Esteban Fernandez had 13 kills and four blocks and Dennar Ocampo finished with 33 assists, three digs and two aces, as the Pajaro Valley boys’ volleyball beat Gilroy, 20-25, 25-22, 25-15, 25-19, in Pacific Coast Athletic League Mission division action on Wednesday night.
Marcos Arreola had seven digs and 11 kills, and Christian Quintero chipped in seven kills, two aces and three blocks.
Pajaro Valley (3-4, 3-1) hosts Soledad tonight at 6:30 p.m.
In other local sports action from March 7-13:
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HS SOFTBALL
• St. Francis 9, Soledad 0 – Alicia Mendez powered St. Francis to a PCAL Cypress division win on Wednesday in Watsonville.
The freshman pitcher struck out 13 batters in the circle and finished with two doubles and three RBI at the plate, as the Sharks (1-2, 1-1) scored eight runs in the sixth inning to bounce back from Tuesday’s 19-18 PCAL-Cypress loss to Stevenson.
Mendez was 3-for-6 with a double, four RBI and two scored runs against Stevenson, but St. Francis blew a 14-6 lead over the final two innings.
Aaliyah Gomez, Claire Cagnacci and Ariana Azevedo doubled on Tuesday, and Lena Ciandro had four RBI.
The Sharks will travel to Seaside on March 19 at 4:30 p.m.
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The Watsonville City Council honored the Watsonville High boys varsity soccer team and head coach Roland Hedgpeth during Tuesday night’s meeting. The Wildcatz, who won the Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan division title, advanced to the CIF NorCal Division II championship game before falling to Marin Academy on a last-second goal. — Erik Chalhoub/Pajaronian
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HS BASKETBALL
• Locals selected for all-star game – Twenty seniors from the area were selected for the upcoming 12th Annual North-South High School All-Star Basketball Classic at Alvarez High in Salinas.
On the boys’ side, North Monterey County’s Joseph Bertao and Dulian Morelos, Aptos’ Logan Feldbrugge, Max Pepperdine and Hunter Matys, St. Francis’ E.J. Kelly and Andrew Seymour, Ceiba College Prep’s Jarrod Garcia, Watsonville’s Lucas Ruiz and Pajaro Valley’s Justin Rodriguez will play for the North team under longtime St. Francis coach Ed Kelly.
On the girls’ side, Ceiba’s Fenesia Braga and Summer Hashimoto, St. Francis’ Janessa Yniguez and Tanya Gallo, Pajaro Valley’s Jayleen Solorzano and Michelle Ibarra, Aptos’ Abby Pardue and Watsonville’s Ruby Galvan will play for Ceiba coach Randy Braga on the North team. N.M.C.’s girls Alyssa Torres and Faith Mora were selected for the South team, which will be coached by Seaside’s Mike Turnan.
The girls’ game is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the boys will play after around 7:30 p.m.
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GIRLS’ TRACK & FIELD
• Sundberg, Lebovitz win at Relays – Monte Vista Christian’s Viktoria Sundberg placed first in the shot put (30-0.5) and Shayna Lebovitz won the high jump (4-8) at the 48th Wildcat Relays in Watsonville on March 9.
Watsonville’s Layla Ruiz placed second in the 3,200-meters (11:26.32).
Aptos’ SMR 1,600 relay team placed second (4:35.4). Mariners’ freshman Elizabeth Churchill placed third in the triple jump (30-10.5) and junior Sydney Ghiglione finished third in the discus (94-10).
North Monterey County’s 4×800 (10:45.49) and 4×100 shuttle hurdles (1:21.4) relay teams placed second. Condors’ Lorraine Mankins was second in the pole vault (8-0).
• Lyons takes third – Aptos senior Indra Lyons placed third in the 100 hurdles (15.89) at the Bellarmine Kiwanis K-Bell Classic in Campbell.
• Ruiz wins three events – Ruiz won the 800 (2:34.8), 1,600 (5:33.14) and 3,200 (12:14.11) and helped the Wildcatz’s 4×400 relay team finish second in a PCAL-Mission meet with Carmel and Gonzales on March 7.
• Lyons a triple winner – Lyons sped to wins in the 100 (13.34) and 300 hurdles (51.37) while also running a leg on the Mariners’ victorious 4×100 relay team in a Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League win over Santa Cruz on March 7.
Teammates Haley Veldhuis, Peyton Mausen and Brynn Mitchell were all double winners. Velhuis was first in the 200 (27.49) and 400 (1:04.35). Mausen’s tosses in the discus (96-10) and shot put (28-0) were the best of the day. And Mitchell leapt to wins in the long jump (16-4) and triple jump (35-3.5)
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BOYS’ TRACK & FIELD
• Van Lear wins two at Relays – North Monterey County senior Konan Van Lear took first in the shot put (42-0.5) and discus (132-7) at the 48th Wildcat Relays in Watsonville on March 9.
The Condors’ 400 hurdles relay team placed second (4:28.12) and sophomore Jason Mellin was third in the high jump (5-6).
Aptos senior Nathan Arellano placed second in the discus (127-8) and third in the shot put (39-8). The Mariners’ 4×200 (1:38.2) and 4×100 (44.97) relay teams placed third, as did senior Hunter Matys in the long jump (19-9).
Watsonville’s 4×200 (1:38.2) and 4×110 shuttle hurdles (1:15.9) relay teams were third.
• Mandujano leads ‘Catz – Watsonville senior Jesse Mandujano placed first in the 400 (53.08) and 300 hurdles (46.54) and helped the ‘Catz’s 4×400 relay team take first during a PCAL-Mission meet with Carmel and Gonzales on March 7.
• Matys stars for Mariners – Matys won the 100 (11.38) and long jump (21-1.5) and also led the 4×100 relay team to a win in March 7’s SCCAL win over Santa Cruz.
Teammate Arellano also won two events, placing first in the shot put (42.8) and discus (128-0).
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G LEAGUE BASKETBALL
• Santa Cruz 101, Greensboro 97 – Kendrick Nunn dropped 24 points off the bench in Wednesday night’s win to keep Santa Cruz entrenched in the top spot in the West.
The playoff-bound Warriors (31-14) hold a half-game lead over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers with five games left to play. They’ll try to earn some breathing room tonight against the Austin Spurs at home.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
Marcus Derrickson added 11 points, nine rebounds and three assists on Wednesday to help the Warriors earn the franchise’s 200th win — not including playoff victories. Alen Smailagic (15), Darius Morris (14) and Will Cherry (11) also scored in double-figures for Santa Cruz.
