Mitty still gritty in win over Knights

Two defending CCS champions – each trying to find the secret sauce as we head into the home stretch of the season – met on Saturday in Sunnyvale and Archbishop Mitty found a way to win.

The Monarchs (11-10) came away with a 3-2 win over The King's Academy, thanks to a two-run seventh inning.

Third baseman Felix Chang led off the seventh with a triple. He stayed put on Grayson Munoz's popup into shallow left that fell for a single. Derek Allen was intentionally walked to load the bases.

An Ethan Chase sacrifice fly broke the 1-1 tie and gave the Monarchs the lead. After Max Whelen was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Mitty added an insurance run on an infield grounder by Tyler Monago.

The Knights (8-8) scored a run in the bottom of the seventh and had the bases loaded but Justin Humbert retired Nate Plata on a fly ball to secure the victory.

Besides the win, the Monarchs got another big boost when senior right hander Carson Seeger made his first start since the early stages of the season. He pitched three scoreless innings, allowing two hits, before giving way to Humbert.

W: Humbert. L: Kong. 3 hits- Chang (M). 2 hits- Sid (TKA), Trotter (TKA), Johnson (TKA), Myung (TKA), Munoz (M). 3B- Chang (M). 2B- Salter (M), Munoz (M), Johnson (TKA), Sid (TKA), Plata (TKA).

Los Gatos 6, Burlingame 0

Hours after scoring a season-high 18 runs in a victory over The King's Academy, Burlingame came up flat by collecting just three hits in a shutout loss at Los Gatos.

The Wildcats (16-3) were led by Lucas Carlisle and Brady Simon, who had two hits each. Carlisle drove in two runs, as did catcher Rowen Smith.

Los Gatos scored three runs in the third and broke it open with two more in the fourth.

W: Seiler. L: Lealoha. 2 hits- Carlisle (LG), Simon (LG). 2 RBI- Smith (LG), Carlisle (LG). 2B- Musser (LG), Carlisle (LG).

Del Oro 4, Serra 3

The Padres' only offense in this one came courtesy of two Ian Josephson home runs.

Josephson staked Serra (17-5) to a 3-0 lead with a leadoff homer in the first and a two-run shot – which followed an Aaron Minton single – in the bottom of the third.

But the bullpen failed to hold the lead after Riley Lim left after three innings with a 3-2 lead. The Padres gave up a run in the fifth to tie it and allowed the go-ahead – and eventual winning run – to cross the plate in the sixth on a single and three straight walks.

W: Maloney. L: Dinelli. 2 hits- Maloney (DO), Belding (DO), Josephson (S). 3 RBI- Josephson (S). 2 RBI- Towes (DO). HR- Josephson (S) 2. 2B- Moore (S), Towes (DO), Belding (DO).

University 5, Woodside 4, 8 innings

Perhaps the best-kept secret in local high school baseball is University High, the San Francisco school, which now boasts a 16-1 record after beating Woodside on Saturday.

University jumped to a 4-0 lead before the Wildcats (9-11) chipped away at the lead and forced extra innings. But University scored in the top of the eighth to secure the victory.

Jeremiah Arias-Torres had three hits for Woodside, while Cruz Torres drove in three runs.

W: Felder. L: Comfort. 3 hits- Arias-Torrez (W). 2 hits- Gebhart (U), Chee (U), Coleman (U), Messenger (U). 3 RBI- Torres (W). 2 RBI- Chee (U). 2B- Messenger (U), Grisso (U), Chee (U), Torres (W), Amoroso (W).

Sequoia 2, Menlo School 1

Vince Olinger Giana singled home Morgan Winfield in the bottom of the seventh to break deadlock and give the Ravens a 2-1 victory that snapped Menlo School's winning streak at nine games.

The Knights (12-8) appeared to be on the verge of getting out of the jam when they got an out at the plate minutes earlier on a bunt play, but Olinger Giana made the most of his opportunity and singled sharply to score Winfield.

Nolan Fausto worked the final two innings in relief of Cameron Abrams to pick up the victory. The Sequoia duo allowed just a run on three hits in shutting down Menlo.

Menlo got a strong pitching performance from starter Liam Widner, who allowed just two hits in five innings of work

W: Fausto. L: Freehill. 2 hits- Olinger Giana (S). 2B- Roeder (MS).

San Mateo 9, Lowell 1

Sophomore third baseman Hudson Brandt had three hits and drove in three runs as the Bearcats won their 10th game of the season.

Taylor Hughes had two hits, while Hayato Nishiyama drove in two runs.

W: Louie. L: Ledlo. 3 hits- Brandt (SM). 2 hits- Hughes (SM). 3 RBI- Brandt (SM). 2 RBI- Nishiyama (SM). 2B- Brandt (SM), Bones (SM).

St. Ignatius Prep 12, Aragon 1

St. Ignatius collected just five hits but benefitted from nine walks from Aragon pitching to win in five innings.

AJ Wineinger had two hits, while Beau Schaffer drove in three runs. Jack Callen added two RBI for the Wildcats (12-7-2).

Meanwhile, the pitching duties were divided among Spencer Guido, Charlie Stetcher, Luke Miller and Archer Horn, who combined to allow just two hits, while striking out 10.

W: Guido. L: Crawford. 2 hits- Wineinger (SI). 3 RBI- Schaffer (SI). 2 RBI- Callen (SI).

Valley Christian 3, Folsom 1

Quinten Marsh had two hits and drove in all three of the Warriors' runs in their victory over visiting Folsom.

Valley has now gone 10 games without a loss. Included in that run is a tie with North Cobb County (Georgia) at the All Faith Classis in Las Vegas last week.

Marsh staked Valley Christian to a 2-0 lead with a two-run single in the first inning. In the third inning, he doubled home Hunter Fujimoto, who had led off the frame with a walk.

Kole Laubach went three innings to pick up the victory. He allowed a hit and struck out three. The rest of the pitching duties fell to Chris Buck, Quentin Medrano and Forest Zelmer.

W: Laubach. L: Dreussi. S: Zelmer. 2 hits- Marsh (VC). 3 RBI- Marsh (VC). 2B- Marsh (VC), Williams (F).

Los Altos 4, Bellarmine 3

The Eagles improved to 15-4 by scoring two runs in the top of the fifth and riding the arm of relief pitcher Kai MacQuiddy.

Gavin Moore had two hits for Los Altos, while Darrion Wesley drove in two runs.

Nathan Chew had two hits for Bellarmine (9-9).

W: Wood. L: Stout. S: MacQuiddy. 2 hits- Chew (B), Moore (LA). 2 RBI- Wesley (LA). 2B- Moore (LA), Cash (LA).

Sacred Heart Cathedral 4, Marin Catholic 3

Just when we're ready to write off Sacred Heart Cathedral, the Irish comes through with another big win.

On Saturday, Quinn Middleton went the distance, scattering six hits and three runs, while striking out six in a 90-pitch effort.

Meanwhile, he added two hits and drove in two runs for the Irish.

With one out in the seventh and the score tied at 3, Middleton singled and following a Rohan Kahns flyout, stole second. He scored on Tedford Lewis' RBI single.

W: Middleton. L: Untermann. 2 hits- Middleton (SHC), Martin (MC), Baker (MC). 2 RBI- Middleton (SHC). 3B- Liu (SHC), Martin (MC). 2B- Middleton (SHC).

Redwood 4, Saint Francis at Redwood 3

Redwood scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to walk off with the victory over the Lancers.

Tanner Wall had two doubles for St. Francis.

W: Gurley. L: Madigal. 2 hits- Wall (SF), Harrison (R). 2 RBI- Harrison (R), Gersch (R). 2B- Johnson (R), Gersch (R), Wall (SF) 2.

Saint Francis 5, Petaluma 4

The Lancers rebounded from the morning loss by winning in their final at bat.

Aaron Bonini had three hits, while Tanner Wall had two more hits for the Lancers (17-5).

Petaluma jumped to a 4-2 lead after one inning, but Saint Francis scored two runs in the fifth to tie the score. Jack Leeper led off with a walk and Wall doubled him home. After a Gino Cappellazzo walk, Bonini singled to score Wall and tie the game, 4-4.

W: Esu. L: Vollmer. 3 hits- Bonini (SF), Pendleton (P). 2 hits- Wall (SF), Cuneo (P). 2 RBI- Pendleton (P). 2B- Wall (SF).