Scots right on time for 3-0 win

SANTA CLARA – Carlmont's bus pulled into historic Washington Park – the Santa Clara version, not the one in Burlingame – about 15 minutes late on Monday, meaning the Scots' pregame routine was rushed.

If you think that bothered either Ryan Hamilton, Nate Werbinski or the rest of the Scots, guess again.

"We tend to play better when the bus is late," Hamilton said. "It's
somehow never a bad thing for us."

That was the case again Monday. Carlmont played error-free baseball and rode the right arm of Werbinski, who allowed just one hit in a 3-0 victory over Palo Alto the pushed the Scots into the winner's bracket of the Hazlett tournament. They'll face Mitty on Wednesday night with the chance to advance to Saturday's championship game.

"We're looking at this tournament to win it," Werbinski said. "We're fired up. We want to win. We're a young team that just wants to win."

Werbinski was in control from his first pitch. He benefitted from a tall, thick infield grass that knock down a lot of hard grounders, but his defense also made a handful of solid defensive plays. Third baseman Ryan Weiss went to his left on a slow chopper to get the final out of the third inning. Right fielder Levi Wellman went into deep right field to snag two flyballs in the fourth.

And when Werbinski retired the first two batters of the fifth inning on infield grounders, thoughts of a no-hitter began to circulate throughout the Washington Park grandstand. Those thoughts were short lived.

Palo Alto first baseman Rex Martin followed with a line drive that required shortstop Mikey Nishikawa to jump. The ball ticked off his glove and his throw to first wasn't on time to get a hustling Martin.

Werbinski got out of the mini-jam by striking out Julian Rabbitt-Tomita.

"Everything was working today," said Werbinski, who walked two and struck out six in six innings before giving way to Wellman, who pitched a perfect seventh with two strikeouts. "My fastball. My changeup. I felt like I was in control before the game even started."

Carlmont scored a run in the second inning on an RBI single to right by sophomore second baseman Lucas Chan that scored Connor Chow. The scots made it 2-0 in the third when Weiss walked and scored of Wellman's long double up the gap in left-center field.

A single by Weiss to lead off the third, followed by Wellman's second double, this time a long drive to the fence in right field that eluded the glove of a diving Rabbit-Tomito, and a sacrifice fly by Caden Stinson plated Carlmont's third run.

W: Werbinski | L: Robinson | S: Wellman | 2 hits- Wellman (C), Chan (C). 2B- Wellman (C) 2, Chan (C)

Mitty 13, Hollister 3

The Monarchs improved to 4-0 and will face Carlmont Wednesday in the Hazlett tourney semifinals after jumping all over Hollister, the defending CCS-Division II champion.

Mitty erupted for six runs in the second inning by collecting four hits, drawing four walks and taking advantage of a Haybalers' error. Gabe Lopez led off the frame with a triple and scored in front of Felix Chang's first home run of the season.

That was more than enough offensive support for Derek Allen, who struck out five over three innings and needed just 49 pitches.

Austin Mak and Chang drove in three runs each. Mak had two hits, including a double, while Elijah Kroenung and Sona Takahashi had two RBI each. Takahashi added two hits.

W: Allen | L: Mendoza | 2 hits- Mendoza (H), Mak (M), Takahashi (M). 3 RBI- Mak (M)), Chang (M). 2 RBI- Takahashi (M), Kroenung (M). HR- Chang (M). 3B- Lopez (M). 2B- Candelaria (H), Mak (M), Kroenung (M).