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Ritter Amsbaugh hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth inning to lift Palo Alto past visiting Homestead, 3-2, in a SCVAL De Anza Division baseball contest Monday.
The pitching staff — the Vikings used five of them — carried a shutout into the sixth inning. That’s when the Mustangs tied the score with a two-run homer.
Palo Alto quickly regained the lead in their half of the sixth. Hayden Jung-Goldberg, who had three hits on the day, tripled on a 1-1 delivery leading off the frame. Two pitches later, Amsbaugh hit a fly ball to center field, deep enough for Jung-Goldberg to score.
Callum Olsen got the final three outs for the save. Paly shortstop Zander Darby made a diving play on a groundout to record the first out, Olsen struck out the next batter and Amsbaugh fielded the final out.
Danny Peters pitched two innings and recorded the victory as Paly won its fifth straight. The Vikings (9-2) return to the site of their last loss, traveling to take on Los Gatos on Wednesday afternoon in a league game. The Wildcats beat Paly, 17-5, in a nonleague game April 21.
Paly scored single runs in each the first and third innings. Xavier Esquer singled to leadoff the first and Darby walked. Esquer advanced to third on a double play groundout and scored on a wild pitch.
In the third, consecutive one-out walks to Zach Hayward, Esquer and Darby loaded the bases ahead of Aidan Berger’s sacrifice fly.
Tommy Hall, who started, Rowan Felsch, Jack Haight and Peters combined to carry a one-hitter into the sixth.
Paly pitchers combined for six strikeouts and five walks.
Softball
Maddie Ta singled home two runs in the top of the ninth inning to help Gunn beat host Cupertino, 8-7, in a battle of undefeated teams of the SCVAL El Camino Division on Monday.
Lauryn Selvaraj, who pitched all nine innings for the Titans (6-0, 4-0), gave up a one-out homer in the ninth before finishing it off with a strikeout and a lineout to center fielder Emma Sachs.
Cupertino (8-1, 3-1) scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings.
Brenna Birnbaum singled to open the ninth, went to second when Ashley Ng walked and to third on Kylie Liu’s flyout. Ng took second on defensive indifference ahead of Ta’s single.
Liu and Ta each drove three runs for Gunn, which hosts Santa Clara on Friday afternoon.
In addition to being the winning pitcher, Selvaraj also went 4-for-4 at the plate.
Palo Alto dropped a 14-8 decision to visiting Monta Vista on Monday.
Boys lacrosse
Menlo took an early lead and then held on to beat visiting Serra, 11-8, in a WCAL contest Monday.
Carter Jung and Bradford Tudor each scored three goals and recorded an assist for the Knights (2-0), who travel to play St. Ignatius on Friday.
Sam Scola scored twice and Keane Murphy added two assists along with a goal. Ben Banatao and Sam Randal also scored for Menlo. Bax Barlow recorded nine saves.
St. Ignatius beat host Sacred Heart Prep, 18-11, in another WCAL contest Monday.
The Gators (4-2, 2-1) were within 8-6 at halftime.
Eric Bollar and Kai Lockton each scored three goals for Sacred Heart Prep, which hosts Mitty in a league game Thursday. Bollar added a pair of assists while Max Sloat and two goals and two assists. Ben Ramsey added a goal and three assists.
Girls lacrosse
Palo Alto defeated host Los Altos, 11-0, and remain undefeated in the SCVAL. The Vikings (6-0 5-0) host Mountain View on Wednesday afternoon.
Boys basketball
Gavin Kitch scored 19 points and Luke McFaul added eight but Gunn fell to visiting Saratoga, 70-54, in a SCVAL El Camino Division game Monday night.
Palo Alto returned to the court, falling to host Cupertino, 49-45, in the SCVAL De Anza Division.
Cupertino led by as many as 17 points late in the third quarter before Paly found its shooting touch. The Vikings outscored the Pioneers, 11-3, over the final 1:25.
The only lead Paly had was 3-2 with 7:09 remaining in the first quarter. Cupertino scored the next 11 points and the Vikings played catch-up the rest of the game.
Ryan Lykken led Paly with 13 points, including three 3-pointers. Aidan Rausch and Simon Minami combined for another 13.
Palo Alto (0-3, 0-2) hosts Homestead on Wednesday night.
In the WBAL, Noah Short scored 34 points and The King’s Academy beat host Pinewood, 75-67, Monday.
Pinewood’s Kiki Bailey tied the game at 63-63 on a short jumper with 4:42 remaining to play but TKA scored the next eight points to take control.
Pinewood (1-4) hosts Mid-Peninsula in a nonleague game Wednesday.
Track and field
Palo Alto swept its dual meet at Gunn recently, with the boys winning 92-30 and the girls winning, 59-51.
In Friday’s West Bay Athletic League meet, Pinewood’s Maia Garcia went 5-5 to win the girls’ high jump. Emily Takara won the triple jump with a mark of 30-6 3/4, and Nicole Maneatis won the 300 hurdles and 100 hurdles.
Pinewood’s Mateo Garcia won the boys triple jump with a best of 34-5.
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