza (H), Goetz (C). 2 RBI- Bolin. 3B- Webster (C). 2B- Mendoza (H), Goetz (C).

Menlo-Atherton 12, Live Oak 2

Jordan Paroubeck's Bears won their fourth straight game, thanks largely to a huge offensive game from first baseman Jimmy Zaharias.

The senior had three hits, including a home run and a double, and also drove in four runs as Menlo-Atherton improved to 4-1.

Merrick Lee and Ryder Kelly had two hits each.

Half Moon Bay transfer Anthony Kabrich went four innings, allowing five hits and two runs, while striking out three, to pick up his first victory of the season.

The Bears will host St. Francis (3-1) on Saturday at noon.

W: Kabrich. L: Nishikawa. S: Saving Pitcher
3 hits- Zaharias (MA). 2 hits- Kelly (MA), Lee (MA). 4 RBI- Zaharias (MA). HR- Zaharias (MA). 2B- Zaharias (MA), Kelly (MA), Lee (MA).

Menlo School 11, Evergreen Valley 0

Get-well week continued for the Knights, who washed away the bad taste of losing three straight games in the Battle of Atherton by making short work of visiting Evergreen Valley.

Shortstop Jack Freehill had three hits and drove in a pair of runs, while Fletcher Cahill, Zach Roeder and KC Chavinson added two hits each, including doubles.

W: Flanigan. L: Ho. 3 hits- Freehill 2 hits- Roeder (MS), Chavinson (MS), Cahill (MS).** 2 RBI-** Freehill. 2B- Cahill (MS), Chavinson (MS), Roeder (MS).

Sacred Heart Cathedral 6, Tamalpais 3

Trailing 3-2 going into the top of the seventh, the Irish plated four runs to record the come-from-behind victory.

Following a leadoff walk, Chasin Deninger doubled to put runners on second and third. Jacob Vines followed with a two-run single to put Sacred Heart in the lead for good, but they weren't finished.

A bunt single by Jeremy Marquez plated another run and Tedford Lewis added an RBI single.

Senior Quinn Middleton picked up the victory in relief and added a triple, while Vines and Deninger added two hits each.

The Irish (3-1) travel to El Camino on Saturday to face the winless Colts.

W: Middleton. L: Olinger. 2 hits- Vines (SHC), Deninger (SHC). 2 RBI- Vines (SHC), Lewis (SHC). 3B- Middleton (SHC) 2B- Deninger (SHC).