Prep roundup: Washington-Fremont stays hot, Heritage softball loses another gut-wrencher

Baseball

Washington-Fremont 8, American 6

Washington-Fremont remained one of the hottest teams in Bay Area baseball as it extended its winning streak to five games with a victory over American in Mission Valley Athletic League play. 

Washington (10-5, 5-0) had ended last week with a 6-2 victory over West Catholic Athletic League powerhouse St. Francis. 

The streak seemed to be in jeopardy after American (5-10, 3-3) scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning, answering the run that Washington scored in the top half.

Freshman Micah Boo singled in one run with the bases loaded, junior Calen Morgan walked in another, Carson Rice singled in one and Kent Abe drove in two on a line drive into center. 

The 5-1 lead lasted until the top of the third, when Washington scored seven runs to take a lead it would never relinquish. 

Sophomore Ezekiel Venn Porter went 1 for 2, scored two runs, and had two RBIs. Senior Noah Morton had two hits and one RBI, and senior Narayan Venkataramana batted 2 for 4 and drove in one run.

Washington pitcher Maxwell Paek starred in relief as he threw 3 2/3 scoreless and hitless innings, striking out six of 11 batters.  

Washington will attempt to extend its winning streak on Wednesday when it plays the first of two games against James Logan, which leads Washington by a half-game in the league standings.

Foothill 8, Livermore 6

A fielding error in the top of the seventh on a ground ball by Jack Fowler accounted for two runs that broke a 6-6 tie and lifted Foothill over host Livermore in an East Bay Athletic League game.

Sophomore Charlie Stearns was 2 for 4 and hit a solo home run for Foothill (10-6, 4-4). CJ Johnston drove in three Livermore runs. The Cowboys (8-10, 0-7) used six pitchers. 

Monte Vista 9, Bear Creek-Stockton 7

The Mustangs defeated the Stockton school by collecting just four hits, three of those by Dylan Hillman. Hillman also scored three runs and stole two bases. Brad Ballard drove in two runs for the Mustangs, and Zachary Goldenberg hit a double and drove in a run. 

San Jose 5, Harker 3

Joshua Davila and Adonai Dominguez each had two hits in San Jose’s (2-9) non-league victory over visiting Harker. Pitchers Dereck Galvin, Davila and Dominguez combined to strike out 14 batters. 

Evergreen Valley 19, Silver Creek 0

Isaac Konnick and Liam Wong combined to throw a five-inning no-hitter with eight strikeouts and only one walk for Evergreen Valley, which got back to .500 (7-7). The Cougars had 17 hits, three of those doubles and one a triple. Senior Estevan Garcia had three hits, and junior Mason Scullion had four RBIs. 

Softball

Freedom 14, Heritage 12

Heritage has collected more painful losses in one week than some teams do in a season. Last Thursday, the Patriots blew an eight-run seventh-inning lead to Antioch.

Monday, Heritage led 12-8 before allowing three runs in the sixth and seventh inning.

Freedom’s Madison Evers-Lyles went 2 for 3, had three RBIs and scored four runs. Ruby Cuen Camacho had three hits and drove in two runs, and freshman Kelsie Skaggs went 2 for 4 with two RBIs. 

Heritage’s Alex Cutonilli hit two home runs and drove in six RBIs. Senior Trinity Johnston had three hits and two RBIs, and Skylar Stroh went 3 for 4 and scored two runs.

Branham 3, Sequoia 1

Madison Connolly-Hojas shined on the mound in Branham’s (10-4) big win over league opponent Sequoia (10-2), pitching the whole game, striking out five and allowing one unearned run. 

She also helped her own cause with the bat, driving in two RBIs on a double in the top of the third inning. 

Branham had lost its last game 10-0 to Bay Area News Group No. 1 team St. Francis. 

“(This was a) great team win to get us back on the winning track against a highly-respected opponent,” Branham coach Jason Yco told the Bay Area News Group. 

Branham played small ball to score their seventh-inning insurance run. Jessalyn Casillas singled, then was moved to second on a bunt by Makenzie Navarro. Tyla Arbuckle scored her from second with a single.

Mackenzie Jackson went 2 for 4 for Sequoia and drove in a run in the bottom of the seventh, but Sequoia could not mount a rally. 

Sequoia’s ace pitcher Ainsley Waddell struck out 11. 

“Facing an elite-level pitcher like that, we wanted to be aggressive and have quality at-bats and give ourselves a chance,” Yco said. 

Menlo-Atherton 10, Half Moon Bay 9

A few days after winning a walk-off thriller against Mills, the Cougars were on the other end of that kind of game on Monday night. 

Lea Martinez tied the game at nine apiece with a line drive into center, and after another single pushed teammates to second and third, fellow freshmen Elise Koo walked the Bears off with a sacrifice fly into center field. 

Emily Chaves and Angelina Yeakley drove in two runs each for HMB, and Ashlyn Roeder was 4 for 4 with two RBIs for Menlo-Atherton. 

Archbishop Mitty 2, Gilroy 1

Archbishop Mitty avoided a letdown game ahead of its massive showdown with WCAL rival St. Francis on Wednesday.

Megan Sutton drove McKenna Woliczko in on a single into centerfield during the bottom of the first, and Alyssa Onyeagwa doubled Corri Hicks across home plate in the fourth inning.

Gilroy’s Drea Alvarez singled in one run during the top of the sixth, but Ava Markert was otherwise solid, pitching a complete game and walking none.

De Anza 33, Bethel 3

De Anza (8-3) had 47 stolen bases —  yes, 47 stolen bases — in a 33-3 victory over Bethel (1-9), according to stats inputted into MaxPreps.

Sophomore Mya Arroyo led the team with six stolen bases, and Emily Garcia, Giselle Taylor and Myrionna Crenshaw each stole five. The game was called after five innings because of the run rule. 

Bethel coach Anthony Kaluza did not respond to a request for comment on Monday night.

Fifteen different De Anza players stole a base. Senior Riana Everetts went 3 for 4 and hit a home run, and Sydney Cervantes went 2 for 2 with four RBIs.