St. Francis routs No. 2 Mitty behind DeVine's 2 HRs
St. Francis isn't going to capture the West Catholic Athletic League's regular-season baseball championship.
Its fate was sealed during a prolonged slump that dropped the Mountain View school several spots in the standings and out of the latest Bay Area News Group Top 20.
But the Lancers are still dangerous. Still capable of a late-season run. Still a threat to contend when the league and section playoffs roll around.
They made that clear Tuesday as Luke DeVine hit a home run in the first inning and a three-run homer in an eight-run fourth, leading St. Francis to a 12-1 rout of visiting Archbishop Mitty.
The outcome punctured a hole in Mitty's quest for the WCAL's regular-season title as the Monarchs (18-5, 9-2) will now need help to chase down Valley Christian.
Second-ranked Mitty is scheduled to visit Valley to close out the league schedule on May 5.
But the championship will be decided before then unless Mitty wins its next two WCAL games — at Bellarmine on Friday and at home against St. Ignatius on May 2 — and Valley loses one of its next three in league play.
Valley (10-0 in league) traveled to Serra on Wednesday, then plays host to St. Ignatius on Friday and visits Bellarmine on May 2.
St. Francis (13-10, 5-6) had lost five of six, including league defeats last week to St. Ignatius and Valley, before winning at home over Bellarmine 8-2 on Saturday.
The momentum clearly carried over to Tuesday as the Lancers — last season's Central Coast Section Division I champs — built a 3-0 lead through two innings and then put the game away with eight in the fourth.
Elias Duncan and Gino Cappellazzo added two hits and two RBIs apiece and Matthew Holcomb pitched five innings of onerun ball. Landon Kim closed out the game with two scoreless innings.
NO. 10 BELLARMINE 11, SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL 10 >> A comfortable, stress-free game for Bellarmine
went off the rails in the bottom of the seventh against Sacred Heart Cathedral as the hosts from San Francisco nearly erased a nine-run deficit.
But a groundout to the pitcher, Wade Mountz, with the bases loaded sent Bellarmine back home to San Jose with a narrow victory in WCAL play.
Thomas Trombatore had himself quite a day for the Bells, finishing 3 for 5 with a double, a home run and four RBIs. Calem Filipek added two hits, including a double, and drove in two as Bellarmine improved to 14-7-1, 6-5.
Tate Medicoff finished with two hits, including a home run, for SHC (10-13, 3-8).
Bellarmine led 3-1 after one, 8-1
after five and 11-2 after 6 1/2.
NO. 16 HERITAGE 14, PITTSBURG 5 >> Riley Pimentel had two hits and four RBIs and Gio Martini and Anthony Potestio each drove in three runs as Heritage rolled on the road over Pittsburg in a Bay Valley Athletic League game.
Heritage improved to 15-4, 7-0. Pittsburg is 13-7, 3-3.
NO. 18 LIBERTY 10, DEER VALLEY 3 >> Nick Goff, Josiah Wallace and Luke Hyland drove in two runs apiece to lead Liberty to a victory on the road over Deer Valley in Bay Valley play.
Goff finished with three hits and Wallace, Hyland, Michael Baker and Trevon Jones each had two hits as Liberty improved its record to 12-6, 4-2.
Lincoln Adams went 2 for 3 with a triple and knocked in two runs for Deer Valley (6-14, 0-7).
BENICIA 4, NO. 19 COLLEGE PARK 0 >> Jacob French pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings and Xander Estrada and Stevie Todd each had two hits and scored a run to lead Benicia to a victory on the road over College Park in Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division play.
Benicia scored three in the third and added a run in the sixth as it improved to 10-7-1, 2-3.
College Park is 10-8, 4-1.
LEIGH 5, SANTA TERESA 1 >> Colten Hanson allowed one run in six innings with nine strikeouts and Bryant Viskovich tripled, doubled and scored two runs as Leigh stretched its winning streak to eight with a victory at home over Santa Teresa in a Blossom Valley Athletic League Mt. Hamilton Division game.
Brandon Kim and Carter Williams each drove in two runs as Leigh (13-7, 10-3) maintained a two-game advantage in the league standings over Live Oak, Pioneer and Branham with five to play.
Santa Teresa is 11-10, 6-7. PIONEER 7, SOBRATO 0 >> Nathan Tichy pitched a two-hitter with nine strikeouts and Sean Sullivan went 2 for 3 with a double and three RBIs as Pioneer cruised over host Sobrato in BVAL Mt. Hamilton play.
Pioneer is 12-7-1, 8-5. Sobrato is 3-13-1, 0-11.
Softball CALIFORNIA 2, NO. 4 SAN RAMON VALLEY 1 >>
Kaitlyn Le pitched a complete game with five strikeouts and Alyssa Villarde knocked in a run during California's tworun fourth-inning rally as the Grizzlies upset visiting San Ramon Valley in an East Bay Athletic League game.
Addie Layous drove in a run in the third to give SRV a brief 1-0 advantage.
Paige McLeod struck out seven for the Wolves, who fell to 15-4, 7-2.
California is 10-7, 5-3.
NO. 10 CLAYTON VALLEY 15, BEREAN CHRISTIAN 1 >>
Kate Hadley went 3 for 4 with a double, a triple and three RBIs and scored three runs and Lola Winningham and Angelina Vargas added three hits apiece to power Clayton Valley to a nonleague win over host Berean Christian that was called after five innings because of the 10run rule.
Ruby Bartholomew pitched a complete game for Clayton Valley (10-4).
Berean is 4-10.
MOUNTAIN VIEW 7, NO. 15 MILPITAS 4 >> Tabby Smith hit a third-inning grand slam as Mountain View rallied from a three-run deficit after 2 1/2 to beat visiting Milpitas in a Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division game.
Mili Patel doubled and had two RBIs and Allison Marcellino struck out eight to help the Spartans improve their record to 8-10, 2-5.
Milpitas is 16-4, 7-2.