NCS baseball roundup: St. Vincent, Credo among 1st-round winners

The first day of North Coast Section playoff baseball action featured mostly small schools. But luckily for most local teams, it was a good opening day of the postseason.

Three of the five Division 5 teams advanced to the quarterfinals, which will take place this weekend. Cloverdale, St. Vincent and Credo all moved on with solid wins Tuesday, while Technology and Sonoma Academy saw their seasons come to an end.

In Division 3, Sonoma Valley also hit the end of the road in a close opening-round loss.

The Division 2 playoffs, which feature most of the area’s top local teams, will get underway Wednesday.

For now, here’s a full breakdown on how Tuesday’s NCS openers went.

Division 3

No. 4 Alhambra 4, No. 13 Sonoma Valley 2

The Dragons gave the fourth-seeded Bulldogs a scare but ultimately fell late in their playoff opener.

Sonoma Valley, which ends the season 9-16 overall, led 2-0 in the second after an RBI triple from Andrew Bonfigli and a fielder’s choice from Nic Scevola, but Alhambra rallied back to tie the game 2-2 in the fourth before taking the lead with two more runs in the fifth.

Scevola had two hits, as did Grant Kiser, to lead the Dragons at the plate. Max Harrison struck out nine, walked three and allowed just three hits with three earned runs over five innings of work on the mound.

Division 5

No. 4 St. Vincent 16, No. 13 Bentley 0 (5 innings)

It was the Eddy Stone show Tuesday as the Mustangs senior tossed a one-hit shutout and went yard in a three-hit day at the plate.

Stone struck out seven and walked one over his five innings and also tripled with three RBIs in the mercy-rule win.

Nico Antonini also had a huge game, doubling twice and adding a triple with three RBIs to pace St. Vincent (12-13) at the plate. Mac Cauz and Jack Davis each added a pair of RBIs on two hits.

The Mustangs will face No. 5 Credo in the quarterfinals on Friday.

No. 5 Credo 13, No. 12 International 3 (5 innings)

The Gryphons scored early and often to breeze to a first-round, mercy-rule win over the Jaguars.

It was 7-0 after three before Credo (12-4) plated five in the bottom of the fourth to really blow the game open.

Joel Deering had a double and three RBIs, Tony Del Toro doubled with two RBIs and Henry Humpheries had a triple and two RBIs.

Thadeus Cole earned the win with 3 2/3 innings on the mound, striking out four with two hits and an earned run allowed.

No. 11 Clear Lake 11, No. 6 Tech 0 (5 innings)

The Cardinals ended the Titans’ season in convincing fashion, limited Tech to just one hit while racking up the runs in the middle innings.

Clear Lake starter Greyson Wind struck out eight and walked four over his four innings of one-hit ball before Hank Ollenberger slammed the door with a perfect fifth.

Tyler Hankerson had the lone hit of the game for the Titans, who finish the year 13-7 overall.

You can reach Staff Writer Gus Morris at 707-304-9372 or gus.morris@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @JustGusPD.