Saratoga News

Photograph by Robert Scheer

Catcher Ryan Bernard waits for the throw at the plate.

Prospect wins to clinch West Valley Division

By Dick Sparrer

It all came down to one final game.

Prospect needed a win to clinch the championship in the West Valley Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.

Mt. Pleasant could also claim the crown with a victory.

They couldn't both win, though--because they were playing each other.

One final game. And Prospect won it all.

The Panthers won the game and the title in convincing fashion, ripping Mt. Pleasant 11-2 to wrap up the league season with a 9-3 record. The Cardinals ended up second at 8-4.

It was a four-run rally in the second that got the Panthers started, and it was a five-run outburst in the fourth that finished off the Cards.

That was more than enough for Prospect starter Paul Solis, who went the distance to pick up the win. Solis pushed his season record to 6-1 with the victory.

And his teammates supported him with the bats.

Brandon Gomez led an 11-hit assault with three hits. Gomez doubled twice and singled to knock in two runs for the winners.

Brandon Morgon singled and doubled for the Panthers and Jamin Claus had two hits. Bruce Morrow ripped a triple and Matt Medlin knocked home two runs for the champs.

The Panthers improved to 11-8 for the year with the victory and will now look ahead to the Central Coast Section playoffs that begin May 15.

Warriors fall

There will be no CCS playoffs for Westmont, though.

While Prospect was winning, Westmont was losing. The Warriors slipped to 7-5 in the West Valley Division and to 11-10 for the year.

Vinny Perez, who got off to such a hot start this season, was tagged with the mound loss when the Warriors dropped an 11-4 decision to Lick.

Westmont will close out the season this week in a nonleague game on May 8, 3:30 p.m., against Leigh.

Falcons take two

Saratoga has an inside track on the playoffs. The Falcons won two of three games last week to improve to 14-6 for the year. Saratoga is 11-5 in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, second only to Homestead.

Homestead wrapped up the league championship with three wins last week, but the Falcons clinched second place with their two victories.

Saratoga beat Mountain View 10-4, then beat up on Los Altos 19-7 before losing 8-2 to Los Altos in another game.

Joel Reikes blasted a home run and Kyle Cardin had three hits to lead the Falcons to the lopsided win over Mountain View.

Cardin doubled and singled twice to knock in a couple of runs for Saratoga. Trent Frisina doubled twice to drive in two runs and Stephen Oberhauser singled and doubled to plate a pair.

Michael Black and David Goni had two hits each for the Falcons and Brett Vrostos doubled.

Goni was the winning pitcher, pushing his season mark to 6-2.

David Schneider struck out nine in five innings of work to pick up the mound win in the 19-7 triumph over Los Altos. Schneider ran his pitching record to 6-1 with the victory.

Oberhauser had a double among his four hits and he drove in two runs in the win. Goni and Ken Nickel had three hits each and knocked in three runs apiece. Nickel and Frisina each doubled.

Ryan Bernard had two hits to push across four runs and Reikes singled twice to drive in three. Kota Takamoto added two hits in the 20-hit Saratoga assault.

There were only four hits for the Falcons in the 8-2 loss to Los Altos that capped the week, though.