The Los Altos High baseball team dominated rival Mountain View in last week’s league series, outscoring the Spartans 22-2 over two games.
By doing so, the Eagles maintained their second-place standing in the SCVAL De Anza Division (now 6-2 in league), with a big series against third-place Palo Alto (5-3) set to begin today on the road. Mountain View, meanwhile, dropped to 2-6 in the De Anza, putting the team ahead of only a Gunn squad (1-7) it hosts today.
Los Altos won the series opener 13-2 at Mountain View April 19 “by playing solid defense, being patient at the plate and being opportunistic,” Eagles coach Gabe Stewart said.
Trailing 2-1 in the third, Los Altos scored twice – with the first run coming on an errant throw that allowed Stuart Cash to make it home from third – to take the lead for good.
The Eagles pulled away in the fourth by exploding for seven runs, helped by two walks and two errors by the Spartans. Jack Burcell and Rowan Sims each drove in two runs in the frame, with a single and double, respectively.
Eric Colgrove earned the win, pitching a complete-game three-hitter that included 11 strikeouts.
Los Altos cruised to a 9-0 victory in Friday’s home game, scoring eight of those runs by the second inning.
Cash and Burcell drove in the Eagles’ two first-inning runs with singles.
Mountain View threatened in the top of the second – Clay White singled and stole second – but Sly Cash struck out the next three batters.
In the bottom of the inning, “the Eagles asserted themselves,” Stewart said.
Gavin Moore led off with a double and scored on Adam Kamin’s single. After back-to-back walks loaded the bases, Burcell hit a hard-to-handle chopper to second that enabled Kamin and Stuart Cash to score. Aaron Baum sprinted to third on the play and then crossed the plate on a throwing error. After the Spartans hit a batter, Dewrell Wesley singled in two runs to extend the lead to 8-0.
Los Altos added a run in the fifth when Stuart Cash drove in Kamin, who singled and stole second and third. Kamin finished the day with four hits.
Sly Cash got the win with six innings of work. He allowed just three hits (all infield singles) and struck out eight.
The Eagles, who lost Saturday’s non-league game at Half Moon Bay 4-2, enter today’s 4 p.m. game at Paly at 10-8 overall. Los Altos hosts the Vikings at the same time Friday.
Mountain View, which has dropped four straight and is 8-11-1 overall, entertains Gunn at 4 p.m. today and visits the Titans at the same time Friday.
