Willow Glen Resident
Sports
Codiroli, Lara, Porras prove powerful 1-2-3 for Vikings
By Kevin Sparrer
For a baseball team to have one player smash four hits in a game is impressive, but two? That seems almost unfair.
But when West Valley College defeated Gavilan on April 12, Jason Codiroli (Mitty) and Adam Lara (Leland) belted out four hits apiece to lead the Vikings to a rousing 13-4 win over the Rams. The Vikes are now 14-5 in the Coast Conference and 24-9-1 for the year.
Codiroli started the game off with a bang, literally. Codiroli led off the bottom of the first for West Valley with a solo blast over the right field fence. Codiroli roped a triple to right in the third, driving in two runners, and finished the game just a double away from hitting for the cycle. He also lined a base hit through the middle and dropped a flare over the shortstop for his last hit. Codiroli drove in five runs for the Vikes and scored three times.
Lara was also a terror at the plate. The No. 2 hitter smacked a double to the right field corner in his first at-bat and ripped a single back to right in his second. The third time he came he blasted a single to left, then pushed a ground ball through the middle of the infield, driving in a pair of runs. In his last at-bat, Lara was hit by a pitch, allowing him to reach base in all five of his plate appearances. Lara drove in two runs and scored twice.
Not to be forgotten was the performance of Doug Porras (Live Oak), who hammered three hits in the win. The No. 3 hitter knocked a line drive single to right, one up the middle and then smacked one through the right side. He also drove in one and scored once.
Of West Valley's 14 hits in the game, 11 came from the top three hitters in the line-up.
But the game wasn't all offense for the Vikings.
David Berner (Santa Clara) started on the hill and tossed eight solid innings. Berner gave up only one hit and allowed only four runners on base, none of them in the same inning. In fact, Berner threw six no-hit innings to open the game. He walked only one batter and struck out nine, allowing no runs and only one hit.
"Berner was outstanding," said West Valley head coach Mike Perez. "He didn't throw for us today; he pitched."
It wasn't until the top of the ninth, with West Valley up 13-0, that Gavilan was able to score. The Rams put together six hits for four runs, but were too far behind to catch the Vikings.
West Valley's biggest inning came in the sixth, when the Vikes scored five runs on four hits. With one out, Codiroli drew a walk and moved to third when Porras knocked a single up the middle, Porras advancing to second on the throw to third. Lara smacked a ground ball up the middle to drive home two.
Tyler Derby (Leigh) knocked a line drive single to left before Chase Perez (Live Oak) ripped a ground ball single through the right side that loaded the bases. Ben Hemeon (Gilroy) followed with a hard ground ball to deep third. The third sacker couldn't beat Derby to the bag for the force, then threw the ball up the first base line, allowing Hemeon to reach safely and Lara and Derby to each score. Perez, who ended the play at third, scored on a wild pitch for the last run of the inning.
Andrew Cummins (Live Oak) also singled for the Vikes and scored a run.
Earlier in the week, West Valley defeated Skyline 8-2. Brian Wendt (Leigh) who was the offensive powerhouse, crushing three hits including a double and a triple. Wendt drove in one run and scored twice.
Porras knocked a pair of hits, including a home run, and drove in four runs. Perez also knocked a pair of hits including a double. Codiroli, Lara, Dan Dyer (Leland) and Ryan Tregoning (Leigh) all had hits.
Samuels blanks Colts
Zach Samuels (Leigh) tossed a 5-hit shutout to lead De Anza to a 4-0 win over Cañada last week. Samuels, who improved his season record to 5-1 with the win, struck out 10.
Aldo Madrigal (Mt. Pleasant) led the Dons at the plate with a double and two singles.
The Dons took a 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the third, then added three more in the fourth against the Colts. That was more than enough for Samuels, a returning all-conference player for De Anza this spring.
De Anza dropped a tough 12-7 nod to Mission College over the weekend. The loss leaves the Dons 5-9 in the conference and 14-13 for the year.
Brian Roby (St. Francis) doubled and singled twice to knock in a couple of runs for the Dons and David Abraham (Bellarmine) had two hits to plate a pair.
In other recent action, De Anza turned back Gavilan 5-3 but lost 11-0 to Ohlone.
Guy leads Jags to win
Lammar Guy (Lake Brantley) had four hits, including a double and a triple, to drive in six runs in San Jose City College's 18-6 win over Hartnell last week. The win evened the Jaguars' Coast Conference record at 8-8 and left them 20-13 for the year.
Anthony Synegal (San Benito) and Frank Donangelo (Palma) each doubled and singled twice, and Doug Buser (Miramonte) singled and tripled in the win. Synegal knocked in three runs and Donangelo plated a pair. Eric Ames (Milpitas) added two hits in the win.
Eric Mattos (Santa Teresa) was the winning pitcher for the Jags, evening his record at 4-4.
It was the second straight win for San Jose. Just a few days earlier the Jaguars had rolled 11-1 over the City College of San Francisco. Tyler Duran (Mitty) was the mound winner, improving his mark to 3-2, and Buser had three hits to drive in a couple of runs.
Synegal had two hits to plate two runs, and Eddie Hsieh (Pioneer) had a couple of singles. Guy and Zane Bailey (Pioneer) each doubled, and Donangelo and Tommy Cardiel (Milpitas) each drove in two runs.
Chris Watkins (Silver Creek) homered and singled to knock in four runs and Buser had two hits, but the Jaguars lost 8-6 to the College of the Sequoias.
Dick Sparrer contributed to this story.
