Photograph by Scott Lechner

Saratoga hurler Brian Cavanaugh lets a pitch fly in last week's nonleague clash with Homestead. The Falcons went on to nail down a 9-5 win over the Mustangs.




Falcons roll to wins over Titans, Mustangs

By Dick Sparrer

Either power hitting or power pitching will often prove to be the difference in a baseball game. But never underestimate the value of the defensive play.

Westmont coach Jason Miller certainly doesn't, because it was his club's defense that spelled the difference last week in a 9-3 win over Pioneer in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.

Two bases-loaded situations in the second inning had very different results for the Warriors and Mustangs last week. And because of it, Westmont was able to break the game wide open.

Pioneer had the bags full and a run home with no outs in the top half of the second. But senior Kyle Collins fielded a slow roller and gunned a strike to catcher Seth Zajac for the first out of the frame.

The next hitter lined a shot down the first-base line, but first sacker Jim Brown snagged the liner and tagged his bag for a double play to get Warriors starter Mike Cifelli out of the jam.

The Mustangs had tied the score 1-1, but Westmont rallied right back. Travis Cheney walked and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Adam Antolin. Andrew Carter singled up the middle to drive Cheney home.

But the Warriors weren't finished yet. After an out, Collins and Brown slapped back-to-back singles to load the bases. Pioneer appeared to get out trouble when Zajac bounced a ground ball to third, but the third sacker booted the ball.

Carter scored easily, and Collins caught the Mustangs napping, scoring from second. Brown and Zajac ended up on second and third.

Cifelli helped his cause with a run-scoring infield single, and Zajac came home on a wild pitch to cap the five-run rally.

Westmont had jumped in front early in the game when Collins ripped a 3-2 pitch to the fence in center for a double. Zajac knocked him home with a ground out.

The Mustangs got the run back in the top of the second, then scored two more in the fourth, but Westmont put the game away with three runs in the sixth.

Antolin, who was two-for-two with a sacrifice bunt and two stolen bases, singled and swiped second to open the inning, then romped home on a bloop single by pinch hitter Colin McAvoy.

Collins dropped a single into right, chasing Mike Hilbert (who had re-entered for McAvoy) to third. Collins took second on the throw, then both runners scored on Zajac's infield hit.

Collins led the Warriors with three hits, and Brown and Antolin had two hits apiece.

Cifelli went three-plus innings to get the pitching win, and Blake Barr finished up with three-plus innings of one-hit relief.

It was the only win of the week for the Warriors, who lost 8-3 to Valley Christian on Monday and 10-5 to Oak Grove on Friday. The Warriors are now 4-6 in the Mt. Hamilton Division and 7-9 for the year.

Zajac blasted a two-run homer in the sixth and Brown doubled, but the Warriors lost to Valley.

Hilbert had two hits in the loss to Oak Grove on Friday.

Panthers go 2-1

Prospect won two of three games last week to improve to 6-4 in the Santa Teresa Division of the BVAL. Prospect is 10-7 for the year.

Brett Bonvechio doubled home a run in the bottom of the seventh to lift the Panthers to a tight 2-1 win over Silver Creek to open the week.

Darrell Jacks had two hits in the win.

Bonvechio crushed a grand slam and Jacks homered to lead the Panthers to a 14-2 win over Piedmont Hills. Bonvechio added a double and drove in six runs for the winners, and Jacks singled and finished with four runs batted in.

Casey Macartney singled and doubled for the Panthers, and Curtis Wills had two hits to drive in a pair of runs. David Hildreth also had two hits in the win.

Jacks homered and singled to knock in three runs, and Macartney had three hits, but the Panthers lost a tough 14-6 decision to unbeaten Leigh. Bonvechio and Hildreth each doubled and Wills had two hits.

Falcons winning

The Saratoga baseball team continued its winning ways last week with two victories, one in league play and the other in a nonleague game.

The Falcons whipped Gunn 9-2 in a key match-up in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League. The clubs entered the contest separated by just a single game in the standings, and a Gunn victory could have forced a tie for first place.

But Saratoga had other ideas. The Falcons broke open a tight game with a four-run rally in the fifth and coasted from there to the victory.

Saratoga moved to 8-1 in the division with the win, while the Titans slipped to 5-3.

Junior hurler Jason Worden came on in relief of starter Brian Cavanaugh to pick up the win. Worden, now 5-2 for the year and 4-1 in league play, allowed just four hits in his stint. Worden and Cavanaugh combined for a six-hitter.

Ryan Bernard singled and doubled to drive in two runs for the Falcons, and Nick Blue doubled and singled twice.

Mike Drew, Brady Moran and Dan Morse had two hits each for the winners. Erick Raich tripled and Jim Heuther knocked in a couple of runs.

The Falcons, now 12-5 for the year, finished up the week with a 9-5 nonleague win over Homestead.

Moran singled and doubled and Bernard and Robin Gill each tripled to spark a seven-hit attack for the Falcons.

Big 6-foot-4 senior right-hander Brett Miller was the winning pitcher for Saratoga, pushing his record to 3-1.

The Falcons get back to league action this week when they host Santa Clara on April 20 and visit Mountain View on April 22 for a couple of 3:30 p.m. games.

Vikings split

Lynbrook, meanwhile, split a pair of games in the El Camino Division of the SCVAL, beating Palo Alto 4-2 but losing 13-1 to Gunn.

Brian Sipe went the distance to whirl a three-hitter in Lynbrook's 4-2 win over Paly.

Colby Smith and Ryan Quadro had two hits apiece, but the Vikings lost a 13-1 nod to Gunn.

The Vikings are now 3-6-1 in the division and 6-7-1 for the year.

Sheriff's Report

Asian American Parent Association encourages involvement in education

Saratoga Federated Church gets new senior pastor

Portola Systems builds business software that is exciting to use and see

Saratoga Sampler: Good Sam doctor Harry Cornbleet is top Open Space District docent

Sports Briefs

Westmont baseball team defeats Pioneer

Saratoga, Prospect athletes compete in annual CCS Top 8 Track Classic

Youth sports camps signups