Young pitchers are keeping Young pitchers are keeping (April 16, 2003)SHP, Menlo in title hunts

Gators, Knights take a break after stretching their respective winning streaks behind freshmen and sophomore throwers

by Keith Peters

The pitching staff on the Sacred Heart Prep baseball team is so young, it's doubtful any of the players have their driver's license yet.

The Gators' young arms include Tom Pierson, Scott Cattaneo, Pat Coffey and Kevin Dos Remedios. All are freshmen. Throw in sophomores Hudson Smythe and Michael Johnson and you have the makings for a rough season.

That hasn't been the case for Sacred Heart Prep, however, as its young staff has responded well and kept the Gators atop the Private Schools Athletic League standings all season.

While a tough preseason schedule did produce an 0-5 record, the Gators bounced back for PSAL action and have won eight straight without a loss for coach Ray McDonald heading into Wednesday's game at Redwood Christian that opens the second half of league play.

Should SHP win that, as expected, the Gators will take a 9-0 league record into spring break.

If there has been one constant for the Gators this season, it has been their pitching. Despite his very young staff, easily the youngest in recent years, McDonald has received one solid effort after another. Catcher Nick Favro, the only senior on the team, has been a steadying factor.

Last week, for example, Dos Remedios won his first game in an SHP uniform by limiting host Valley Christian-Dublin to just five hits over six innings during a 7-1 triumph. Cattaneo pitched a scoreless seventh in relief.

One day later, Smythe earned his first win this season as he gave up four hits over six innings during a 9-1 win over host Pinewood. Coffey got the call in relief this time.

Both pitching efforts were supported by solid hitting attacks as the Gators pounded out 10 hits in each win. Geoff Smith had two hits while Smythe and Coffey drove in two runs against VC Dublin. Mike Connor and Will Cowell had two hits against Pinewood with Connor, Smith and Pierson driving in two runs.

Pitching also has been the focal point at Menlo School this season, with lefthanders Andy Suiter and Chuck Huggins alternating on the mound with standout efforts. Huggins improved to 3-1 last week with a complete-game two-hitter during a 3-0 win over visiting South San Francisco in PAL Ocean Division action. Menlo improved to 6-2 in league (10-4 overall).

The Knights' seventh straight win was all about Hudgins, who gave up two hits in the first inning and ended up retiring the final 10 hitters. He struck out six and walked fouk and was backed by flawless defense, two hits by Ryan Seawell and a key RBI single by Travis Allyn. Menlo will open play in the annual Bishop Gorman Classic in Las Vegas on Thursday.

Elsewhere, Menlo-Atherton's title hopes in the PAL Bay Division took a big hit in the form of an 18-4 loss to visiting Aragon on Friday. The Bears (3-3, 8-8-1) gave up a whopping 11 runs in the top of the seventh while falling two games back of first-place Terra Nova, which plays the Bears in a home-and-home series beginning April 23.
Softball

Menlo freshman Ali Lycette and Menlo-Atherton junior Cameron Murfit came up with dazzling pitching performances last week to keep their respective teams in the hunt for the PAL Ocean Division championship.

Lycette tossed her second no-hitter of the season to spark the Knights to a 10-0 win over visiting El Camino on Friday. Lycette needed only five innings, thanks to a quick 10 runs by her teammates. Jackie Schoof, Vanessa Cordova and Lycette all had three hits while Maggie Herzog drove in three runs.

Menlo (5-1, 6-5) maintained its hold on first place with the victory.

Murfit was outstanding in another area. While she gave up two hits (both in the second inning) and four walks to South San Francisco in the Bears' 3-0 win, she also struck out a career-high 17. Murfit struck out the side in the first through fourth innings and fanned the first two hitters in the fifth before ending the inning with a popout.

Menlo and Menlo-Atherton (4-1, 6-6) both are in Las Vegas this week for the annual Fred Davison Memorial tournament. The teams will face each other in league play on May 2 at Menlo.