Strikeout artist: Del Mar softball ace Ks 16 as Del Mar remains undefeated
Natalie Dixon's off- speed pitches baffled Gunderson batters as the Del Mar junior rang up a season- high 16 strikeouts in a softball game on Wednesday afternoon.
The Dons won 11- 4 and extended their perfect start to 7- 0.
Facing a Blossom Valley Athletic League West Valley Division opponent that entered the game averaging 20 runs per game, Dixon got 11 of her strikeouts via a swing- and- miss.
And after every pitch, strikeout or not, her defense serenaded and strengthened Dixon with cheers.
“They're so supportive, and always talking, cheering and encouraging me,” Dixon said. “It helps me.”
A huge second inning in which they scored six runs gave the Dons the cushion they needed.
After moving down from the tougher BVAL Santa Teresa West Division following an 8- 9 season, the Dons have yet to play a close game in the BVAL's “C” league. All seven of their victories have come against West Valley opponents, with none closer than six runs.
NO. 12 LIBERTY 9, NO. 13 FREEDOM 5 >> Liberty scored five in the first and two in the second to build a seven- run cushion and held off Freedom's comeback attempt to prevail in Bay Valley Athletic League play.
Jewel Cooper had two homers, a double and four RBIs and Madison Tuttle drove in two to power the Lions, who improved to 8- 2, 2- 0.
Maya Soto homered and had three RBIs for Freedom, which fell to 5- 4, 0- 2.
NO. 15 GILROY 11, LELAND 1 >> Gilroy scored five in the home half of the sixth to prevail by mercy rule over Leland in a BVAL Mt. Hamilton Division game.
Jennie Hernandez and Adi Hulbert each had two hits and two RBIs to lead the Mustangs, who improved to 10- 4, 5- 1.
SANTA TERESA 7, NO. 19 LEIGH 6 >> Santa Teresa, playing at home in San Jose, built a 6- 0 lead after two innings and held on to win in BVAL Mt. Hamilton play.
Mariah Avalos doubled twice and knocked in three runs and Deanna Hernandez and Samantha Vidal each drove in two runs to lead the Saints ( 8- 4, 4- 2).
Vidal finished 3 for 4 and scored two runs.
NO. 16 LOS GATOS 5, MILPITAS 3 >> Grace Tucker had three hits, including a triple, and three RBIs, Ava Norquist tripled and Ria Sharma knocked in two as Los Gatos defeated Milpitas in an SCVAL De Anza Division game. The Wildcats improved to 10- 2, 4- 0. Destiny Solis tripled, doubled and singled and knocked in two and April Price finished with three hits for Milpitas, which dropped to 9- 7, 2- 1.
BRANHAM 3, WILLOW GLEN 2 ( 8 INN.) >> Jacque Connolly Hojas pitched a complete game, Alexis Bojorquez- Nava hit a run- scoring triple and Abbie Fales had an RBI single to lead Branham to a victory at home over Willow Glen in BVAL Mt. Hamilton play.
Kaliya Yco scored the walk- off run. She was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a groundball to shortstop.
Baseball
NO. 1 GRANADA 4, RENO 3 >> Riley Winchell stroked a bases- loaded single to center with nobody out in the bottom of the seventh on Wednesday night to drive in Peyton Richards with the winning run as Granada ( 13- 0) remained undefeated, beating Reno in the opening round of the Bishop Gorman tournament in Las Vegas.
Richards opened the inning with a walk. Mikey Boyd followed with a bunt single and Parker Warner was walked on four pitches to load the bases, setting the stage for Winchell's dramatic finish.
Boyd had three hits and an RBI for Granada, which is off to its best start since it opened the 2013 season 20- 0.
NO. 2 ACALANES 7, VINTAGE 1 >> Acalanes improved to 14- 0 as Sully Bailey tripled, doubled, singled and knocked in two and Henry Souza had two RBIs to lead the Dons past Vintage at the Concord tournament.
Peter Thorn pitched 4 2/ 3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts for Acalanes. HOMESTEAD 7, NO. 8 LOS GATOS 6 >> Los Gatos scored three in the top of the seventh to take a two- run lead. Homestead answered with three in the home half of the frame to celebrate a dramatic Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division victory.
Jayden Duong's double to left knocked in the tying and winning runs, giving the Mustangs the walk- off triumph.
Avinash Lohitsa's run- scoring single earlier in the inning brought Homestead to within 6- 5.
Duong finished with three hits and three RBIs. Clay Bussey added two hits and two RBIs and Justin Gladfelter had two hits and an RBI.
Homestead is 7- 4- 2, 2- 2. Los Gatos fell to 10- 3, 3- 2.
HALF MOON BAY 5, NO. 17 WOODSIDE 4 ( 9 INN.) >> Connor Heath's single to left drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth as Half Moon Bay capped a wild comeback to earn a series split with first- place Woodside in Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division play. Woodside won 9- 4 on Tuesday.
In the rematch, Half Moon Bay scored three in the home half of the seventh to erase a 4- 1 deficit and force extra innings.
Tyler Schwartz's single made it 4- 2. A wild pitch with two outs cut the margin to 4- 3, and Clark Colucci's single evened the score 4- 4.
Colucci finished with two hits for HMB, which improved to 7- 9, 3- 5.
Cruz Torres had two hits and two RBIs for Woodside, which fell to 12- 2- 1, 5- 1.
NO. 18 MENLO- ATHERTON 6, SEQUOIA 3 >> Rowan Kelly homered and Ryder Kelly had two hits with two RBIs as Menlo- Atherton turned back host Sequoia in a Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division game.
M- A improved to 10- 5, 4- 1.
Morgan Winfield and Nelson Cross each had two hits and Logan Mathias homered for Sequoia ( 8- 7, 3- 2)
NO. 12 HERITAGE 8, FOOTHILL 5 >> Gio Martini homered, tripled and doubled and Tyler Williams homered and doubled as Heritage opened the Foothill tournament with a victory over the host school.
Williams drove in three runs and Martini knocked in two as Heritage improved to 11- 2- 1.
Foothill is 7- 7.
MONTE VISTA 9, PALO ALTO 0 >> Dylan Hillman homered and Brandon Clizbe, Ryan Campbell and Tony Keeling each doubled to lead Monte Vista to a rout of Palo Alto at the Sacred Heart Prep tournament.
Keeling knocked in three runs and Campbell and Torin Dunphy drove in two apiece.
Four pitchers — Colton Castro, Gavin McMillan, Alex Carter and Ryan Fraser — combined for the one- hit shutout.
Monte Vista improved to 8- 6. Palo Alto is 6- 10.