William Conn threw a 6-inning no-hitter to lead Sobrato High to a 10-0, mercy rule win over Monterey in a Central Coast Section Division V quarterfinal. The No. 2 seed Bulldogs (15-6) advance to the semifinals against No. 3 seed Pacific Grove for a home game on Wednesday at 4pm.
Conn was masterful, striking out six and walking three on 86 pitches, 58 that went for strikes. He also helped his own cause with two RBIs. The recently graduated left-hander has had some eye-popping performances this season, including a 15-strikeout game against Gilroy and a nine strikeout game against a very tough Mountain View squad.
Catcher Tyler Pina has also been a stalwart on the team, and he came through with three hits and three runs driven in. Seth Hernstedt had two hits and two RBIs, and he along with Jamison Pozas made a pair of terrific defensive plays in the infield to help preserve the shutout. Ethan Clarke added two hits for Sobrato, which won the Blossom Valley League’s Santa Teresa Division championship for the second year in a row.
The Bulldogs jumped on Monterey with four runs in the first inning, two more in the fifth and four in the sixth to induce the mercy rule. Pina had four total bases and Clarke three, and the both had doubles. Pina scored three times and Shane Callison scored twice.
