Serra, De La Salle win baseball section titles, now pursue CIF NorCal crowns

San Francisco Chronicle​

2 days ago

Two of the Bay Area's most storied baseball programs — Serra and De La Salle-Concord — won section titles Saturday on the rebound. Now each hopes to catapult to their ultimate goal: Northern California titles. The one-week CIF Regional playoffs get underway Tuesday with Division 1 top-seed De La Salle and No. 3 Padres hosting games.
Serra (26-6) won their first Central Coast Section championship since 2009 with a 3-2 Division 1 win over Valley Christian at Excite Ballpark Stadium, riding a three-run fourth-inning rally and getting fine outings from winning pitcher Riley Lim back by two innings of scoreless relief by Nate Hui. Evan Bradshaw drove home the go-ahead run with an infield single and also made a key diving catch in the outfield.
High School Baseball and Softball Playoffs
BASEBALL
CIF Northern California playoffs
Tuesday's first-round games (4 p.m. unless noted)
Division 1
No. 8 Del Oro at No. 1 De La Salle
No. 5 Valley Christian at No. 4 St. Mary's-Stockton
No. 6 College Park at No. 3 Serra
No. 7 Los Gatos at No. 2 Franklin-Elk Grove
Division 2
No. 8 Hollister at No. 1 Yuba City
No. 5 Lodi at No. 4 Casa Grande
No. 6 Acalanes at No. 3 Chico
No. 7 Central Catholic at No. 2 St. Francis
Division 3
No. 8 California at No. 1 Roseville
No. 5 Lincoln-Lincoln at No. 4 Fowler
No. 6 Kingsburg at No. 3 Rancho Cotate
No. 7 Morro Bay at No. 2 Carmel
Division 4
No. 8 Durham at No. 1 Woodland Christian
No. 5 Menlo School at No. 4 Las Lomas
No. 6 Oakland Tech at No. 3 Santa Clara
No. 7 Arcata at No. 2 West Valley
Division 5
No. 8 Maxwell at No. 1 Etna
No. 5 Swett at No. 4 Los Molinos
No. 6 Lincoln-San Francisco at No. 3 Vacaville Christian, 6 p.m.
No. 7 Torres at No. 2 Stevenson
SOFTBALL
CIF Northern California playoffs
Tuesday's first-round games (all 4 p.m.)
Division 1
No. 8 Capuchino at No. 1 Oak Ridge
No. 5 Clovis North at No. 4 Whitney
No. 6 Rocklin at No. 3 St. Francis
No. 7 Willow Glen at No. 2 Del Oro
Division 2
No. 8 Foothill at No. 1 Vanden
No. 5 Central Catholic at No. 4 Liberty
No. 6 The King's Academy at No. 3 Destiny Christian Academy
No. 7 Casa Grande at No. 2 Salinas
Division 3
No. 1 Hillsdale, bye
No. 5 Liberty-Madera at No. 4 Foothill-Palo Cedro
No. 6 Pleasant Valley vs. at No. 3 Carondelet at Carondelet Athletic Complex
No. 7 Calaveras at No. 2 Cardinal Newman
Division 4
No. 8 Woodside at No. 1 East Nicolaus
No. 5 Gridley at No. 4 Northgate
No. 6 University Prep at No. 3 San Leandro
No. 7 Aptos at No. 2 Argonaut
Division 5
No. 8 Willits at No. 1 Biggs
No. 5 Oakland at No. 4 Miramonte
No. 6 Torres at No. 3 King City
No. 7 Balboa vs. No. 2 Foresthill at San Francisco State
Not only did the Padres rebound from a 1-0 West Catholic Athletic League semifinal playoff loss last week, but also from losing 18 seniors off last season's 22-7 team. Serra boasts such alums as Barry Bonds, Jim Fregosi and James Outman. It now hosts sixth-seed College Park-Pleasant Hill (17-11) in a first-round game Tuesday. All first- and second-round games start at 4 p.m.
De La Salle (26-4) won its 15th North Coast Section title and seventh in eight years with an 11-2 win over College Park at St. Mary's College. Stanford-bound shortstop Tyler Spangler continued a mammoth junior season with three hits including a pair of triples. Cal Poly-bound Antonio Castro added two hits and three RBIs.
It was De La Salle's 31st NCS playoff win in the last 32 games, the lone setback being a 1-0 loss to Granada-Livermore in last year's title game. That contest took 15 innings and two days to complete. Granada also ended De La Salle's string of four straight Northern California playoff titles as well last season.
'Our whole goal is to get back the dogpile (celebration),' Spangler said after a semifinal win over Foothill-Pleasanton last week.
That was secured largely Saturday with six runs in the second inning, with three more tacked on in the sixth. Half of De La Salle's 10 hits went for extra bases and winning pitcher Roman Bartosh allowed four hits in six innings before Mason Cortez pitched one scoreless inning.
Softball roundup: Hayden Hummel, Peyton Tsao, Gabby Rocha and Isabella Sandoval drove in two runs apiece as second-seed St. Francis ended top seed Willow Glen-San Jose's undefeated season with a 9-6 CCS Open Division title win that took eight innings. The Lancers (27-3), the third seed, host No. 6 Rocklin (22-6) in a first-round NorCal game Tuesday. … Sophomore Lola Jones struck out seven and allowed six hits and added an RBI single, leading Hillsdale-San Mateo (19-9-1) to a CCS Division 2 title with a 4-1 win over San Mateo. … Liberty-Brentwood (23-4) won its third NCS title and first since 1997 with a 4-0 win over Casa Grande-Petaluma as Kate Skinner fired a two-hitter with 13 strikeouts. … Nicole DiMarco had a triple, homer and five RBIs leading Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa (22-6) to a 12-8 NCS Division 2 title win over Carondelet-Concord.
Acalanes baseball ends drought: The Dons of Lafayette (17-10) won their seventh NCS baseball title, but first since 2016 with a 7-1 Division 2 win over Rancho Cotate-Rohnert Park as Brady Quinn and Austin McManamon combined on a four-hitter. James Stadt had three hits and three RBIs and Jimmy Cusumano had a double, single and three RBIs. Acalanes, the sixth seed, travels to Northern Section power Chico (28-1), for a first-round NorCal D2 game.
California baseball wins first: The Grizzlies from San Ramon (16-11) won their first NCS championship, with a 6-1 Division 3 title win over Marin Catholic-Kentfield as Ryan Giffins and Ryken Redondo combined on a three-hitter. Grayden Wright and Nolan Jess each drove in a pair of runs for California High, which is the eighth seed in the NorCal Division 3 tournament. The Grizzlies travel to top-seed Roseville (21-11).
Track follow: Three Metro athletes were inadvertently left off the CIF State Track and Field medal list Monday, including girls high jump co-champion Lelani Laruelle, a junior from Monta Vista-Cupertino, who cleared 5 feet, 7 inches. Others were Serra shot putter Luke Lewis (third place, 58-6¾) and Woodside 400 boys runner Mattheo LaCasia, who placed fourth in the state at 47.04. … Clara Adams, a CCS athlete from North Salinas, was stripped of her first-place medal after winning the 400 due to her victory celebration, 'extinguishing' her shoes with a fire extinguisher she took from her dad out of the stands. Since Adams, a sophomore, was disqualified for what was deemed an unsportsmanlike act, she was not allowed to run in the 200 finals, which she was a co-favorite to win. Her season bests of 53.23 (400) and 23.71 (200) ranked first and sixth in the state, according to athletic.net.