The Cupertino Courier

Sports

Rahn tosses gem, but loses heartbreaker

By Kevin Sparrer

Justin Rahn didn't have to throw too many pitches for the Monta Vista baseball team when the Matadors battled Saratoga last week, but there's one pitch he wishes he could take back.

Rahn was in the middle of a pitcher's duel with the Saratoga mound staff. He had allowed only two hits entering the bottom of the seventh of a scoreless game. But he left a fastball out over the plate that Saratoga's Bennett Rothenberg knocked over the left field wall for a 1-0 win in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.

Despite the one mistake, Rahn threw a solid game through six and a third innings. Rahn allowed only three hits, walked just two and struck out three.

In the bottom of the first Rahn gave up a two-out triple, but was able to hold the runner at third and get out of the inning.

In the bottom of the second he had another tough inning. After getting the first out, he walked two hitters, then threw a double-play ball that resulted in an error that left the bases loaded with only one out. But Rahn kept cool and threw a fly ball to center for the first out and struck out the next batter to get out of the inning without any damage.

Offensively the Matadors struggled against both Saratoga pitchers, getting only two hits in the game. The first came in the top of the first on a single by Shawn Voigt and the second was in the second on a single by Nick Tong.

Monta Vista had only one runner reach second base during the game. Billy Guardino hit a slow roller to the second baseman that was going to be close, but the Saratoga second baseman couldn't come up with the ball. It rolled under his glove and toward the outfield grass. Guardino, with some heads-up base running, noticed that there was no one to pick up the ball and he broke for second base, making it safely. But the Matadors were unable to bring him in.

Earlier in the week, Monta Vista lost 10-1 to Saratoga, knocking just four hits in the loss.

Chad Estes doubled and drove in Brett Gilbert with the Matadors only run. Jason Hogin, Matt Wilson and Chris Cantwell each singled.

The two losses drop Monta Vista to 2-9 in league and 4-15 overall. This week the Matadors face Santa Clara in 7 p.m. games on May 3 and May 5 at Washington Park.

Mustangs eye title

Homestead, 11-0 in El Camino play after 4-3 and 9-2 wins over Fremont, entered this week's series with Saratoga four games shy of a perfect division season. However, Coach Chuck Camuso's Mustangs would settle for a split against the Falcons since one win is all that Homestead (18-5 overall) needs to earn the division's automatic bid in the Central Coast Section playoffs that begin May 16. The Mustangs enter the Tuesday-Thursday series three games ahead of Saratoga (8-3) and four in front of Santa Clara (7-4).

Homestead won the first meeting with Saratoga back in March, so one victory this week will give the Mustangs the season series and a tiebreaker advantage over the Falcons, if for some reason they falter twice and in the home-and-home with Santa Clara, May 8 and 10. If Saratoga beats Homestead twice this week, then the Mustangs would need two wins against Santa Clara to secure the title.

Santa Clara, which beat winless Lynbrook (0-11) twice last week, can only finish first if Homestead loses all four of its games and Saratoga sweeps the Mustangs and then loses its final pair to Fremont.

Cupertino wins twice

Meanwhile, Cupertino improved to 4-6 in De Anza Division play and 10-14 overall with a sweep of Gunn.

First, the Pioneers blanked the Titans 6-0 as senior pitcher Ryan Matsuoka relied on his defense and twirled a complete game 2-hitter. Matsuoka and junior Nick Scibetta both had two hits and two RBIs.

The next day in Palo Alto, senior Aaron Headrick pitched the distance for a 5-3 decision. Chris Haley knocked in four of the Pioneers' runs with a home run and double.

Vikings in first

Lynbrook's softball team tightened its hold on first place in the De Anza Division with a 2-0 win at Monta Vista on April 24.

With four games remaining, the Vikings (8-0) were 2 1/2 games ahead of the Matadors (6-3) and Milpitas (6-3). Mountain View, which kept its playoff hopes alive by beating Monta Vista 6-5, was another game back at 5-4.

After scattering five hits and striking out nine against Monta Vista, Viking ace Kendra Wood pitched an 11-inning no-hitter and struck out 25 batters against non-league foe Santa Clara, but lost 1-0.

Catcher Kelsey Wood accounted for both of Lynbrook's runs against Monta Vista in the fourth inning. She singled home Veronica Howard, went to third on sister Kendra's base hit and scored on Shawna Mattison's sacrifice fly.

The Matadors challenged to tie or take the lead in the sixth, but were thwarted. After Ashley Vernazza walked and Sarah Hassman legged out an infield hit, Martino put a wallop into one of Wood's pitches. Left fielder Christina Signoretti's fine running catch prevented at least two runs on the play. Kelsey Wood threw out Vernazza, trying to steal third, for the second out, and a strikeout ended the threat.

Mike Barnhart contributed to this story.