Saratoga News

Photograph by Robert Scheer

Westmont's Scott Smith has every reason to celebrate as he scores his club's first run in the CCS playoff opener against Wilcox. Westmont pulled out a 6-5 upset win over the Chargers, but lost 6-1 to Leland a game later.

Warriors win CCS opener

Lynbrook girls lose first game

By Dick Sparrer

Few expected much from the Westmont baseball team this spring.

But all the Warriors did was run up a 15-3 record to win the championship in the West Valley Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League under first-year head coach Jason Miller.

Then few expected much from Westmont in the rugged Central Coast Section Division I playoffs at the season's end.

And then all the Warriors did was upset Wilcox in the first round of the playoffs before losing to powerful Leland in the CCS quarterfinals last weekend.

But, then, it was one those unexpected, unbelieveable and unforgettable seasons for the Warriors.

Westmont started the year with a rather average 3-3 preseason, but the Warriors have been anything but average since then.

The Warriors rolled out to an 11-1 start in league play and knocked off Mt. Pleasant 8-6 on the final day of the regular season to clinch the division championship.

By winning the title, the Warriors won a rather unenviable berth in the CCS Division I playoffs--along with powers like Bellarmine, St. Francis, Leland and Serra.

And along with Wilcox, champions of the rugged De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.

In fact, Westmont had to open the playoffs against the Chargers, who won their league title with a solid 16-2 mark and took a 20-4 record into the playoffs.

Well, make that 20-5. Because Westmont upset Wilcox 6-5 in the opening round of the playoffs to advance to the quarter-finals.

Westmont lost 6-1 to Leland in that second round game, despite a couple of hits by junior Adam Curtis. The loss brought Westmont's season to an end.

But what a season it was. The Warriors finished the year with an outstanding 19-7 record.

Talented seniors Zack Felder, P.J. Doherty, Brian Skarbek and Scott Smith led the Westmont attack this spring, along with powerful juniors Curtis and Ryan Hanson.

Vikings fall

The Lynbrook girls' softball teams lost in a CCS playoff opener last week to bring its season to an end--but what great season it was.

Lynbrook won the title in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League with an 11-1 record and took a solid 21-7 record into the post-season.

But the Vikings lost 1-0 to Soquel in the first round of the CCS Division II playoffs to see their brilliant season come to an end.

Seniors Alice Liu, Jodi Melanson and Danielle Simione each saw brilliant high school careers come to an end in that CCS game.

But as disappointed as head coach Linda Nichols must be about losing the three talented seniors, she has to be might happy to see a solid crew of returners coming back from that this championship team.

Junior pitcher Kendra Baldwin tops a solid list of returners that includes juniors Monica Boss and Shelly Prevo, and sophomore Angela Locke.

The Vikings had wrapped up the league season with an impressive 8-4 win over second-place Palo Alto to secure the division championship.

Baldwin went the distance to toss a four-hitter for the win, striking out five along the way. She was touched for three runs in the sixth, but only after her club had jumped in front 8-1.

Simione singled and tripled to drive in two runs, and Liu singled and doubled to knock home a pair. Melanson also singled and doubled and Locke ripped a triple.

Earlier in the week, Melanson had whirled a three-hit shutout to lead the Vikings to a 6-0 win over Milpitas. Melanson helped her own cause with a pair of hits to drive in three runs.

Prevo had three hits for the Vikes and Liu belted a pair of singles to key a nine-hit attack.

Vikings win title

Nancy Lan and Sharon Koau of Lynbrook got together to win a Central Coast Section championship this past weekend.

The Viking duo teamed to win the CCS badminton crown in girls' doubles competition. The two paired up for a 15-3, 15-7 win over Brinda Avadani and Marie Santa Ana of Wilcox in the finals.

Lan and Koau qualified for the CCS tournament by winning the girls' doubles championship at the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League finals.

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