Softball
No. 10 Benicia 10, Sheldon-Sacramento 0 (5 innings)
Another game, another dominating result for Benicia.
The Panthers stretched their season-opening winning streak to eight games on Monday, blowing out a seventh consecutive opponent behind balanced hitting and Sinead Maas’ superb pitching.
Benicia scored two in the visitor’s half of the first inning and added six more in the second to put away its Sacramento opponent.
Suae Beatty, Ava Rojas, Aryanna Banks-Lockhart, Emma French and Ava Pannell each had two hits as Benicia dropped Sheldon’s record to 10-4.
The Panthers have not trailed all season and only one team — Liberty, in the opener — had a shot going to the final inning. But after Liberty tied the score in the sixth, Benicia responded with two in the seventh to win.
The Panthers have not looked back.
Including the 7-5 victory over Liberty, they have outscored their eight opponents 99-13, which is about the same level of dominance top-ranked St. Francis has had this season.
The undefeated Mountain View powerhouse has outscored its 13 opponents 96-11.
In Benicia’s win Monday, Banks-Lockhart doubled and knocked in two runs and Maas allowed three hits and struck out four before the game was called after five innings because of the mercy rule.
Benicia opens Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division play on Thursday against 18th-ranked College Park.
No. 15 Gilroy 6, North Salinas 1
Andrea Alvarez went 4 for 4 with three doubles and an RBI and Dani Wilson had three hits and drove in three runs to lead Gilroy to a nonleague victory at home over North Salinas.
Jocelyn Ta pitched four innings and Ariela Yslava was in the pitcher’s circle for three innings as Gilroy ran its record to 11-4.
North Salinas is 8-7.
Homestead 1, Fremont-Sunnyvale 0
Freshman MacKenzie Smith pitched a two-hitter and Cierra Hagan, another freshman, knocked in the only run as Homestead defeated visiting Fremont in a Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division game.
Homestead improved to 6-4-1, 3-1. Fremont is 3-10, 0-6.
Sobrato 3, No. 19 Leigh 1
Tied 1-1 after four innings, Sobrato scored a run in the fifth and another in the sixth to defeat host Leigh in a Blossom Valley Athletic League Mt. Hamilton Division game.
Kiera Garcia, Brooklyn Amato and Sunny Fernandez drove in runs for Sobrato, which also got 13 combined strikeouts from pitchers Sam Zimmerman and Kiyah Vasquez.
Brianna Buchanan knocked in Leigh’s only run.
Sobrato improved to 9-4, 5-2. Leigh is 6-7, 2-5.
Baseball
Oak Grove 9, James Lick 0
Eric Pavia had three hits, scored twice and knocked in a run and Brandon Stewart added two hits, including a triple, and drove in two runs to lead host Oak Grove past James Lick in a nonleague game.
Pavia, Eric Rodriguez, Jordan McCoy and Serena Martinez combined on a three-hitter as Oak Grove improved to 8-8.
James Lick is 4-2.
Sequoia 8, Half Moon Bay 7
Vincent Olinger Giani’s bunt with the bases loaded brought in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh as Sequoia edged Half Moon Bay in nonleague play.
Morgan Winfield had two hits, including a home run, and Spencer Haderle added two hits to help lead the way. Both also drove in two runs.
Mario Garcia homered, too, for Sequoia and had two RBIs as the Ravens improved to 9-8.
Aidan Vazquez and Riley Jackson each hit home runs for Half Moon Bay, which slipped to 7-10.
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Encinal 4, Head-Royce 2
Encinal scored four in the home half of the first to erase a one-run deficit and went on to beat Head-Royce in nonleague play.
Anthony Wilson doubled, scored a run and drove in a run and pitchers Mateo McMinn, Anthony Wilson and Zach Pippen combined to scatter four hits with six strikeouts.
Encinal improved to 8-6. Head-Royce dropped to 8-2.
Mt. Eden 8, Bethel 2
Javier Alfaro III doubled twice and had two RBIs and Mateo Romo and Andy Figaroa also both drove in two runs as Mt. Eden rolled at home in nonleague play.
Mt. Eden is 4-8. Bethel fell to 4-13.
