Also, local softball teams earn first league wins
MORGAN HILL — Three hundred and fifty-nine days after laying claim to the first no-hitter in his program’s history, senior lefty Chris Bradley became the first Sobrato pitcher to throw two no-hitters Thursday against Santa Teresa.
The timing of this one was better.
Bradley struck out eight at Sobrato High School to help his team win 6-0 and move back into a tie with Santa Teresa for second place in the Mount Hamilton Division.
“That’s all I was thinking about: just getting the win,” Bradley said. “I had no idea I was even throwing a no-hitter.”
It was the same scenario a year ago when Bradley no-hit Greenfield in a 5-0 win during a tournament played in Salinas. This time, he struggled early.
“I think he threw like 23 pitches in the first inning. I was thinking it was going to be a bad one like the day before,” said manager Shorty Gutierrez, alluding to Wednesday’s 7-3 loss to the Saints. “But he came out and had a quick second inning. After that, he was cruising. He’s really looked sharp lately.”
Bradley benefitted from a six-run third inning that featured two RBIs by Aaron Wallace, who had a pair of hits, and a towering home run by Tom Standridge.
“Tom’s not one of the guys we expect to homer, so when we saw him do that, our confidence went way up,” Bradley said. “We needed that. It was a big game.”
The Bulldogs (6-7 overall, 6-4 league) have another one at 7 p.m. Wednesday against fourth-place Branham in PAL Stadium. It will be Sobrato’s first contest in a neutral playoff venue since last season’s loss to Los Gatos in the Central Coast Section Division II championship.
“It’s going to be one of the most exciting games we’ve been a part of,” Bradley said. “I think the excitment’s starting to build with us right now.”
SWIMMING
Adam Jasper, Danny Thompson and Patrick Read won six individual events combined and two relays Thursday as Sobrato trounced Branham 123.5-41.5 in Santa Teresa Division boys swimming.
Those three won two events on their own and joined Prashan Welipitiya in winning the 200-yard medley relay in one minute, 51.67 seconds and the 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:37.72 — roughly two seconds away from meeting a section-qualifying standard. Welipitiya also won the 200-yard individual medley (2:15.51).
Jasper nearly made the CCS cut while winning the 200-yard freestyle in 1:53.35. The sophomore added a first-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle (5:22.79) to an impressive afternoon at SHS. Thompson won the 50-yard freestyle (23.88) and 100-yard breaststroke (1:09.16), and Read touched first in the 100-yard butterfly (1:00.39) and 100-yard freestyle (56.79).
A second SHS foursome of Brandon Pham, Logan Bleeg, Gio Chau and Timmy Thompson won the 400-yard freestyle relay in 4:08.60 with Bleeg adding a win in the 100-yard backstroke (1:06.33).
The Lady Bulldogs lost 91-84 at SHS but won seven disciplines.
Gabrielle Smith led the way, taking first in the 200 IM (2:29.08) and 100 backstroke (1:12.14). The freshman joined classmates Christiana Bridges and Kelly Pearman and sophomore Brittney Doutt in winning the 200 medley relay (2:10.44); and was part of a first-place 400 relay (4:14.83) with Nika Burnett, Bridges and Doutt.
Bridges also won the 500 freestyle (5:27.99), and Melanie Jasper the 200 freestyle (2:27.67).
SOFTBALL
Katie Obbema had three singles and struck out six in a complete game, and Hailey Nelson drove in the go-ahead run to secure the Lady Acorns’ first Mount Hamilton victory, 8-6, Friday at Branham High School.
Nelson collected three RBIs in as many hits, including a two-run double that helped Live Oak (1-1 league) overcome a 5-4 deficit in the fourth inning. The senior bunted home Kirsten Doting to break a 6-6 tie in the sixth, and Kayla Cisneroz — one of four Acorns who had multiple hits — followed with an RBI double for good measure.
Cisneroz and Doting were 2 for 3, and Priscilla Orona tripled and was 2 for 4.
SHS 15, Willow Glen 2
The Lady Bulldogs’ first win against Willow Glen also moved them to 1-1 in the Santa Teresa.
Nicole Larson, Frankie Kellett and Heather Johnson were 3 for 4 with three RBIs, including a home run by Larson, Taylor Di Sibio and Samantha Ribeiro batted 2 for 4, and Allyson Stoner had two hits in her first game back from injury for Sobrato.
Bulldogs pitcher Katie Machado was hitless in 3 1-3 innings.
