Paly stays hot in 10-1 win over Panthers

Palo Alto completed a perfect 3-0 week with a 10-1 dismantling of Burlingame on Saturday.

After a slow start to the season, the Vikings now have a two-game lead of Wilcox and Los Altos for second place in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League-De Anza Division standings. If they can maintain that spot, they are guaranteed a spot in the upcoming Central Coast Section tournament.

Palo Alto travels to Homestead on Wednesday before going to Los Altos on Friday.

On Saturday, Julien Rabbitt-Tomita had his strongest pitching performance of the season, going six innings and allowing a run on three hits, while walking three. He struck out two in throwing 92 pitches.

Meanwhile, he was aided by an offense that is firing on all cylinders these days. Dylan Robinson and Justin Fung had two hits each, while Rex Martin and Robinson drove in two runs each.

The Vikings scored three runs in each of the first two innings and added a pair in the third to go up, 8-0. Single runs and in fourth and fifth innings turned what looked like an intriguing game between two of the Peninsula's hottest teams into a laugher.

W: Rabbitt-Tomita | L: Cone | 2 hits- Fung (PA), Robinson (PA). 2 RBI- Robinson (PA), Martin (PA). 2B- Pellizzari (PA), Robinson (PA).

University 5, Woodside 3

Woodside continued its late-season tumble by dropping its third game of the week and its fifth gamein its last seven, including two to San Francisco schools.

Anderson Comfort and Cruz Torres had two hits each, while Hunter Taylor recorded a pair of doubles.

W: Storti | L: Enochs | 2 hits- Comfort (W), Torres (W), Taylor (W). 2B- Taylor (W) 2, Comfort (W), Torres (W), Tinson (T).

Menlo-Atherton 4, Sacred Heart Cathedral 1

Max Brubacher went the distance, allowing just a run on three hits, as Menlo-Atherton continued its late-season push for a Central Coast Section playoff berth.

The nonleague win over a WCAL school will help the Bears' postseason resume.

Brubacher threw 82 pitches and struck out five in giving Menlo-Atherton the kind of pitching it will need over the final three weeks of the regular season.

Jack Willbanks had two hits for the Bears, while Sacred Heart got doubles from Chase Deninger and Johnny Nepomuceno.

W: Brubacher | L: Baronofsky | 2 hits- Wilbanks (MA). 2B- Ten Vaanholt (MA), Deninger (SHC), Nepomuceno (SHC).

Sacred Heart Cathedral 3, Vacaville 2

Johnny Nepomuceno and Max Nylander had doubles as the Irish played two games and came away with a victory over Vacaville after losing to Menlo-Atherton.

Cooper Rogers-Lewis struck out seven over 5 1/3 innings and allowed just two runs to pick up the victory. Alexei Tioupine got the final five outs to pick up the save.

Sacred Heart scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning and grew the lead to 3-0 before Vacaville rallied with a couple of runs in the top of the sixth on a home run by Caden Whitten that chased Rogers-Lewis from the game.

Jabob Vines and Nylander drove in runs for the Irish, who will square off with top-ranked Saint Francis next week.

W: Rogers-Lewis | L: Collins | S: Tioupine | 2 hits- Whitten (V). 2 RBI- Whitten (V). HR- Whitten (V). 2B- Nepomuceno (SHC), Nylander (SHC).

Santa Clara 8, Westmont 4

Kyle Yumul and Dominick Chavarria had two hits each, while Bruce Gibson drove in two runs fort the Bruins, who picked up their third victory of the season.

Ian Denny allowed three runs over six innings to pick up the victory. He scattered three hits and two walks, while striking out three.

W: Denny | L: Quezada | S: Sanchez | 2 hits- Yumul (SC), Chavarria (SC). 2 RBI- Gibson (SC), Doherty (W). 2B- Chavarria (SC), Denny (SC), Yumul (SC).

The King's Academy 3, Cupertino 2

The Knights, who had just one hit in the game, rallied from a 2-1 deficit with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.

King's loaded the bases in the fifth on a Casey Kirk single and two walks. Nate Plata's grounder to shortstop was bobbled allowing Kirk to score the tying run. Justin Cho then stole home to give the Knights a 3-2 lead.

That was enough for a trio of pitchers – Wyatt Smith, Ryan Wheeler and Tyler Huff – to post King's 12th victory.

Wheeler allowed two runs over three innings of relief but earned the victory. Huff was light's out, throwing two perfect innings and striking out five of the six hitters he faced.

W: Wheeler | L: Macer | S: Huff

Menlo School 12, Santa Teresa 2

Chuck Wynn had two hits, including a triple, and four RBI, while Zach Roeder homered and drove in three runs for the Knights, who rolled in another out-of-conference game.

Menlo is now 8-4 in games played out of the PAL-Bay Division.

Liam Widner and Renner Barnett had two hits each for the Knights, who will host Capuchino on Monday before traveling to San Bruno on Wednesday to accommodate the Mustangs, who are playing Burlingame on Friday at Oracle Park.

W: Wong | L: Garcia | 2 hits- Wynn (MS), Widner (MS), Barnett (MS), Hall (ST). 4 RBI- Wynn (MS). 3 RBI- Roeder (MS). HR- Roeder (MS). 3B- Wynn (MS), Hall (ST). 2B- Freehill (MS).

San Mateo 6, Design Tech 0

Wilson Morales struck out nine and threw a no-hitter in the Bearcats' victory, their 12th in the last 14 games.

Morales walked two batters and threw 92 pitches in joining Christian Louie and Jesus Olivas as San Mateo pitchers who have thrown shutouts this season.

Tyce Copus had two hits and an RBI for the Bearcats. Morales, Julio Calderon, Apollo Lee and Kai La Grille drove in runs.

San Mateo will take on Sacred Heart Prep next week in a battle between the two teams leading the PAL-Ocean Division. The series begins Tuesday in Atherton and will conclude on Thursday in San Mateo.

W: Morales | L: Sutton | 2 hits- Copus (SM).