Three-run homers fuel Padres

Sometimes, a three-run homer is a team's best offensive weapon. In the case of the Serra Padres on Wednesday, two of them was more than enough offense for senior right-hander Riley Lim.

Lim allowed just four hits and a pair of walks over 5 2/3 innings while striking out five for his fifth victory of the season.

And offensively, the Padres got a home run from William Walbridge in the second inning and another from freshman Michael Ohman, his fist high school round-tripper, in the fifth.

The win was Serra's second straight in WCAL play after dropping four in a row. At 3-4, the Padres still trail Saint Francis by three games but close the regular season with a two-game set with the Lancers.

The two team will be back in action Friday at Mitty.

W: Lim | L: Ferrell | 3 RBI- Walbridge (S), Ohman (S). HR- Walbridge (S), Ohman (S). 2B- Beal (S).

Wilcox 13, Homestead 7

Wilcox, which has been riding its pitching staff on its current winning streak, let its bats do the talking in Wednesday's 13-7 victory over Homestead.

The Chargers had 13 runs and 14 hits in winning their fifth straight game and showing they have put their midseason slump in into the past.

Preston Jetson had two hits and four RBI, while Samuel Marinez doubled and tripled for the Chargers. Jordan Slate, Isaiah Mata and Max Hales Tzoutzov had two hits each.

Ivan Hwaang had two hits and four RBI for Homestead, which will travel to Wilcox on Friday.

W: Carrasquilla-Cruz | L: Lohitsa | 2 hits- Martinez (W), Jetson (W), Mata (W). Hales (W), Slate (W), Hwaang (H). 4 RBI- Hwaang (H), Jetson (W). 2 RBI- Lohitsa (H), Slate (W), Hales (W). 3B- Martinez (W). 2B- Hales (W), Jetson (W), Martinez (W).

Los Gatos 7, Los Altos 1

After throwing a no-hitter in his last start, Ethan Willams went five innings and allowed two hits in picking up his eighth victory of the season.

The senior right-hander walked one and struck out six. His only blemish came on a Derek Etherington home run in the fifth inning.

Offensively, Rowan Smith had a double and three RBI for the Wildcats, while Sully Roberts added a double.

Los Gatos, which remained perfect in SCVAL-De Anza Division play, will travel to Los Altos on Friday.

W: Williams | L: Soto | 3 RBI- Smith (LG). HR- Etherington (LA). 2B- Smith (LG), Roberts (LG).

Bellarmine 11, Riordan 1

The Bells got back to their winning ways with a lopsided win at Riordan, where they pounded out 12 hits and scored 11 runs.

Emmet Arnott had a home run and three RBI, while Elijah Vu had two RBI and Nathan Chew had two hits.

Ollie McNamara picked up the pitching decision. The only run the Crusaders scored came courtesy of a Santino Williams home run.

Bellarmine will host Riordan on Friday.

W: McNamara | L: Ordonez | 2 hits- Chew (B). 3 RBI- Arnott (B). 2 RBI- Vu (B), Kim (B). HR- Arnott (B), Williams (R).

Palo Alto 9, Mountain View 0

Carter Bader and Albert Pellizzari had three hits, including two home runs each, in the Vikings' third straight victory.

Pellizzari, who added a double, had four RBI, while Bader, who also had a triple, drove in two runs. Rex Martin and Jake Liu had two hits each.

Nate Robinson scattered four hits to pick up the victory.

Mikito Tsuruoka had two hits for Mountain View, which will host the Vikings on Friday.

W: Robinson | L: Dooley | 3 hits- Pellizzari (PA), Bader (PA). 2 hits- Tsuruoka (MV), Liu (PA), Martin (PA). 4 RBI- Pellizzari (PA). 2 RBI- Bader (PA). HR- Bader (PA) 2, Pellizzari (PA) 2. 3B- Bader (PA). 2B- Pellizzari (PA).

Menlo School 4, Carlmont 0

Jackson Flanagan and Reid Plamondon combined to scatter six hits and walk five batters, but the Scots could never get the hit needed to push across the runs needed to make this one a game.

Flanagan, who pitched four scoreless innings, picked up the victory.

The two teams are scheduled to play Thursday in Belmont, but it remains to be seen whether the diamond on the Belmont campus can be playable after this week's rain.

Senior catcher Chuck Wynn drove in two runs for the Knights, while William Larson and Renner Barnett each had an RBI.

Arnav Prathipati went five innings and allowed four runs. He was tagged with the loss.

W: Flanagan | L: Prathipati | S: Palmondon | 2 RBI- Wynn (MS).

Capuchino 3, Hillsdale 2

Coach Matt Wilson has said his young Mustangs would get better with each game. The last two games – wins over Sequoia last week and Hillsdale on Wednesday – are proving their coach to be prophetic.

On Wednesday, Cap got three hits from Jordan Estrella, who also picked up the save in relief of Dominic Fanara.

Fanara went four innings and allowed two runs while striking out six to pick up the victory.

Hillsdale, which fell into the PAL-Bay Division cellar with the loss, got two hits from Hugo Guzman. Brayden Lee and Tommy Schultz had doubles.

W: Fanara | L: Dang | S: Estrella | 3 hits- Estrella (C). 2 hits- Guzman (H). 3B- Jessup (H). 2B- Guzman (H), B.Lee (H), Schultz (H).