Hugo comes up huge for Hillsdale

CUPERTINO – The game was on the line and Hillsdale's Hugo Guzman knew it. The bases were loaded. The tying run was at second and Joshua Fraleigh was at the plate for Homestead.

Guzman started him with a slider. Fraleigh buckled. Two pitches later, one of them a second strike, he came back to the same slider, this time maybe even a better one.

Again, it caught Fraleigh looking. Strike three. End of threat. End of the Guzman's day. And ultimately the end of the game.

Tyler Dang faced a little bit of trouble in the seventh but escaped unscathed as Hillsdale remained unbeaten with a 5-3 victory over the Mustangs, who fell to 0-3.

"This group of guys something different," Guzman said. "We bond really good together. We like each other. We have two big wins and want another tomorrow."

The Knights drew first blood in the top of the fourth when Guzman drilled a leadoff triple to the fence in right-centerfield. He scored on Jaden Minahan's base hit. Jacob Bonner then bunted for a single up the first-base line. Tommy Schultz' sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third.

Curtis Lee's infield grounder made it 2-0. After a walk and a hit batter, the third run scored on a strikeout and passed ball.

The Mustangs cut the lead to 3-2 by plating two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Howard Cheng bunted home one run and the other scored on a single to right by Ivan Hwang.

Hillsdale repadded its lead with two runs in the sixth.

W: Guzman | L: Lohitsa | S: Day. 2 hits- Bonner (Hi), Hamburger (Ho), Hwang (Ho). 3B- Gementera (Hi), Guzman (Hi). 2B- Ohara (Ho), Hamburger (Ho).

Mitty 3, Carlmont 2

This is supposed to be a reloading year for the Monarchs, who find themselves the only remaining unbeaten team in the WCAL and will play for their second tournament title is as many weeks on Saturday.

Mitty will play the winner of Thursday's game between Monterey and Valley Christian in the Hazlett tourney's championship game.

Down, 3-0, the Scots pulled to within a run by notching two runs in the sixth inning and an RBI double by Nate Werbinski and a run-scoring single by Ryan Weiss.

Mitty scored all three of its runs in the first inning, thanks to two hit batters, two walks and a two-run single by Andre Lopez-Monsivais.

That proved to be all the offense Jay Kim would get – or need. He went six innings, giving up three hits and two runs, while striking out two.

Gabe Lopez faced four batters in the seventh to notch the save.

W: Kim | L: Shinseki | S: G.Lopez | 2 hits- A. Lopez-Monsivais (M). 2 RBI- A. Lopez-Monsivais. 2B- Werbinski (C), Chase (M).

Hollister 4, Palo Alto 1

Evan Mendoza's three-run home run was the big blow in the contest and helped Hollister to its first victory of the season.

Ian Johnston allowed just three hits. Unfortunately, one of them was Mendoza's homer, which proved to be more than enough offense for Haybalers pitcher Izaiah Lopez, who picked up the victory at the Hazlett tourrney.

Both Hollister and Palo Alto will play Saturday in the final round of the tourney at Santa Clara's Washington Park.

W: Johnston | L: Lopez | 3 RBI- Mendoza (H). HR- Mendoza (H).

Serra 3, College Park 1

Donovan Friedland's three-run homer chased home Serra's only runs, but that was plenty of offense for the trip of Kelley Crawford, Michael Ohman and Antonio Sekelj, who combined to scatter seven hits while allowing just one run.

Crawford, who struggled in his season-opening start against Menlo-Atherton last week, was much better this time. He allowed a run in the first but that was it. He went five innings before giving way to Ohman. Sekelj pitched the seventh to earn the save.

Sebastian Alvarez brought a 1-0 lead into the fifth inning before hitting two straight batters. The junior second baseman made him pay with his first home runs of the season, the first of his varsity career.

Nate Hui added three stolen bases, bringing his season total to eight after five games.

W: Crawford | L: Alavarez | S: Sekelj | 3 hits- Carpenter (CP). 3 RBI- Friedland (S). HR- Friedland (S). 2B- Cobb (CP), Carpenter (CP), Gieden (CP) 2.

Half Moon Bay 5, Lowell 0

Kai Kung spun his second gem of the young season by pitching six scoreless innings and allowing just three hits. The senior southpaw struck out six.

Alex Ryan had two hits and two RBI to lead the Cougars, while Ian Ehrhardt had two hits and Lane Giannini drove in two and had a triple.

Half Moon Bay will travel to The King's Academy on Saturday.

W: Kung | L: Lebio | 2 hits- Ryan (HMB), Ehrhardt (HMB). 2 RBI- Ryan (HMB), L.Giannini (HMB). 3B- L. Giannini (HMB). 2B- Ryan (HMB).

Redwood 5, Sacred Heart Cathedral 2

The Irish dropped their second straight game to a North Bay opponent despite a strong effort from Zach Stallworth, who is working his way back from an injury that cost him all of last year.

Max Nylander had two hits for Sacred Heart Cathedral, which will host Lincoln of San Francisco on Tuesday.

W: Giaziedei | L: Stallworth | 3 hits- Trono (R). 2 hits- Nylander (SHC). 2 RBI- Maseley (R). 2B- Trono (R) 2, Gersch (R).

Branham 2, Aragon 1

Alex Gosselin pitched well, but the Dons managed just one run against unbeaten Branham, which improved to 3-0 with the one-run victory.

Kai Thornton had a double for Aragon, which fell to 1-2

W: Johnston | L: Gosselin | 2B- Thornton (A), Quam (B).