Saratoga News

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Saratoga shortstop Kyle Cardin, attempting to turn two in an early-season game against Homestead, had three hits to spark the Falcons to a 6-5 win over Mountain View last week.

Frisina leads Falcons to wins

Perez, Sease toss Westmont wins

By Dick Sparrer

Trent Frisina finds El Camino Division pitching to his liking.

Or at least he did last week, when the Saratoga junior outfielder slapped five hits in two games to lead the Falcons to wins over Mountain View and Cupertino.

Saratoga improved to 7-2 in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League with the two victories. The Falcons are 9-3 for the year.

The wins were important for the Falcons if they hope to remain as contenders for the division title. Homestead is unbeaten and sits atop the division standings, but the Falcons remain just two games back in the loss column.

It took a come-from-behind effort for the Falcons to open the week with the 6-5 win over Mountain View.

Saratoga jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first, but the Spartans came back with two runs in the second and one in the third to lead 3-1.

The Falcons scored in the fourth, but the Spartans answered with two of their own in the home half of the inning.

Saratoga chipped away with two runs in the fifth to cut the lead to 5-4, then the Falcons picked up two in the seventh to win it.

Junior David Goni went the distance to toss a six-hitter for the victory. Goni, who struck out 10 in the win, pushed his mound record to 3-1.

Kyle Cardin belted three hits to lead a 10-hit Saratoga assault in the win. Kota Takamoto had two hits for the Falcons and Joel Reikes slapped a triple.

Frisina singled and tripled to help Saratoga to the victory. But that was only the beginning for the junior outfielder.

Frisina came back with a double and two singles to drive in two runs to lead the Falcons to a 9-7 win over Cupertino.

Reikes and Brett Vrotsos each singled and tripled in the win and knocked in two runs apiece.

Sophomore hurler David Schneider picked up the win, pushing his record to 4-1 for the year. Johnny Taylor came on to claim his second save of the season.

The Falcons seemed to be in control in this one, sandwiching three-run rallies in the first and third around a Cupertino run in the second.

The Pioneers pulled to within two at 6-4 with two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth, but the Falcons rallied for three more in the fifth to take the lead for good.

Cupertino made one more run with three runs in the sixth, but Taylor blanked the Pioneers in the seventh to clinch the win.

Saratoga is now off for spring break, but the Falcons will be back on the diamond on April 15 to face Santa Clara in a nonleague game at Washington Park. Game time is 7 p.m.

Perez leads Warriors

Senior hurler Vinny Perez ripped a home run and tossed four hitless inning to lead the Westmont baseball team to a 5-1 win over San Jose Academy last week.

The win helped the Warriors improved to 5-2 in the West Valley Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.

Perez pushed his pitching record to 7-0 with the win. He struck out six in four innings of work, holding the Bulldogs scoreless as well as hitless. Junior Zack Felder was credited with the save.

Perez also homered and drove in two runs to lead the offensive attack for the Warriors.

Andy Brown cracked a triple and Kevin Laney and Sean Anderson each doubled to account for most of Westmont's six hits in the win.

The Warriors scored a run in the first to stake Perez to a quick 1-0 lead, then opened things up with a four-run rally in the second.

San Jose broke up Westmont's bid for a shutout with a run in the sixth, but that's all the Bulldogs could muster.

The Warriors are currently playing in the Pioneer Classic, and they lost a 14-3 decision to Silver Creek in the tourney opener.

P.J. Doherty singled and doubled and Mike Howard added two hits to lead the eight-hit attack for the Warriors.

Westmont continues tourney play through April 13. The Warriors will return to league action on April 17 at Andrew Hill.

Sease tosses win

Renee Sease whirled a two-hit shutout to lead the Westmont girls' softball team to a 4-0 win over Santa Teresa last week. The win helped the Warriors improve to 3-1 in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the BVAL and to 14-2 for the year.

Sease struck out 12 in the win and also helped her own cause at the plate with a pair of hits. Monica Tapia and Lynee Velasco added two hits apiece in the win.

The Warriors met their match later in the week when they battled Leland for 13 innings before darkness left the clubs in a 2-2 tie.

Sease had two hits to drive in both Westmont runs in the game and Carolyn Vye had two hits.

Falcons split

Amy Leu and Jenna Marsh had three hits apiece and Liz Wolthausen was the winning pitcher for Saratoga in a 10-4 victory over Santa Clara last week.

Leu doubled twice and singled for the Falcons and Marsh tripled and singled twice. Marisa Moore singled and tripled in the win and Wolthausen doubled. Anne Kluetmeier added two hits for the Falcons.

Wolthausen tossed an eight-hitter for the win.

Earlier in the week, the Falcons had dropped a 10-1 nod to Cupertino.

Saratoga is now 3-3 in the De Anza Division of the SCVAL.