Crawford slams the door on Mitty

SAN JOSE — Friday looked eerily familiar to a game played last month at Mitty.

St. Ignatius Prep jumped out to a 5-0 lead and seemed intent on completing a sweep of the host Monarchs. But Mitty's grittiness showed its face and the Monarchs chipped away at the lead and eventually knocked off the visiting Wildcats.

On Friday, Serra jumped to a 4-0 lead after one inning and grew its advantage with three more runs in the second inning before Mitty began its comeback. The Monarchs scored three runs in the third and two more in the fifth to close the gap to three, 8-5.

What they didn't count on was Kelley Crawford slamming the door on them over the last two innings. The senior right-hander, a kid with starter's stuff and raw power, appears to have finally found a role – one that will help the Padres this season and will get him ready for the next level.

Crawford entered the game with the Padres teetering. Six outs later, they secured their third straight WCAL victory and a sweep of the Monarchs, 8-5.

"He's throwing the ball as confidently as I have seen him in his career with us," said Serra coach Mat Keplinger. "That's a huge piece to have at the back end of the game. ... his stuff plays in the bullpen. We talked about it, we said, 'You know how to start, but you actually don't really know how to relieve. So, this is a great opportunity to start to learn that.'"

Crawford bought in immediately. And it showed on Friday. He set the Monarchs down 1-2-3 in the sixth and then struck out the Andre Lopez-Monsivais, who had delivered three loud doubles on the day, to lead off the seventh.

A pair of soft singles to the right side by Austin Mak and Elijah Kroenung and an error put runners on second and third with one out, but Sona Takahashi was called out on a third strike that appeared to hit him in the elbow, but the umpire ruled he leaned over the plate to get hit intentionally. Crawford ended the game by striking out Felix Chang.

Serra scored four runs in the first inning when Jayce Peavey led off with a walk and an errant pickoff attempt. One out later, Nate Hui walked and Michael Ohman followed with a double down the right-field line to score Peavey.

Brody Crudeli then singled in two runs and Jack Wessell would answer another RBI base hit.

The Padres got three more runs in the second on consecutive sacrifice flys by Ohman and Crudeli and an RBI single by Ayden Beal.

Four consecutive Mitty hits – including an RBI double to right-center field by Lopez-Monsivais an infield knock by Mak plated three runs for the Monarchs turned the momentum in their favor. They would close to 8-5, but that's when Crawford entered the game.

W: Zirelli | L: Humbert | S: Crawford | 3 hits- Beal (S), Lopez-Monsivaisv (M). 2 hits- Mak (M), Kroenung (M), Park (M). 3 RBI- Crudeli (S). 2 RBI- Ohman (S), Beal (S), Mak (M). 2B- Ohman (S), Lopez-Monsivais (M) 3.

Wilcox 7, Homestead 3

Sophomore Josh Porda was at it again, allowing just two runs over six innings in the Chargers' sixth straight win.

Preston Jetson had two hits, including a double, and drove in a pair.

Drew Hamburger and Ivan Hwang had home runs for the Mustangs.

W: Porda | L: Duong | 2 hits- Jetson (W). 2 RBI- Jetson (W). HR- Hamburger (H), Hwang (H). 3B- Padilla (W). 2B- Slate (W), Jetson (W).

Los Altos 4, Los Gatos 2

Anders Wood allowed two runs and four hits while striking out seven in going the distance to beat the Wildcats, who entered the contest with the best record on the Peninsula.

The loss was Los Gatos' first in league play and snapped an eight-game winning streak. Its last loss was on March 31 against Granite Bay at the Boras Family Classic in Sacramento.

Sean Hamby had three hits for the Eagles, while Angel Lara-Espinoza had two hits. Cooper Very drove in two runs as Los Altos continued its push for second place in the SCVAL-De Anza Division.

W: Wood | L: Schaffer | 3 hits- Hamby (LA). 2 hits- Lara-Espinoza (LA). 2 RBI- Very (LA). 3B- Fitzpatrick (LG). 2B- Hamby (LA).

Palo Alto 9, Mountain View 8

Carter Bader followed up his two-homer game on Wednesday with four more hits on Friday as Paly swept the series from Mountain View.

Perhaps the only player hotter than Bader these days is teammate Albert Pellizzari, who also had two homers on Wednesday. He had three hits on Friday, as did Nate Robinson.

Rex Martin and Jackson Sims had two hits each, while Makaio Mo'Unga had three hits for the Spartans and Zander Yocum and Mikito Tsurouka added two hits each.

W: Newman | L: Huang | 4 hits- Bader (PA). 3 hits- Pellizzari (PA), Robinson (PA), Mo'Unga (MV). 2 hits- Martin (PA), Sims (PA), Tsuruoka (MV), Yocum (MV) 2. 3 RBI- Robinson (PA). 2B- Pellizzari (PA), Bader (PA), Robinson (PA).

South San Francisco 9, Half Moon Bay 4

It was a long time coming, but the Warriors picked up their first victory in the Ocean Division, thanks to Emelio Oseguera, who had two hits, drove in three runs and struck out eight, while allowing just four hits in going the distance for the win.

Josh Ornelas added two hits for South City.

For Half Moon Bay, Riley Jackson had two hits and drove in three runs.

W: Oseguera | L: Jackson | 2 hits- Oseguera (SSF), Ornelas (SSF), Jackson (HMB). 3 RBI- Jackson (HMB), Oseguera (SSF). 2B- Rose (HMB), Oseguera (SSF), C.Giannini (HMB).

St. Ignatius Prep 13, Sacred Heart Cathedral 1

The Wildcats completed the sweep of the Irish, but unlike the first meeting – a walk-off, extra-inning victory at Oracle Park – this on was not close.

Ryan Rosenthal had three hits, while Archer Horn had two hits, and DJ Delaney, a home run and four RBI as St. Ignatius Prep tuned up for a big series against Serra with a lopsided victory.

Leo Rhein allowed one run and five hits over six innings for the Wildcats.

W: Rhein | L: Vines | 3 hits- Rosenthal (SI). 2 hits- Horn (SI). 4 RBI- Delaney (SI). 2 RBI- Rosenthal (SI), J.Callen (SI). HR- Delaney (SI). 2B- Horn (SI), Lewis (SHC), Nepomuceno (SHC).

Saint Francis 5, Valley Christian 0

Kyle McMillan struck out seven over 6 1/3 scoreless innings as the Lancers recorded their 14th shutout victory of the season.

The junior right-hander and Santa Clara University commit also drove in two runs, while junior centerfielder Jack Leeper added three hits.

Christian Nevarez had two hits, including a double, for the Warriors, who were kept off the scoreboard in two games against the Lancers this week.

Valley begins a series with Riordan on Tuesday, while Saint Francis will take on Sacred Heart Cathedral.

W: McMillan | L: Kim | 3 hits- Leeper (SF). 2 hits- Nevarez (VC). 2 RBI- McMillan. 2B- Nevarez (VC).

Bellarmine 5, Riordan o

Emmet Arnott struck out six over five innings as the Bells completed the sweep of the Crusaders with a shutout victory.

Nathan Chew, Vincent Kim and Ollie McNamara had two hits each for Bellarmine, while Daniel Ordonez and Liam Fong had two hits each for the Crusaders, who remained winless in WCAL play.

W: Arnott | L: Tuman | 2 hits- Chew (B), Kim (B), McNamara (B), Ordonez (R). 2B- Dannna (B), Chew (B), Kim (B), Curmi (R), Fong (R).

Hillsdale 8, Capuchino 4

Hugo Guzman had three hits, while Jackson Snodgrass drove in a pair for the Knights, who salvaged a series split with the victory.

Brayden Lee, Parker Jessup and Liam Shaw had two hits each for Hillsdale.

Dominic Fanara had a home run and a double for the Mustangs, whose modest two-game winning streak wwas snapped.

W: Jessup | L: Arceo | 3 hits- Guzman (H). 2 hits- Fannara (C), B.Lee (H), Jessup (H), Shaw (H). 2 RBI- Snodgrass (H). HR- Fanara (C). 2B- Fanara (C), Ayoob (C), Jessup (H).

Burlingame 7, Sequoia 6

The Panthers completed the sweep and moved into a tie for first place with The King's Academy in the PAL-Bay Division.

Daniel MacMillian picked up the pitching victory, while Mark O'Grady recorded his second save in as many days.

Oscar Osuna-Lopez, Preet Mallen and Slade Flores had two hits each for the Panthers, who also got three RBI from Charlie Cheng.

Mario Fausto and Morgan Winfield homered for the Ravens. It was Fausto's fourth long ball of the season, while Winfield's seventh ties him with Menlo School's Chuck Wynn for the Peninsula lead.

Nolan Fausto had three hits, while Cole Hymer added two hits for the Ravens.

W: MacMillian | L:Detrich | S: O'Grady | 3 hits- N.Fausto (S). 2 hits- Osuna (B), M.Fausto (S), Hymer (S), Mallen (B), Flores (B). 3 RBI- Winfield (S), Cheng (B). 2 RBI- M.Fausto (S), Flores (B), Osuna (B). HR- M.Fausto (S), Winfield (S).