Tigers win third straight game

ATHERTON – There's something brewing in Pacifica. After a sluggish start to the season – a controversial tie and two walk-off losses – the sleepless nights might be in the past for Terra Nova coach Jared Milch.

"That was a staring-at-the-ceiling-at-3 a.m. kind of week," Milch said Friday after his Tigers' 5-2 victory over Sacred Heart Prep.

Milch likely will sleep soundly after sophomore Jesse Martinez tossed a complete-game five-hitter for Terra Nova's third straight victory. It's this first time the Tigers have been above .500 this season.

"Now that we're rolling, I think we're going to be tough to beat," said shortstop Brody Finale.

Martinez, Finale and left fielder and leadoff hitter Wes McDougal – all sophomores – have stepped into the starting lineup and breathed life into the program, Milch says. Add them to a talented core of juniors and this is a team that has a bright future.

And the present isn't bad, either.

On Friday, the Tigers snapped a 1-1 tie by scoring four runs and chasing junior Rallin Covey in the fifth inning.

McDougal was safe on an error to start the inning. He moved to second on a passed ball and scored on a single to right by Luke Ornelas. After Covey struck out Joseph Donati for the first out, JT Snead walked.

Finale then battled Covey, lining one that landed just foul before slicing a line drive up the middle on the next two-strike pitch to score Orlenas and make it 3-1. Aiden James and Evan Wilson followed with RBI singles to make it 5-1.

That was more than enough support for Martinez, who needed just 77 pitches to go the distance.

"I was pitching to contact – letting my defense play," he said.

Key Play

Finale's run-scoring single in the fifth against Covey. It gave the Tigers a 3-1 lead and more than enough cushion for Martinez to finish off the Gators.

Three Things We Liked

• Off-speed stuff and off-balance hitters. Martinez doesn't throw hard, but he flooded the strike zone all day. No walks. And with a few exceptions, kept the Gators from anything you'd consider hard contact.
• Covey. It's hard not to like a kid who approaches 90 mph. He struggled with his control on Friday but is an adjustment or two from being dominant. When the Sacred Heart Prep bats come alive and its defense finds its footing, the Gators can beat anyone in the PAL Bay Division.
• Camaraderie. A good portion of Terra Nova's baseball team has been playing together all their lives. They know each other. And – more important – trust each other. That goes a long way in instilling confidence on the diamond, particularly when they find themselves in a tough situation.

He Said It

"We're very young right now, so as we get that experience, we're just going to get better and better in everything. I like the way the team's vibing." – Jared Milch, Terra Nova coach.

W: Martinez. L: Covey. 2 hits- Finale (TN), Wilson (TN), Gee (SHP). 2 RBI- Gee (SHP). 2B- Gee (SHP)

Serra 10, Burlingame 1

Riley Lim threw 5 2/3 hitless innings – his second start this season when he didn't allow a hit – as the Padres improved to a Peninsula-best 8-0.

Lim struck out five and improved to 2-0.

Serra broke open a one-run game by scoring eight runs in the fifth inning.

Ian Josephson continued his torrid start to the season by pounding out three more hits. The senior shortstop also drove in two runs and stole three bases, bringing his season total to 10.

Davis Minton had two hits and drove in two, while Aaron Maier added a double.

W: Lim. L: Vorrises. 3 hits- Josephson. 2 hits- Minton (S). 2 RBI- Josephson (S), Minton (S). 2B- Josephson (S), Maier (S), Minton (S).

Sequoia 3, Saint Francis 2

The Ravens pulled off their biggest win of the season, going on the road to beat the fourth-ranked Lancers.

Vince Olinger Giani's sixth-inning double scored Drew Ostrander and snapped a 2-2 tie.

The Lancers, who have recorded four walk-off wins this year, had the tying run on second base in the seventh inning, but couldn't get it home.

Saint Francis (6-2) had a 1-0 lead until Sequoia rallied for two in the fifth inning on a single by Olinger Giani singled and Dylan Karmin walked. After a sacrifice bunt by Mays Pagnotta, catcher Logan Mathias blooped one to shallow centerfield.

Jack Leeper dived for Mathias' bloop, but it fell in for a two-run single that gave the Ravens (3-3) a 2-1 lead.

Chris Verceles was hit by a pitch in the sixth. He stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on another wild pitch to tie the score at 2.

W: Winfield. L: Cole. S: Karmin. 2 hits- Oliger Giani (S), Mathias (S). 2 RBI- Mathias (S). 2B- Tulua (SF), Olinger Giani (S).

Bellarmine 1, Pioneer 0

Apolo Lapiz sent six innings, allowing a hit while striking out 10 in Bellarmine's 1-0 victory.

It was the Bells' second shutout victory over the season.

Bellarmine scored its only run in the sixth when Nate Bateman singled to right and went all the way to third on a fielding error by the Pioneer right fielder. He scored on Drew McClelland's single to right.

McClelland and Dash Knight had two hits each to lead Bellarmine (5-2)

W: Lapiz. L: Forbes. S: Stout. 2 hits- Knight (B), McClellan (B). 2B- McClelland (B).

Leigh 10, Homestead 0

Dylan Christian and Brandon Kim had three hits each, while Lance Takamura had two hits and drove in four runs for the Longhorns, who improved to 6-1.

W: Glanville. L: Bussey. 3 hits- Christian (L), Kim (L). 2 hits- Takamura (L), Sun (H). 4 RBI- Takamura (L). 2 RBI- Christian. 2B- Kim (L), Christian (L), Takamura (L), Oh'Hara (H).

Crystal Springs Uplands 2, Design Tech 0

Brandon Ma pitched a complete-game one-hitter and struck out 10.

W: Ma. L: Yee.