Matadors open Miguel with wins

Monta Vista tennis team could be better than even

By DICK SPARRER

When Charlie Miguel was alive, he was a softball coach who would strive for excellence and encourage his high school players to play their best.

In that spirit, the late Charlie must have been pleased as he looked down on the performance of the players participating in the tournament that bears his name and began last weekend at Mission College in Santa Clara.

There were 21 different teams playing their best last weekend, but five clubs were a little more excellent than the rest.

Del Mar, Monta Vista, Prospect, Santa Teresa and Gilroy each opened the Miguel Tournament with back-to-back wins. Willow Glen won its only game last weekend and Cupertino, Santa Clara, Mount Pleasant, Lynbrook and Pioneer each split.

Shannon Kagel tossed the Dons to back-to-back wins to open the tournament. The Del Mar hurler flipped a five-hitter in a 6-2 win over Milpitas, then she came back to whirl a no-hitter in an 8-1 victory over Fremont.

Kagel helped her own cause with a couple of singles against the Trojans. Darcy Houts and Ronya Honoré had two hits apiece to drive in two runs each, and Emily DeLong tripled.

DeLong came back with a couple of hits to knock in two runs in the win over Fremont. Houts added two hits and Jennifer Godfrey doubled home two runs.

JoJo Butler slapped six hits in two games to lead Monta Vista to wins over Cupertino and Menlo to open the tournament.

Butler doubled and singled twice to knock in four runs in a 9-3 win over Cupertino.

Butler came back with three hits to plate a pair of runs in a tight 4-3 win over Menlo a day later. Danielle Katz doubled and tripled to drive in two runs and Erin McNulty and Nikki Butler supported with two hits apiece in the win.

Marisa Scarpelli and Ann Nakamo belted two hits apiece and Allison Mine doubled for Cupertino in the game.

Christina Gilford nailed a pair of pitching wins as she led Prospect to wins over Pioneer and Los Gatos to open the tournament.

Gilford tossed a six-hitter and helped herself at the plate with a double and two singles in a 5-4 win over co-host Pioneer.

Anne Boin singled and tripled and Jill Foley doubled for the Mustangs.

Gilbert came back to flip a five-hitter in a 5-3 win over Los Gatos. Annie Gillespie singled and doubled to drive in two runs for the Panthers in the win.

Stacey Funston had two hits in the game for the Wildcats, and Jessica Enright was tagged with the loss despite tossing a six-hitter.

Gilroy opened with back-to-back shutout wins. The Mustangs blanked Homestead 11-0 and Carmel 3-0.

Santa Teresa beat Gunderson 6-1 to open the tourney, then topped Lynbrook 5-1.

Willow Glen won its only game of the weekend, scoring a run in the bottom of the sixth to pull out a 3-2 victory over co-host Santa Clara. Janelle Calderon had two hits for the Rams, and she was also the winning pitcher, whirling a seven-hitter.

Cupertino, Lynbrook, Pioneer and Santa Clara each rebounded from opening round losses with victories.

Corrine Adkins doubled home a couple of runs and Susan Fryer had two hits to lead Cupertino to a 7-5 win over Menlo.

Stacey Benzing singled and tripled and Alisha Underwood drove in two runs to lead Lynbrook to a 6-1 win over Gunderson. Sarah Motzny tripled for the Vikings. Motzny was also the winning pitcher, flipping a three-hitter.

Motzny and Mia Lind each doubled earlier in the weekend in Lynbrook's 5-1 loss to the Saints.

Chelsea Bjorklund doubled twice and singled and Kristen Fleury had two hits to knock in two runs for Pioneer in a 5-2 win over Los Gatos. Foley doubled and also tossed a five-hitter for the win.

Laura Hertan had two hits for Los Gatos in the game.

Mustangs ready

Despite the loss in the Miguel tourney, the Homestead girls are ready to contend for a title in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League this spring.

Varsity returners Shawnti Bortoli, Brandi Tomasovitch and Ashley Suth lead the Homestead attack as the Mustangs pursue a division title.

"We're a young team with a lot of experience," said head coach Matt Trosper. "We will surprise some teams this year."

"The league isn't extremely strong," he added, "so we should contend."

Trosper, who returns for his second season as the Homestead head coach and for his fourth year in the school's softball program, ranks Saratoga and Lynbrook as top contenders in the division along with his own Mustangs.

Bortoli is a senior catcher returning after an all-league season a year ago.

Tomasovitch, a sophomore center fielder, is back after winning an all-league second-team spot as a freshman, and Suth is a junior who will split time between pitcher and first base. Suth was an all-league honorable-mention pick last season.

Freshman pitcher Karen Purdy is a top prospect for the Mustangs along with freshman third-sacker Paula Kane.

The Mustangs, who were stung 13-0 by Valley Christian in their season opener, nailed their first win of the year last week, beating Mount Pleasant 6-1.

Tomasovitch and Bortoli each doubled and singled and drove in two runs apiece to lead the Mustangs to the victory. Julie Colvin had two hits, and Purdy tossed a three-hitter for the win.

Mats look strong

It may be bad news for the rest of the De Anza Division, but the Monta Vista boys tennis team looks better right now than it did a year ago... when the Matadors won the Central Coast Section championship.

"We should be stronger than last year's team," admitted veteran coach Terry Cress. "Any one of six players could play No. 1 and win."

That call went to junior sensation Stefen Parker last week, and he came through with a 6-1, 6-0 victory to start the Matadors on the road to a 7-0 win over Lynbrook in the De Anza Division opener for each school.

Sophomore Promod Dabir, a varsity newcomer, won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2 singles for the Matadors and junior Ben Bartels won 6-0, 6-4 at No. 3. Junior Jason Tsui completed the singles sweep with a 6-3, 6-3 victory at No. 4.

Adam Horvath and Robert Yee teamed for a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 1 singles, Renny Chao and Victor Nguyen won 6-0, 6-4 at No. 2 and Ryan Chan and Bastian Bartels won 6-4, 6-1 at No. 3.

Juniors Parker, Tsui, Ben Bartels, Horvath, Nguyen, Mandeep Singh and Chao are top returners for the Mats, and Dabir and Yee, who is just a freshman, are top newcomers.

The Matadors have won the division crown for four straight years.

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Matadors open Miguel softball tournament with wins