With massive bats and strong arms, Novato Higher crushed host Hayward, 13-1 in 5 innings, on Saturday. The Hornets’ Andy Gates homered and doubled as he collected 3 hits, 4 runs and 4 RBI. Dominic Scafani had 3 hits, which includes a triple, tow drive in two runs, although Evan Black singled, doubled and was hit by a pitch as he scored all 3 occasions he got on base. By the finish of the day, the Hornets tallied 14 hits.
4 Novato pitchers combined to throw a two-hitter. J.P. Harmon struck out 5 batters in two innings and Cohen Garcia struck out all 3 batters he faced.
Novato (12-five, six-four) returns to MCAL play on Tuesday against San Rafael (1-13, -ten) in an work to shore up its postseason probabilities. The Hornets are battling rival San Marin (12-eight, 7-five) for the fourth and final playoff spot.
• San Marin fell four-two in nine innings against going to Casa Grande on Saturday afternoon. The Mustangs scored twice in the fourth inning for a a single-run lead, but the Gauchos rallied with the tying run in the sixth. Sophomore ace Sean McGrath struck out 3 batters and walked 3, although permitting 3 hits in six innings. Reliever Jake Simpson pitched the final two innings and took the loss. John Holtz led the Mustangs at the plate, with two of San Marin’s six hits. Riley Desilva and Josh Martin scored for San Marin.
• Marin Catholic attempted to scratch out a comeback against Cardinal Newman, but came up brief in a five-four road loss Saturday. Junior Jake Lyall was strong all day, as he went two-for-three with a double to drive in 3 runs. Senior Maddox Thompson had a hit and an RBI, although senior Emmet George doubled and junior Jayden Lee singled. Bruno Condit and Gavin Simurdiak split pitching duties for Marin Catholic, as they combined to strike out six batters and stroll 3, although providing up nine hits.
College baseball
• Jake Verwiel picked up the win Saturday as College of Marin shut out going to Mendocino College, six-, on Jackie Robinson Day. Verwiel (six-three) struck out 4 batters and walked a single as he permitted 4 hits across five 1/three innings. The Mariners scored twice in the initially inning, with RBI singles by Jacob Campbell and Jake Ferguson. Joey Taddie scored in the third and Lucas Schaefer’s solo house run in the fifth place Marin ahead four-. The Mariners scored a pair of unearned runs in the eighth. Marin (19-15) is scheduled to travel to Yuba on Tuesday.
College softball
Melissa Garcia scored the winning run on a bases-loaded stroll in the ninth inning as Dominican University outlasted Azusa Pacific in the initially game of Saturday’s doubleheader. The Penguins’ Shelby Keltner got the win. The Cougars returned the favor in the second game by handing Keltner (9-12) and the Penguins a two-1 loss.