Mintons secure WCAL crown for Serra

The Minton boys were at it again on Tuesday – and Riordan had no answer for them.

Senior Davis Minton walked just two batters, struck out 11 and tossed his first no-hitter in a Serra uniform. He also had three hits, which would have been a huge offensive game if little brother Aaron Minton didn't steal the show.

Aaron, who had three hits, a home run and four RBI on Saturday's win over Sacred Heart Cathedral, was even better on Tuesday. The sophomore outfielder had four hits, including a third-inning grand slam, and drove in six runs as the Padres smashed Riordan, 13-0, to clinch the WCAL regular-season crown.

That's seven hits, two homers and 10 RBI in 72 hours. The kid, who had his early season struggles, is on a heater – a perfectly timed heater with the WCAL playoffs a week away and then the CCS tournament the following week.

"I know how sophomore years can be playing against guys a lot older than you are," Davis Minton said. "But he's stuck with his approach and it's great to see him do what everyone at Serra knows he's capable of.

"It's great to see him swinging it the way he is. He has the ability to be really good the next couple of years."

And for Davis Minton, he's putting the exclamation point on a season that has been solid offensively but has seen his mound usage limited by a nagging shoulder injury.

He made his first start in early April – just an inning on a rainy-day win against host Valley Christian – and has come on slowly. On Tuesday, the reins came off and he threw a season-high 91 pitches.

"As far as getting tired, I think adrenaline carried me through the game because I felt good in the seventh," he said.

He struck out Chase Oliver, DJ Sanchez and Daniel Ordonez in the seventh to finish with 11 strikeouts but said most of the game was spent leaning on his defense.

Shortstop Ian Josephson cleanly handled all seven ground balls hit to him – something that brought Davis Minton great peace of mind.

"I don't even need to look when I see the ball going to short because I know it's going to be an out," Davis Minton said. "I have a lot of confidence in my defense. It's something we preach in practice. ... I knew the guys behind me were going to make the plays."

Up 1-0, Serra broke it open with five runs in the third inning. Davis Minton single, Jack Armstrong reached base on an error and, after a wild pitcher, Tyler Harrison was hit by a pitch to lead the bases.

A Nate Hui grounder made it 2-0. William Walbridge walked to reload the bases and Aaron Minton followed with his grand slam that made it 6-0.

Aaron Minton added a two-run single in the fourth.

W: D.Minton. L: Cohn. 4 hits- A.Minton (S). 3 hits- D. Minton (S). 2 hits- Josphson (S). 6 RBI- A.Minton (S). 2 RBI- Josephson (S). HR- A.Minton.

St. Ignatius Prep 11, Saint Francis 1

The Wildcats posted their most convincing win of the WCAL season, thanks to junior lefty Chase Gordon and five run fifth inning that chased Landon Kim, who had his second straight tough outing.

Kim, who got roughed up by Sacred Heart Cathedral last week, allowed 10 hits and six earned runs against St. Ignatius Prep.

The Wildcats broke open a 2-1 lead with their big fifth inning. Jack Callen walked and Archer Horn singled. Emmett Johnson beat out a sacrifice bunt to load the bases.

DJ Delaney singled in two runs to make it 4-1. Beau Schaffer followed with a sacrifice fly. Consecutive doubles Tycco Giametti and AJ Wineinger plated two more runs.

W: Gordon. L: Kim. 3 hits- Delaney (SI). 2 hits- Horn (SI), Johnson (SI), Wineinger (SI), Leeper (SF). 3 RBI- Delaney (SI). 2 RBI- Johnson (SI). 3B- Delanney (SI). 2B- Wineinger(SI), Delaney (SI), Giametti (SI), Leeper (SF).

Bellarmine 6, Mitty 4

After came all the way back from a four-run deficit to tie the game in the sixth, the Bells scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to record the victory.

With one out, Evan Tavarez was hit by a pitch. Ollie McNamara singled following the second out of the inning. Vincent Kim, who had two doubles, cleared the bases with one of them, scoring two to break the 4-4 tie.

Freshman Emmett Arnott came on in relief of Apolo Lapiz to pitch up the victory.

Grayson Munoz had two hits for Mitty, including his fifth home run of the season.

W: Arnott. L: Sunderland. 2 hits- Munoz (M), Kim (B), McNamara (B), Johnson (M). 3 RBI- Kim (B). 2 RBI- Mak (M). HR- Munoz (M). 2B- Munoz (M), Kim (B) 2.

Valley Christian 2, Sacred Heart Cathedral 0

Quinten Marsh went six innings, allowing just three hits, while striking out six as the Warriors put together their 10th shutout victory of the season.

Rohan Kasanagottu struck out two in the seventh to pick up the save.

Brock Ketelsen had two doubles, both of with were integral in Valley's two runs. In the third, he scored on a Marsh single. In the fifth, he doubled, stole third and came in to score on a Marsh sacrifice fly.

Sacred Heart Cathedral starter, Arthur Baronofsky, a left-handed sophomore, rebounded from last week's varsity debut by going five strong innings. He allowed five hits, two runs, two walks and struck out five in 75 pitches of work.

W: Marsh. L: Baronofsky. S: Kasanagottu. 2 hits- Ketelsen (VC). 2 RBI- Marsh (VC). 2B- Ketelsen (VC) 2.

Menlo School 5, Woodside 3

The Knights (15-8) moved a step closer to a PAL Ocean Division crown by scoring three runs in the first inning and riding the right arm of junior Jackson Flanagan.

Flanagan went five innings. He scattered nine hits, allowed three runs and a walk while striking out three. Liam Widner pitched the final two innings to notch the save.

With two outs in the first, Widner tripled and scored on a KC Chavinson single. A Zach Roeder single put runner on first and second and both runners scored on an infield error.

Cruz Torrez had three hits for the Wildcats (10-13).

W: Flanagan. L: Amoroso. S: Widner. 3 hits- Torres (W). 2 hits- Comfort (W), Salama (MS), Roeder (MS), Widner (MS). 2 RBI- Torres (W), Salama (MS). 3B- Widner (MS). 2B- Comfort (W) 2, Torres (W), Widner (MS).

Terra Nova 6, San Mateo 2

Aiden James scattered five hits in going the distance for the Tigers, who won their fifth straight game and stayed within a game of Menlo in the Bay Division standings.

James thew 99 pitches and allowed two runs. He walked two and struck out one.

The Tigers (16-5-1) trailed 2-1 in the fifth but scored two in the frame and added three insurance runs in the sixth to put the game out of reach.

In the fifth, Isaac Roman walked and was bunted to second by Wes McDougal. Luke Ornelas walked and Joey Donati singled to load the bases. Brody Finale walked to force in a run and tie the game, 2-2. And JT Snead's sacrifice fly broke the deadlock.

Terra Nova had five hits in the sixth inning, including RBI doubles by Ornelas and Donati.

W: James. L: Louie. 3 hits- Donati (TN). 2 hits- James (TN), McDougal (TN), Martinez (TN). 2 RBI- Donati (TN). 2B- Olivas (SM), Wilson (TN), Donati (TN), Ornelas (TN).

Aragon 6, Half Moon Bay 5

The Cougars came all the way back from five runs down to tie the game at 5, but Aragon won it in the seventh on a game-winning single from Saxon Lucia.

The inning began with a double by Dalton Kane. Charlie Henderson followed with a fly ball out to deep center. Jordan Kiaaina infield grounder looked disastrous for the Dons when Half Moon Bay shortstop Riley Jackson backdoored a throw to third to nail Kane.

Kiaaina stole second and scored on Lucia's walk-off singe.

Jackson hit his third home run of the season for Half Moon Bay.

W: Kane. L: Johnson. 2 hits- Ormando (HMB), Jacobs (A), Mazzola (A), Lucia (A). 3 RBI- Couto (HMB), Jacobs (A). HR- Jackson (HMB). 3B- Couto (HMB). 2B- Kane (A).

Mills 3, El Camino 1

Don't look now, but the Vikings can creep to within a game of .500 with a victory over El Camino – and a series sweep – on Thursday.

Matt Juul went the distance, scattering five hits and a run, while striking out three. He threw 73 pitches.

Nick Lafon the slick gloved Mills center fielder was moved to left field because of El Camino's shallow centerfield fence and that paid off when El Camino's leadoff hitter Michael McCauley led off the bottom of the first and fouled one down the left field line and Lafon reached over the fence in foul territory to make a spectacular catch and set the tone.

The Vikings (8-10) scored all of their runs on a three-run homer in the sixth inning by Jeremiah Reyes.

Mills is 6-3 since April 1st and will finish with one more game against El Camino on thursday and the final series of the season next week with Terra Nova.

W: Juul. L: Iniguez. 3 hits- Bromaghim (EC). 2 hits- Angelini (M), Reyes (M), Nick Lafon (M). 3 RBI- Reyes (M). HR- Reyes (M). 2B- Nick Lafon (M).