NCS playoff roundup: Pinole Valley softball gets help from unexpected places

North Coast Section playoffs: Pinole Valley slips by Albany, Piedmont baseball shocks No. 1 seed.

Softball

Division III

Pinole Valley 1, San Marin 0

On a team headlined, rightfully so, by senior pitcher Kailani Tatro, it was two unheralded freshman who were the difference in Pinole Valley’s 1-0 victory over visiting San Marin in the North Coast Section Division III semifinal. 

Freshman Gabriella Ornelas doubled in the bottom of the sixth inning, notching Pinole Valley’s first hit of the night. 

Driving her pinch-runner Jordan Mendoza in was fellow first-year player Jazabella Cabrera. 

That was all the offense the Spartans would get, not that they needed any more that that with Tatro locked in against the visitors. 

The senior got her 26th victory of the season after striking out 11, allowing just two hits, and walking none. 

Pinole Valley, now 26-1, had enjoyed a bye through the first round as the No. 1 seed. 

The Spartans will play No. 4 Albany, a rival from the Tri-County Athletic League Rock Division, on Wednesday for a spot in the section championship. 

Division IV

Del Norte 12, St. Patrick-St. Vincent 0

St. Patrick-St. Vincent made the 350-plus mile trip up to within a stone’s throw of the Oregon border to play Del Norte in the Division IV quarterfinal, where SPSV was handed a 12-0 loss in five innings. 

Raniyah Ellis was 2 for 3 and Haylee Jones was 2 for 2 for the Vallejo school. SPSV finished its season 13-12. 

Baseball

Division II

No. 7 Benicia 9, No. 2 Windsor 1

It wasn’t so much that Benicia lost its final two games of the regular season to Clayton Valley Charter, which happens to have a very good team. It was being outscored 19-3 in those two contests that raised eyebrows.

But the Panthers have put those defeats behind them, and on Saturday they rolled past Windsor. They scored four runs in the fourth, then after Windsor cut the gap to 4-1 in the fifth, they blew the game open with five in the seventh.

What a day it was for junior Jaden Mason. He homered and drove in four runs, and he pitched five innings, allowing one run.

Jake Matteson also had a big game. He doubled and singled, drove in two runs and scored twice.

Benicia (15-10-1) plays at sixth-seeded Maria Carrillo on Wednesday at 5 p.m. The Santa Rosa school is 15-9 after it surprised three seed Marin Catholic 8-7 in the semifinals.

Division IV

No. 8 Piedmont 5, No. 1 Fortuna 2

The Highlanders took a 2-1 lead into the seventh, then scored three runs to break it open and shock the No. 1 seed.

Next game for Piedmont (14-10) is against fifth-seeded Justin-Siena (14-9) on Wednesday.

Michael Aikawa contributed mightily at the plate and on the mound. He was the winning pitcher, working the first four innings. His control was a little off as he walked four, but he gave up only a run on three hits while striking out five. At the plate he had two hits.

Dimitri Papahadjopoulos doubled, singled and knocked in three. Ryan McConathy had a double and triple, and drove in a run.

No. 7 Del Norte 5, No. 2 St. Joseph Notre Dame 4

Del Norte scored all five runs in the third after the Pilots took a 2-0 lead in the first. SJND then scored single runs in the sixth and seventh, but that was all.

St. Joseph Notre Dame (20-5-1) drew 10 walks, but it had only two hits. The Pilots struck out 10 times. Atticus Gonzalez, who had one of the two hits, drove in a pair of runs. Collin Ng had three walks.