NCS baseball, softball roundup: Rincon Valley Christian to play for title

The Rincon Valley Christian baseball team came out swinging in the first inning of Friday's North Coast Section Division 6 semifinal game - and it paid off.

The host Eagles, the third seed, scored six runs in the first inning and went on to win 9-0 against No. 7 Laytonville (13-8).

The win sends RVC (14-4) to the championship game against No. 1 Ferndale on June 3 at 4 p.m. at Ferndale.

“We are peaking at the right time,” RVC coach Ron Speakes said. “Over the past few games our pitching has been dominant.”

RVC starter Nick Guiseponi tossed a complete-game one-hitter and struck out 15 Warriors in an exceptional outing.

“Nick threw a great game; he just throws hard. They (Laytonville) couldn't keep up with him,” Speakes said. “They couldn't figure him out. He threw only 85 pitches and was very efficient.”

While Guiseponi only had to pitch to 24 batters, Laytonville's pitching staff was torn to shreds early.

After 11 Eagles batters appeared in the six-run first inning, RVC tacked on three more runs in the third inning for a commanding 9-0 lead.

“We just jumped all over them,” Speakes said. “We just unloaded on Laytonville's starter. He got knocked out after nine batters and only got two outs.”

In two NCS playoff games, RVC pitchers have given up only four hits and one run while striking out 29 opposing batters.

St. Patrick 12, Middletown 2

The fifth-seeded Mustangs (13-13) were upset at home by the No. 13 Bruins (16-4-1) in a Division 4 second-round game. The loss ended a late-season run for Middletown, which started the year 0-9 but caught fire to make the playoffs as a mid-level playoff seed.

“I think St. Pat's was under-seeded,” Middletown coach Jeff Mielke said. “Our team really didn't have an answer for what they brought. St. Pat's is very athletic.”

St. Patrick's (Vallejo) rapped out 13 hits and saddled Middletown starter Thomas Cook with the loss.

“It was a struggle for Cook as far as locating pitches and getting ahead of hitters early in the count,” Mielke said. “We weren't getting their hitters out. St. Pat's hitters battled and had a good approach.”

The Middletown clutch hitting that sustained the team much of the season did not materialize against the Bruins and winning pitcher Fred Seto, who went five innings for the victory.

“We built this whole season on timely hitting; today wasn't the way we won all season,” Mielke said. “(But) this season was a story of resilience. Middletown hasn't had a playoff win in a while, so I'm proud of that. It was exciting for the kids and the school.”

Softball:

Montgomery 9, Rancho Cotate 5

The No. 4 Vikings (20-7-1) defeated the No. 5 Cougars (20-8) for the third time in four games this year in perhaps the most intense softball rivalry in the Empire.

Montgomery's Division 2 second-round win sends the Vikings to the semifinals at No. 1 Livermore next week.

“We had key hits when needed them,” Montgomery coach Mike Malvino said. “We ran the bases really smart. The difference was we capitalized on their mistakes.”

To be sure, the Cougars had a litany of mistakes, making five errors that led to four unearned Vikings runs. Most of the errors were on dropped routine fly balls. Montgomery had no errors.

“It was a tough game. We had one error after another; it was a snowball effect,” Rancho Cotate coach Tracey Poueu-Guerrero said. “The girls lost their focus. Montgomery is very aggressive and quick on the bases.”

Anna Zoia-Buescher was the winning pitcher for Montgomery, perfect in her innings. She also went 3-5 with three runs and two RBIs at the plate. Brittany Scardina took the loss for the Cougars, lasting five innings.

“Anna is a beast on the mound and she holds her ground at the plate,” Poueu-Guerrero said. “Montgomery was a strong team this year. They were the better team. We had a great season.”

Saint Mary's 2, Cardinal Newman 1

No. 5 Cardinal Newman (7-19) had a 1-0 lead on the road going into the bottom of the seventh inning in a Division 4 second-round matchup, but could not hold it.

The Panthers (16-9) of Albany rallied with two outs and no runners on to score two runs and knock off the Cardinals in heartbreak fashion.

“It was a very well-played game,” Cardinal Newman coach Bill Vreeland said. “We played the game the way it is meant to be played today. It was the best we have played all year in all phases against that good of an opponent.”

Cardinals starter Abby Vinson went the distance in the loss.

Isabelle Vreeland had Cardinal Newman's lone RBI with a single in the top of the seventh inning, which at the time looked like it might win the game for the Cardinals.