Horn sets the tone, SI rolls

PALO ALTO – Five pitches into the game, St. Ignatius Prep had a lead it would never relinquish. The quick run came courtesy of an Archer Horn home run that sailed over the fence in right-center field.

And for the next two hours, the Wildcats spent their time adding to the lead. The 9-1 victory over host Palo Alto showcased everything St. Ignatius does well. It swung the bats. It made every play on the infield, and the pitchers filled the strike zone.

But it all begins with Horn.

"He's our tone setter," said centerfielder DJ Delaney, who hits behind Horn in the batting order. "He's the guy. We follow him and he's gonna take us there. But I think we got an all-around performance from everyone. When you see (a leadoff home run), you get a good feeling about the game."

After flying out in the first, Delaney knocked in a run in his next three plate appearances. A third-inning triple off the wall in right field drove in one run. A single in the fifth knocked in another and a sixth-inning sacrifice fly put a period on his three-RBI game.

Ryan Rosenthal added a pair of run-scoring singles and Luke Van de Braak had a two-run single for the Wildcats, who collected a season-high 13 hits against the Vikings.

Meanwhile, the pitching trio of Connor Law, who was making his first varsity start, Leo Rhein and A.J. Wineinger scattered six hits, while walking just one and hitting another batter, in showing the effectiveness of pitching to contact.

The Wildcats will host Carlmont on Friday before launching into the WCAL season next week with a series against Mitty.

"This is a good week for us to get into that Tuesday-Friday rhythm," said St. Ignatius coach Brian Pollzzie. "I feel like every game, we're getting a little better. Today was good to get out on the road and get a win."

Palo Alto will begin the SCVAL-De Anza Division season Wednesday when it travels to winless Homestead. The Mustangs will be at Palo Alto on Friday.

"I think we're going to be fine," said Palo Alto coach Pete Fukuhara, who said the time change and sun staying out later is going to help his team. "That's my prediction."

Sophomore Michael Wu had two hits for the Vikings.

W: Law | L: Tominta | 2 hits- Horn (SI), Delaney (SI), Rosenthal (S), Petersen (SI), Wu (PA). 3 RBI- Delaney (SI). 2 RBI- Rosenthal (SI), Van de Braak (SI). HR- Horn (S). 3B- Delaney (SI), Callen (SI). 2B- Horn (SI), Coleman (SI).

Valley Christian 4, Soquel 1

The Warriors managed just two hits, but their pitching continued to be the story in the early going.

Alex Kim got the victory Valley Christian, which won its fourth straight game. Kim went five scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out six. Gabe Felix pitched the seventh to earn the save

W: Kim | L: Shoemaker | S: Felix. | 2 hits- Moran (S).

Mitty 9, The King's Academy 2

The Monarchs bounced back from their first loss of the year in a big way by handling The King's Academy. Derek Allen allowed just four hits and the Knights committed four errors.

Meanwhile, Austin Mak and Felix Chang had two hits each and Gabe Lopez drove in two runs.

Max Roberts drove in two runs for The King's Academy, while Nate Plata and Brandon Kinoshita had doubles.

W: Allen | L: Myung | 2 hits- Mak (M), Chang (M). 2 RBI- Chang M), Lopez (M), Roberts (TKA). 2B- Plata (TKA), Kinoshita (TKA).

Saint Francis 5, Menlo-Atherton 1

Brody Larocque picked up his third win of the year by going six innings and allowing just one run. He struck out seven.

Jack Leeper and Tanner Wall had two hits each. Leeper had a triple and drove in two, while Wall doubled in a pair.

Owen Coupe had two hits for the Bears.

W: Larocque | L: Ho | 2 hits- Owen (MA), Leeper (SF), Wall (SF). 2 RBI- Leeper (SF), Wall (SF). 3B- Leeper (SF). 2B- Wall (SF).

Bellarmine 8, Pioneer 2

Emmet Arnott went five innings and allowed just one hit while striking out seven as the Bells continued their winning ways.

Elijah Vu had a home run and three RBI for Bellarmine, while Nathan Chew and Drew McClelland drove in two runs each.

McClelland continued his torrid start to the season with a triple, while Arleigh Souza had two hits.

The Bells will host Lincoln of San Jose on Thursday.

W: Arnott | L: Teixiera | 2 hits- Souza (B), Bacon (P). 3 RBI- Vu (B). 2 RBI- Chew (B), McClelland (B). HR- Vu (B). 3B- McClelland (B). 2B- Bacon (P), Bright (P).

Sacred Heart Cathedral 5, Lincoln 2

Jacob Vines and Brody O'Sullivan had two hits each, while AJ Del Campo drove in two runs as the Irish snapped a two-game losing streak and evened their record at 2-2.

Arthur Baronofsky got the pitching decision for Sacred Heart Cathedral, which will travel to Head-Royce on Wednesday and then to Casa Grande on Saturday before opening the WCAL season next week with a series against Serra.

W: Baronofsky | L: Wong | 2 hits- Vines (SHC), O'Sullivan (SHC). 2 RBI- Del Campo (SHC). 2B- O'Sullivan (SHC), Vines (SHC), DeBrunner (SHC).

Half Moon Bay 9, Thomas More 3

Senior lefty Kai Kung allowed a run and two hits while striking out 10 in picking up his third win of the season.

The Half Moon Bay offense came to life behind two hits and three RBI from Clark Colucci. Ian Ehrhardt had two hits, while Riley Jackson hit his first home run of the season.

W: Kai | L: Selway | 2 hits- Colucci (HMB), Ehrhardt (HMB), Selway (M). 3 RBI- Colucci (HMB). HR- Jackson (HMB). 2B- Colucci (HMB), Holden (HMB), Couto (HMB), Ehrhardt (HMB).

Sacred Heart Prep 10, Carlmont 0

Rallin Covey had his third straight dominant start to begin the year. The senior threw 93 pitches over five scoreless innings and allowed just a hit while striking out seven.

Meanwhile, the Gators bats, which have been relatively quiet in the first two weeks of the season, responded on Tuesday by collecting 12 hits, most of them against Nate Werbinski.

Dylan Betts, JP Durrett and Dane Bochnowski drove in two runs each, while Betts and Drew Parker had two singles apiece.

Things won't get any easier for the Scots on Friday when they travel to St. Ignatius before hosting Mitty on Saturday.

W: Covey | L: Werbinski | 2 hits- Parker (SHP), Betts (SHP). 2 RBI- Betts (SHC), Bochnowski (SHC), Durrett (SHP).

Hillsdale 17, Branham 1

Tommy Schultz had two hits, including a home run, and drove in four runs as Hillsdale improved t0 5-1.

The Knights pounded out 18 hits and scored 17 runs, season highs in both categories. Eight players collected at least one hit, including Curtis Lee, Hugo Guzman and Parker Jessup, who had three each.

Guzman pitched six innings and allowed just a run and five hits. He walked one and struck out 10.

W: Guzmaan | L: Knezevic | 3 hits- Lee (H), Guzman (H), Jessup (H). 2 hits- Schultz (H), Bonner (H), Urquidez (H), Chmolack (H). 4 RBI- Schultz (H). 3 RBI- Bonner (H). 2 RBI- Jessup (H), Chmolack (H). HR- Schultz (H). 3B- Jessup (H). 2B- Lee (H), Bonner (H), Chmolack (H), Jessup (H).

Sequoia 8, Aragon 0

Morgan Winfield allowed two hits and struck out nine over five innings as Sequoia rolled to a shutout win over the Dons.

First baseman Cole Hymer had four hits, including two doubles, and two RBI to lead the Ravens' 11-hit attack. Winfield and Drew Ostrander had two hits each.

W: Winfield | L: Gosselin | 4 hits- Hymer (S). 2 hits- Winfield (S), Ostrander (S). 2 RBI- Hymer (S). 2B- Hymer (S) 2. N.Fausto (S).

Burlingame 5, South San Francisco 2

Daniel MacMillian allowed just two runs on four hits as Burlingame improved to 4-1 and handed South San Francisco its first loss of the young season.

Grayson Howard led the Panthers with two hits, including a double, and two RBI.

Vince Bernal had two hits and drove in two for the Warriors.

W: MacMillian | L: Oseguera | S: Armstrong. 2 hits- Howard (B), V.Bernal (SSF). 2 RBI- Howard (B), V.Bernal (SSF). 2B- Howard (B), Osuna (B), Lopez (B), V.Bernal (SSF), Tatada (SSF)