Los Gatos delivers another knockout punch

ATHERTON – As if Los Gatos – already a good offensive team – needed any help, Menlo School lent the Wildcats some additional aid by surrendering eight walks five hit batters and committed four errors in a 12-4 Los Gatos win that was called after six innings by darkness.

The loss snapped the Knights' 13-game winning streak that dated back to late April and hoisted Los Gatos into the Battle for Atherton championship game on Saturday, where they'll meet a familiar foe in Serra.

It was the Padres who beat Los Gatos in extra innings to win the inaugural Battle for Atherton. The Padres won again in the NorCal semifinals, a 3-0 contest that was scoreless until late.

"You look at the final score in the NorCal that game and the game played here, and they're not really conducive to how the games actually played out," said coach Mike Minkel. "We feel good about playing them."

It's still unknown if Brady Simon will be available for Saturday's title game. The senior centerfielder got hit by two pitches in the first two innings, the second one hit the back of his helmet and forced him to leave the game. He stayed on the bench and iced the left back side of his head and said he was fine, but Minkel said caution would rule the day.

The Wildcats are off to a solid start offensively. They've scored 12 runs in each of their first two games. Senior catcher Rowan Smith had a home run and a two-run single to finish the game with four RBI.

"It was in my in my zone, inside," said Smith, who turned on the Reid Plamondon fastball and drove it over the fence in left field. "I kind of just felt that he was going to throw a fastball in that count. He wasn't putting the curveball in the zone."

The Knights took a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when leadoff man Jack Freehill launched one over the fence in right-center field for his second home run in as many days. The senior shortstop now has seven RBI in two games.

Los Gatos answered the early deficit by erupting for five runs in the second and four more in the third. Smith had the big hits in both of those offensive uprisings.

Three Things We Liked

• Los Gatos joined the new-uniform brigade. Gray button-downs with black pinstripes and the numbers and lettering done in Toronto Blue Jays spiral fashion. The new look is about as far removed from the all-orange outfits worn during last year's Central Coast Section tournament as you can get, but we appreciate both looks.
• The left side of the Menlo infield. Liam Widner made three nice plays at the hot corner, while Freehill made everything hit his way look easy. He's on the short list of best shortstops on the Peninsula.
• Menlo School junior Logan Tran, who had just nine plate appearances last year, looks right at home in left field. He made two strong plays at the fence on Thursday and collected three hits in the loss.

W: Seiler | L: Plamondon | 3 hits- Tran (MS). 2 hits- Smith (LG). 4 RBI- Smith (LG). 2 RBI- Schrader (LG), Freehill (MS). HR- Smith (LG), Freehill (MS). 2B- Mordaunt (LG), Scott (MS).

Serra 9, Menlo-Atherton 8

William Walbridge and Jack Wessell had home runs for the Padres, who were better offensively than they were in Wednesday's 4-1 victory over Sacred Heart Prep.

Their 11-hit uprising was needed against the Bears, who brought their bats, too. The win pushed the Padres into Saturday's Battle for Atherton final against Los Gatos.

Ayden Beal, Wessell and Brody Crudeli had two hits each, while Alex Hicale added a triple. Walbridge and Wessell each knocked in three runs.

Menlo-Atherton fell to 0-2 after opening with Los Gatos and Serra. The Bears were led by Owen Coupe's two hits. Max Brubacher and MJ Ellazar added doubles.

The Bears trailed in the sixth, 9-6. They chipped away for two runs to close the gap to one run and had runners at second and third. Senior Nate Hui struck out Jack Willbanks to get out of the jam.

The game was called after six innings because of darkness.

W: Sckelj | L: Lewis | S: Hui | 2 hits- Coupe (MA), Wessell (S), Beal (S), Crudeli (S). 3 RBI- Wessell (S), Walbridge (S). HR- Walbridge (S), Wessell (S). 3B- Hicale (S). 2B- Crudeli (S), Brubacher (MA), Ellazar (MA).

San Mateo 11, Mission 0

Michael Lackey drove in four runs, while Wilson Morales added three for the Bearcats, who opened the season with a lopsided with over the San Francisco school.

They each had two hits, while Tyce Copus led the Bearcats' 10-hit attack with three hits.

Morales allowed just one hit in earning the victory.

W: Morales | L: McCallister. | 3 hits- Copus (SM). 2 hits- Morales (SM), Lackey (SM). 4 RBI- Lackey (SM). 3 RBI- Morales (SM). 2B- Copus (SM), Morales (SM).

James Logan 8, James Logan 1

James Logan bounced back from Wednesday's lopsided loss at Menlo School to record the road victory.

Wesley Vega went the distance, scattering five hits and a giving up a run in 84 pitches of work. He struck out three.

Brayden Berta had two hits for the Gatos, who fell to 0-2.

W: Vega | L: Affrunti | 2 hits- Berta (SHP), Osegura (JL). 2 RBI- Osegura (JL), Yamagata (JL).

Woodside 10, El Camino 5

Carter Ball allowed a run in five innings of work as Woodside opened the season with a victory.

He was helped by a 10-hit attack that was led by junior John Timson, who had four hits and drove in a pair of runs. Jeremiah Arias-Torres added two hits for the Wildcats.

El Camino got a grand-slam homer from Hunter Tamayo.

W: Ball | L: Inigez | 4 hits- Tinson (W). 2 hits- Arias-Torres (W). 4 RBI- Tamayo (EC). 2 RBI- Tinson (W). HR- Tamayo (EC). 2B- Dalrymple (W), Fernandez (W), Tinson (W).

Soquel 6, Saint Francis 3

No one considered this one a gimme. Soquel was a CCS qualifier a year ago and brought a strong team to Mountain View.

Sophomore Landon King was the only bright spot offensively for the Lancers, who have combined for a total of eight hits in their first two games. King had a double and two RBI for Saint Francis.

W: Shoemaker | L: Sia. Tulua | 2 hits- Escala (So). 2 RBI- Escala (So), King (SF). 2B- Estupinian (So), King (SF).

Mitty 6, Pioneer 0

Kelen Johnson and Justin Humbert combined to scatter five hits and shut out Pioneer to advance to the Milpitas tourney title game on Saturday.

Elijah Kroenung led Monarchs with two hits, while sophomore Michael Park drove in two runs.

W: Johnson | L: Gentry | S: Humbert| 2 hits- Kroenung (M), Bacon (P). 2B- Lopez (M), Kroeung (P), Bacon (P). 2 RBI- Park (M).

Wilcox 3, Riordan 1

The Chargers will face Sequoia in Saturday's Tamone tourney final after coming from behind to beat the Crusaders.

Eliah Laureles got the victory and was helped offensively by a triple from junior Samuel Martinez. Sophomore Greg Hernandez had a double for Riordan, which jumped to a 1-0 lead.

Santino Williams had a triple in the contest for the Crusaders.

W: Laureles | L: Cohn | 3B- Williams (R), Marinez (W). 2B- Hernandez (R).

Half Moon Bay 10, Lincoln 0

Kai Kung struck out 12 batters in six innings of work as Half Moon Bay opened its season with a shutout victory on Wednesday.

Jacob Couto, along with Cole and Lane Giannini, had two hits each, while Riley Jackson added a double.

Half Moon Bay will host Carlmont on Friday.

W: Kung | L: Johnson | 2 hits- Couto (HMB), C.Giannini (HMB), L.Giannini (HMB). 2 RBI- C. Giannini (HMB). 2B- Jackson (HMB), Couto (HMB).