BASEBALL: Palo Alto Steps into Semifinals

The Score: Palo Alto 9, Homestead 2

For one May afternoon, the PAL baseball field was host to a double dip of Central Coast Section baseball playoff action—De Anza style.

In the second Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division showdown of the day, the Palo Alto High baseball team slugged it’s way past Homestead High-Cupertino 9-2 in a 2011 CCS Division I quarterfinal matchup.

Homestead struck first, but the potent Palo Alto bats simply wouldn’t let up on this day. Paly scored three times in the second inning, sparked by a rocket shot RBI triple by No. 9 hitter Cory Tenanes that plated two teammates, and busted out a four-run fourth inning to take a commanding 7-2 lead.

Junior right-hander Ben Sneider earned the win, settling down nicely after a three-hit first inning.

“He did a good job of scattering the hits around and keeping us within striking distance,” Paly head coach Erick Raich said about his starting pitcher. “He got his curve ball working, which was really big. We have depth this year. We win games collectively and we certainly did that today.”

After the two-run triple by Tenanes put Paly ahead 2-1, shortstop Austin Braff ripped the first pitch he saw into left field for an RBI single.

A solo homer by Alex Medin cut the Vikings lead down to only one, but the home team didn’t wait long to tack on some more insurance.

John Dickerson singled up the middle to open the fourth. Then after a flyout, lead-off hitter BJ Boyd reached on an error and Christoph Bono walked to load the bases.

Austin Braff walked to score one teammate then big brother T.J. Braff lined an RBI single up the middle to push across one more.

“All the way through the lineup we have people that can hit,” Austin Braff said. “We just have depth. I just want us to keep doing the same things that got us here.”

Senior Will Glazier followed with a line shot to left field that brought in Bono and Braff. Paly led 7-2 after four innings and eventually won the game, 9-2.

Palo Alto, the No. 3 seed in the Division I draw, will play No. 2 seed Archbishop Mitty Prep-San Jose (25-5-1) on Wednesday night at San Jose Municipal Stadium.

Los Altos High defeated Los Gatos High 2-1 in the first De Anza tussle on Saturday. Los Altos will play in the Division II semis on Thursday night against Pioneer High-San Jose.

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Palo Alto 9, Homestead 2

P- 0 3 0 4 0 2 0- 9 8 0

H-1 0 1 0 0 0 0 – 2 9 4

WP: Sneider. LP: Slaney

Records: PA 26-9, 15-4 De Anza. H 18-14, 10-4 De Anza.