Mitty wins its final tuneup for WCAL season

BELMONT – After Saturday's 10-6 victory over Carlmont, Mitty has seven victories in the bank heading into the WCAL season. The good news is that the Monarchs' best baseball is likely still ahead of them.

The bad news is that the WCAL gauntlet now awaits them. Even if Mitty ups its game another notch or two, there's no guarantee it's good enough to win against the likes of St. Ignatius Prep, Serra, Saint Francis, Bellarmine, Valley Christian or Sacred Heart Cathedral.

"Are we where we need to be to, like, to be at the top of the WCAL?" said Mitty coach Brian Yocke, whose team travels to Fairmont Park on Tuesday to face St. Ignatius Prep. "I still think there's work to be done, but I think that's the beauty of high school baseball and a baseball season in general, is you don't want to be peaking too early."

Mitty's win on Saturday was highlighted by a five-run first inning and, after Carlmont clawed back to within two runs, a four-run sixth inning – highlighted by Elijah Kroenung's bases-clearing three-run double – that sealed the deal.

"I wouldn't say we're peaking, and that's why I'm loving this team," Yocke said. "We're finding different ways to win baseball games on any given day with a lot of different characters, a lot of guys on the mound and a lot of different guys in the lineup. So, it's a really together group that's all kind of pulling on the same side of the rope and finding their opportunities and making the most of them."

Carlmont cut Mitty's lead to two, 6-4, on an RBI single by Ryan Weiss and a sacrifice bunt by Mikey Nishikawa that pitcher Gabe Lopez fell to the ground while fielding but still fired a strike to first from his backside to get the out.

Mitty loaded the bases in the sixth on two hits batters – the Monarchs were hit seven times with pitches in the game – sandwiched around an errant sacrifice bunt. Kroening then stepped to the plate and launched a changeup that hung high in the zone to the fence in left field to make it a 9-4 game.

"In that situation, the goal is to just get a run in by any means necessary," Kroening said. "I had two strikes on me. He threw a changeup and I just put it down the left-field line. ... It felt great. It gave our pitchers some extra run support."

W: Johnson | L: Wellman | 2 hits- Kroenung (M), Allen (M), Enferadi (C). 3 RBI- Kroenug (M). 2 RBI- Allen (M). 2B- Kroenung (M), Chase (M).

Pioneer 5, Los Altos 3

Life outside the SCVAL-De Anza Division continued to be challenging for Los Altos, which dropped to 0-5 outside of conference.

Fortunately, the Eagles return to league play on Wednesday when they'll begin a two-game set at Mountain View.

Mitesh Jain had two hits for Los Altos, while Jakob Lash drove in two runs and Sal Soto added a double.

W: Mahan | L: Jain | 2 hits- Jain (LA), Bright (P), Teixeira (P). 2 RBI- Lash (LA). 2B- Soto (LA), Bacon (P), Teixeira (P).

Palma 11, Valley Christian 6

Valley Christian lost its second straight game. Colton Hadfield lasted just 1 2/3 innings, allowing six runs and six walks.

Hadfield and Christian Cabanas had two hits each for the Warriors. Allen Alegia drove in two runs.

W: Harris | L: Hadfield | 2 hits- Lopez (P), Alioto (P), Hadfield (VC), Cabanas (VC). 2 RBI- Alegia (VC), Pho (VC). 2B- Alioto (P), Moutzourideis (VC), Isbell (VC).

Riordan 3, South San Francisco 2

Winning pitcher Kane Cook scored in the bottom of the seventh inning on Dante Curmi's walk-off sacrifice fly that broke a 2-2 tie and gave Riordan a 3-2 victory over South San Francisco.

Cook and Logan Tuman accounted for the Crusaders' first two runs with solo home runs off South City starter Vince Bernal.

Josh Nabung had two hits for the Warriors.

W: Cook | L: V.Bernal | S: Ordonez | 2 hits- Cook (R), Nabung (SSF). HR- Cook (R), Tuman (R).

Willow Glen 6 Half Moon Bay 5

The Cougars dropped a one-run game to fall to .500 despite a three-run triple from junior shortstop Riley Jackson.

Cole Giannini also had a triple for Half Moon Bay, which will begin its PAL-Ocean Division season on Tuesday against Sacred Heart Prep.

W: Hoover | L: Johnson | 2 hits- Mudgett (WG), Rudd (WG). 3 RBI- Jackson (HMB). 3B- Jackson (HMB), C.Giannini (HMB).

Northgate, 19, San Mateo 2

Northgate pounded out 14 hits, the majority of them against losing pitcher Christian Louie.

Tyce Copus and Hudson Brandt had two hits each for the Bearcats, who fell to 4-2.

W: Contreras | L: Louie | 2 hits- Copus (SM), Brandt (SM), Malloy (N), Roberts (N), Jones (N), Dress (N), Eby (N), Bargaglioth (N).

Christopher 5, The King’s Academy 2

The King's Academy dropped its second game of the week by collecting just six hits in a loss to visiting Christopher.

Shortstop Justin Cho had two hits, including a triple for the Knights, who will host Sequoia on Wednesday to start the PAL-Bay Division season for both teams.

W: Mojica | L: Huff | 3 hits- Griep (C). 2 hits- Cho (TKA), Rogers (C). 3B- Cho (TKA). 2B- Entzminger (TKA).

Casa Grande 5, Sacred Heart Cathedral 2

Jacob Vines allowed just two hits, but still game up on the losing end, thanks to five errors by the Sacred Heard defense.

Vines struck out eight and allowed two earned runs. He issued three walks.

The Irish fell to .500 and look to get healthy in a hurry when they travel to Serra on Tuesday to begin the WCAL season.

Tommy Do had a double for Sacred Heart in Saturday's loss.

W: Nicholas | L: Vines | 2B- Do (SHC), Pelisetti (CG).

Sacred Heart Prep 10, Washington 0

Kyle Sweeney struck out eight in four innings and allowed just one hit as Sacred Heart Prep completed the weeklong shutout, outscoring its opponents – Carlmont and Washington – 20-0 and allowing just three hits.

Maybe more surprising than the Gators' pitching performance was their bats, which erupted for double-digit runs for the second straight game. Not bad for a team that was struggling to get hits just two weeks ago.

Since their 0-2 start to the season, the Gators have won five of their last six games.

Isaac Aviles led Sacred Heart Prep with three hits, while Drew Parker had two hits. Thomas Barton, Nico Pollioni and JP Durrett drove in two runs each.

W: Sweeney | L: Soudau | 3 hits- Aviles (SHP). 2 hits- Parker (SHP). 2 RBI- Barton (SHP), Pollioni (SHP), Durrett (SHP). 3B- Wong (W). 2B- Aviles (SHP), Pollioni (SHP), Durrett (SHP).