Pollioni does it all in Gators win

ATHERTON – After years of swimming in the Lake, South San Francisco found the waters to be a bit rougher in its first official dive into the Ocean.

Sacred Heart Prep scored four runs in game the before Emillio Oseguera retired a batter and Rallin Covey held the Warriors to just five hits over five innings in a 10-1 victory on Tuesday in Atherton.

Nico Pollioni did everything for the Gators. He led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run, added three additional hits and drove in two runs. He also pitched two innings of relief and in his time behind the plate, picked two runners off first base on back-door pickoff plays.

It wasn't the start to their new place in the PAL-Ocean Division the Warriors hoped for, but they'll get another chance at the Gators on Thursday in South City.

Getting off to a better start would be part of the game plan for success. After Covery set down South City with a perfect first inning, Pollioni crushed an Oseguera pitch over the fence in left field to make it 1-0.

Blake Affrunti walked, stole second and scored on JP Durrett's double into the gap in left-center field. Durrett moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Kyle Sweeney's infield grounder to the right side that was booted for an error.

The fourth run scored on Brayden Berta's safety squeeze bunt.

The Warriors scored their only run in the second inning on a double by Gio Bernal and a sacrifice fly by Yordonis Medina-Pineada. Covey wasn't overpowering, but he was efficient and was helped by a Sacred Heart defense that got three outs on the base paths.

Perhaps the best play of the game came when Oseguera lined a double to the fence in right-center field. The relay from Affrunti in right to second baseman Drew Parker to Durrett at third was textbook as Oseguera was nailed trying to extend his hit to a triple.

W: Covey | L: Oseguera | 4 hits- Pollioni (SHP). 2 hits- Durrett (SHP), Oseguera (SSF). G.Bernal (SSF). 2 RBI- Pollioni (SHP). HR- Pollioni (SHP). 2B- Durrett (SHP) G.Bernal (SSF)

St. Ignatius Prep 10, Riordan 2

Chase Gordon worked into the fifth inning, allowing two runs on five hits and striking out three to earn the victory and get St. Ignatius Prep back into the win column.

Offensively, senior third baseman AJ Wineinger drove in three runs with a home run, while Gordon and RJ Church each doubled.

Santino Williams had a solo home run for the Crusaders, who will host St. Ignatius Prep on Friday.

W: Gordon | L: Tuman | 3 RBI- Wineinger (SI). HR- Williams (R), Wineinger (SI). 2B- Gordon (SI), Church (SI).

Valley Christian 3, Serra 2

Serra tied the game, 2-2, in the top of the seventh only to see the Warriors walk off a victory in the bottom of the inning on Christian Nevarez's sacrifice fly off Padres freshman Michael Ohman that Plated Jacob Pauka.

Sophomore Jack Graham gave Valley an early lead with a home run and that seemed like it would be enough for Alex Kim, who blanked the Padres over five innings by holding them to three hits and striking out five.

The two teams will play again on Friday at Serra.

W: Felix | L: Crawford | 2 hits- Hadfield (VC), Peavey (S). HR- Graham (VC). 2B- Choi (VC), Wessell (S).

Saint Francis 2, Mitty 0

Top-ranked Saint Francis rode the right arm of Brody Larocque and two fourth-inning runs to win their eighth straight game and remain the only unbeaten team in WCAL play.

Larocque went the distance, allowing four hits, while striking out six in picking up his first complete-game shutout of his career.

"He was incredible," said coach Erik Wagle. "He's learning and thriving in leading our staff."

The senior right-hander has figured out that he doesn't need to blow the ball past people to be successful. Instead, he is pounding the strike zone and relying on one of the best defenses on the Peninsula to make plays.

"That's our game play right now," Wagle said. "Feed the strength."

Saint Francis scored its only runs on a Tanner Wall sacrifice fly and Henry Dommer's run-scoring single.

W: Larocque | L: Allen | 2 hits- King(SF), Mak (M). 2B- King (SF), Mak (M), Allen (M).

Bellarmine 6, Sacred Heart Cathedral 2

Bellarmine became the Peninsula's first 10-win team by pounding out 12 hits and watching Emmet Arnott dominate the Irish.

Arnott, the hard-throwing right-hander, allowed two runs on two hits in six innings of work. He struck out 10 and picked up the victory.

Isaiah Beyah led the Bells with three hits, while Vincent Kim, Drew McClelland, Arnott, and Arleigh Souza had two hits each.

The two teams will wrap up their series on Friday in San Jose.

W: Arnott | L: Ricci | 3 hits- Beyah (B). 2 hits- Kim (B), McClelland (B), Arnott (B), Souza (B). 3B- Souza (B). 2B- McClelland (B), Vu (B), Kim (B), O'Sullivan (SHC).

Half Moon Bay 6, Mills 3

Kai Kung became the Peninsula's first five-game winning by going six innings and allowing two runs, while striking out 13 in a Half Moon Bay victory under the lights in Millbrae.

Cole Giannini had three hits, including two doubles, and drove in three runs for the Cougars. Jacob Couto drove in two runs for the Vikings.

Joshua Huei had two hits for the Vikings.

W: Kung | L: Wong | S: Jackson. 3 hits- C.Giannini (HMB). 2 hits- Huei (M). 3 RBI- C.Giannini (HMB). 2 RBI- Colucci (HMB). 2B- C.Giannini (HMB) 2, Couto (HMB).

San Mateo 3, Terra Nova 2

Senior southpaw Christian Louie threw a complete game and drove in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh on a single as San Mateo opened its Ocean Division season with what some would call an upset.

Louie allowed four hits, while striking out seven.

After Alan Su singled to open the seventh, he moved to second passed ball and got to third on a dropped third strike before a Louie single sent the Bearcats home as victors.

Evan Wilson had a home run for the Tigers, while Su had two single and Tyce Copus had a pair of doubles.

W: Louie | L: Martinez | 2 hits- Roman (TN), Su (SM), Copus (SM). HR- Wilson (TN). 2B- Donati (TN), Copus (SM) 2, Lackey (SM).

Aragon 9, Woodside 8

Aragon pulled off its biggest win of the John Rally Era and opened the Ocean Division season with an upset of the host Wildcats.

Senior Sean Tam had three hits, including a home run and a double, and drove in a career-hight six runs.

Kai Thornton and James Wright had two hits each for the Dons, while Cruz Torres and Jeremiah Arias-Torres had two hits each for Woodside.

The two teams will play again on Thursday in San Mateo.

W: Wright | L: Taylor | 3 hits- Tam (A). 2 hits- Thornton (A), Wright (A), Torres (W), Taylor (w). 6 RBI- Tam (A). HR- Tam (A).
2 RBI- Mokatarani (W). 2B- Matye (A), Tam (A), Torres (W), Arias-Torres (W).