Mitty comes from behind to stun SI

SAN JOSE – After playing the best game of the year and losing by a run on Tuesday, Mitty had every reason to pack it in on Friday, especially after spotting St. Ignatius Prep a 5-0 lead on a hot, sticky day in the South Bay.

But that's not the way the Monarchs a wired. There's a grittiness that's been built into their program with years of hard-nosed play.

Instead, they rebounded from the early deficit by scoring five runs in the fourth inning and then took the lead for good with two runs in a fifth inning where they didn't get a hit.

They then withstood a Wildcats' rally, the game-saving catch coming when centerfielder Andre Lopez-Monsivais leaped high to snag a line drive off the bat of Ryan Rosenthal with the tying run on second base.

"SI was really barreling the ball," Lopez-Monsivais said. "That was a situation where it's like you've got to just lay out. You've got to get the out. That ball was hit super hard.

"I just kind of jumped up and said a quick little prayer, and it went in my glove."

St. Ignatius took the quick lead on Jack Callen's two-run single in the second inning. He would eventually score on DJ Delaney's sacrifice fly to make it 3-1.

The Wildcats added single runs in the third and fourth before Mitty answered with a five-run inning. The big hit coming on a bases-loaded double by Sona Takahashi.

"On the road, in the WCAL, you're never really comfortable until that last out," said St. Ignatius coach Brian Pollzzie. "With two strikes and two outs, Mitty seems too get even tougher. It's something that's embedded in their program."

Tied at 5, Mitty took the lead in the fifth on two hits batters and a walk that loaded the bases. Michael Park then hit a ground ball up the middle that Archer Horn took his eyes off momentarily while sizing up his proximity to second base and an inning-ending double play. The ball squirted off the heel of his glove into centerfield allowing two runs to score.

But the Wildcats weren't finished. Far from it. Horn beat out an infield single and proceeded to steal second and third bases. Delaney, who had his first home run of the year in the fourth inning, then hit a hard infield grounder that took a bad hop. Delaney hustled it into an RBI double making it 7-6.

Lopez-Monsivais ended the threat with his leap and catch of Rosental's line drive to centerfield.

W: Humbert | L: Stecher | S: Lopez Monsivais. 3 hits- Church (SI). 2 hits- Delaney (SI), Kroenung (M), 3 RBI- Delaney (SI). 2 RBI- Callen (SI), Takahashi (M). HR- Delaney (SI). 2B- Delaney (SI), Gordon (SI), Takahashi (M).

Hillsdale 14, Menlo School 4

Hillsdale salvaged a split of the series and got a win in a challenging week, thanks to Hugo Guzman, who proved himself to be the Knights' ace. Hillsdale also benefitted from six Menlo defensive errors.

Parker Jessup and Brayden Lee had two hits each for Hillsdale, while Chuck Wynn had two hits for Menlo, which also got two RBI each from Fletcher Cahill and Liam Widner.

W: Guzman | L: Plamondon | 2 hits- Wynn (MS), Jessup (H), Lee (H). 2 RBI- Cahill (MS), Widner (MS). 2B- Wynn (MS), Cahill (MS).

Burlingame 9, Menlo-Atherton 7

These types of games usually favor the Bears, but it was the Panthers who found a way to win Friday's slugfest, which allowed Burlingame to split the series with the defending Bay champion.

Mark O'Grady had three hits to lead Burlingame's offense, while Liam Philibosian had two hits and drove in a pair. Grayson Howard also had two RBI.

Menlo-Atherton was led by senior second baseman Ryder Kelly, who homered and doubled, while junior centerfielder Merrick Lee had a home run. Owen Coupe and MJ Ellazar had two hits each.

W: O'Grady | L: Coupe | 3 hits- O'Grady (B), 2 hits- Coupe (MA), Kelly (MA), Ellazar (MA), Philibosian (B). 2 RBI- Philbosian (B), Howard (B), Kelly (MA), Chang (B). HR- Kelly (MA), Lee (MA). 2B- Philbsian (B), Coupe (MA), Kelly (MA).

Saint Francis 11, Riordan 0

Kyle McMillan struck out 11 and allowed just two hits in six scoreless innings as the Lancers complete the sweep of Riordan and won their seventh straight game.

St. Francis stole 11 bases, the third time they have reached double figures in a game this year. Jack Leeper led the Lancers with three steals.

Landon King, Leeper, Cody Butler, Siale Tulua and Aaron Bonini had two hits each, while Tulua, Leeper and King had two RBI each.

W: McMillan | L: Williams | 2 hits- King (SF), Leeper (SF), Butler (SF), Bonini (SF), Sia. Tulua (SF). 2 RBI- Sia. Tulua (SF), Leeper (SF), King (SF).

Bellarmine 6, Valley Christian 5

Bellarmine pounded out nine hits, including two each from Vincent Kim, Emmet Arnott, Ollie McNamara and Arleigh Souza, to split the two-game series with Valley Christian.

Colton Hadfield had a home run for the Warriors, while Christian Nevarez had two hits.

W: Suba | L: Feliz | 2 hits- Kim (B), Arnott (B), McNamara, Souza (B), Nevarez (VC). HR- Hadfield (VC). 3B- Souza (B), Moutzouridis (VC). 2B- Beyah (B).

Sacred Heart-Cathedral 2, Serra 0

Jacob Vines went six innings, allowing just two hits, while striking out nine as Sacred Heart Cathedral knocked off the Peninsula's top-ranked team.

Vines escaped a no-out situation with runners on second and third in the first inning, Serra also loaded the bases in the seventh inning against Alexei Tioupine, but couldn't capitalize.

Vines and Lucas Fung had doubles for the Irish.

W: Vines | L: Zirelli | 2 hits- Vines (SHC), Fung (SHC), Beal (S)

Carlmont 10 Live Oak 0

The Scots snapped a six-game losing streak by pounding out 12 hits and ending the contest after five innings.

Benjamin Taylor had three hits and three RBI for Carlmont, while Giancarlo Enferadi had two hits and drove in a pair and Caden Stinson had two hits.

W: Shinseki | L: Bergstrong | 3 hits- Taylor (C). 2 hits- Stinson (C), Enferadi (C). 3 RBI- Taylor (C). 2 RBI- Enferadi (C). 2B- Shinseki (C), Chan (C), Wellman (C), Werbinski (C), Rice (O), Bergstrong (LO).

Los Altos 10, Mountain View 2

Mitesh Jain had four hits, while Jonah Altschuler and Kai Baldwin had three each as the Eagles remained unbeaten in De Anza Division play.

Baldwin drove in a season-high four RBI, while Altschuler drove in three runs.

W: Wood | L: Haung | 4 hits- Jain (LA). 3 hits- Altschuler (LA), Badwin (LA). 4 RBI- Baldwin (LA). 3 RBI- Altschuler (LA). 2B- Very (LA), Jain (LA).

Los Gatos 19, Wilcox 0

Mike Minkel made it clear after Wednesday's 3-1 victory over Wilcox that he wasn't happy with the way his team executed. Whatever he said in the extended team meeting after that game sunk in on Friday.

The Wildcats had their biggest scoring output of the season, thanks to an 11-hit attack that featured five extra-base hits.

Blake Mordaunt had three hits, including three doubles, while Chase Frolich and Jackson Fitzpatrick had two hits each.

Max Thomas drove in three runs, while the trio of Beau Musser, Brady Simon and Fitzpatrick, the first three hitters in the Los Gatos batting order, drove in two runs each.

W: Oberthier | L: Roque | 3 hits- Mordaunt (LG). 2 hits- Frolich (LG), Fitzpatrick (LG). 4 RBI- Mordaunt (LG), Frolich (LG). 3 RBI- Thomas (LG). 2 RBI- Fitzpatrick (LG), Musser (LG), Simon (LG). 3B- Frolich (LG). 2B- Mordaunt (LG) 2, Fitzpatrick (LG), Thomas (LG).

Homestead 2, Santa Clara 0

Jayden Duong tossed a two-hit shutout with seven strikeouts as the Mustangs completed the sweep of the Bruins.

W: Duong | L: Denny | 2B- Gibson (SC). 3B- Hsu (H)

Capuchino 11, Evergreen Valley 0

Dominic Fanara picked up the pitching decision and collected three hits with two RBI with a double and a triple for the Mustangs, who bounced back from a loss to Santa Teresa on Thursday.

Jaxon Lazzari and Billy Ferreira drove in two runs each for Capuchino.

W: Fanara | L: Cambra | 3 hits- Fanara (C). 2 RBI- Lazzari (C), Fanara (C), Ferreira (C). 3B- Fanara (C). 2B- Fanara (C), Lazzari (C).

Aragon 4, Lincoln 3

Saxon Lucia had two hits, and the Dons won the game in the bottom of the seventh inning on a walk-off double by Keith Matye.

W: Thornton | L: Toloski | 2 hits- Lucia (A). 2B- Toloski (L), Matye (A).