Sports

Senior Kourosh Safari repeated as the SCCAL singles champ with a grueling 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 win over Santa Cruz High’s Jack Tierney, while the Mariners’ duo of Carter Bond and Jake Kluger breezed through Soquel High’s pair of Lincoln Cooley and Casey Valcarcel, 6-1, 6-3, for the doubles title at the Seascape Sports Club.

Aptos (14-2, 12-0) beat St. Francis High, 200-298, to secure the title and finished up its league season perfectly with a 203-245 victory over Harbor High.

Senior pitcher Chase Watkins tossed a complete-game one-hitter with nine strikeouts, but the Sharks offense mustered up only one hit in Tuesday’s 1-0 loss to league-leading Santa Cruz High.

Watsonville, St. Francis track athletes break records, Sharks, Mariners improve to 4-1 in SCCAL baseball action, and Aptos boys volleyball inches closer to league title.

Aptos High volleyball star Kacey Losik and Watsonville High softball stalwart Anastacia Alba are our HS Athletes of the Week for the week of April 9-April 15.

Aptos High exploded for six goals in the first quarter, including four in the first four minutes, and the Mariners’ stingy defense clamped down on Carmel High’s usually potent offense to take control of the league with a 15-3 blowout win on Wednesday night at Trevin Dilfer Field in Aptos.

With three league games left, Aptos is only two wins away from clinching at least a share of its third league championship in the last four seasons. The Mariners have had a little help along the way — P.C.S. beating Mt. Madonna on Tuesday left them all alone in the league’s top spot — but for the majority of the season, they’ve controlled their own destiny with dramatic comebacks, various lineup changes and a “next-point” mentality.

Aptos and St. Francis stay locked in second place in the SCCAL, Watsonville's league win streak gets put on hold, and M.V.C.'s Garret Laine keeps hit streak alive