Sure the Chargers had a lock on a berth in the Central Coast Section playoffs prior to their final league games against Branham and Mt. Pleasant. But two more victories would go a long way to helping Leland get a better berth in postseason play.

That's just what Leland did. The Chargers outlasted Branham 10-7 and knocked off the Cardinals 5-1 to finish the league campaign in a second-place tie with Santa Teresa, each club at 14-7, and they ran up a 16-10 season record to take to the CCS Division I tournament.

Leland earned the No. 9 seed in the tourney and was to open section play on the road at Live Oak (No. 8 seed, 17-8) on May 18. The winner advances to the quarterfinals on May 221 at Valley Christian High School in San Jose, most likely facing No. 1 seed Bellarmine (33-4).

The Bells, champions of the West Catholic Athletic League with an impressive 11-3 record, were to open the playoffs against No. 16 Piedmont Hills (16-9) on May 18, and only an upset of major proportions would have kept Bellarmine from advancing to the next round.

The winner in the quarterfinals will move into the semifinals on May 25 at San Jose Municipal Stadium with the championship game on May 28 at Muni.

Leland wrapped up league play with a Friday the 13th win over Mt. Pleasant.

Junior hurler Danny Dyer tossed a complete game 7-hitter to get the mound win. He struck out four and walked just one, losing his shutout on an unearned run in the sixth.

By then, though, the Chargers had staked their hurler to a comfortable 3-0 lead with single runs in the first, third and fifth, and they answered Mt. Pleasant's run with two of their own in the home half of the sixth.

Matt Slaton led a 9-hit Leland attack with two hits, including his sixth home run of the season. Slaton drove in three runs in the win and also scored twice.

Kevin Battipede ripped a couple of singles, swiped two bases and scored a run for Leland and Andrew Kim singled twice and drove in a run. Dyer helped his cause with a single, a run scored and a stolen base, and Steve Akerson and Lance Gemette added hits. Gemette scored a run and Damon Ronnsvalle knocked one home.

Earlier in the week, Leland outlasted Branham 10-7 in a slugfest. The Bruins finished the day with 10 hits, but the Chargers came up with 14 hits in the victory.

The Chargers drew first blood with a couple of runs in the top of the first, but the Bruins answered with four in the bottom of the frame to get the lead. Leland rallied for five in the third and two in the fourth to go up 9-4, but the Chargers couldn't shake the Bruins. Branham picked up three in the last of the fourth to make a game of it at 9-7.

Leland added an insurance run in the fifth, and the Chargers blanked the Bruins over the final three innings to clinch the victory.

John Foley got the start on the hill for Leland, but gave way to Slaton, who picked up the win with three innings of 5-hit relief. Battipede finished up with a no-hit relief stint to get the save, striking out four and walking just two.

Slaton was perfect at the plate with a 4 for 4 day, including a couple of doubles. Slaton tops the club with a .437 batting average and with 30 runs-batted-in to go with his team-high six homers. The slugger drove in four runs in the wins and scored one.

Battipede, a .368 hitter, doubled twice and singled to drive in a run and he scored three, and Logan Foos had two hits, including his third homer, to drive in two runs and score one.

Dyer's solo homer was his second of the season and Akerson, Gemette, Ronnsvalle and Andy Micko each singled. Gemette, who joins Battipede with a .368 season average, scored a couple of runs and Micko and Ronnsvalle scored one each.

Ronnsvalle swiped his team-high 17th base of the year. He's been caught only once. Gemette also had a steal, his 14th of the season.

Starting second baseman Alex Todd will join the rest of the Chargers--Kyle Jones, Tim Parks, Nate Jones, Jimmy Kogura, Steve Henry, Shane Murry and Gabe Castaneda--for the trip to the CCS playoffs this week.