BASEBALL/SOFTBALL: Scotts Valley Teams Prepare For Stretch Run

With only a handful of games left in the 2011 baseball and softball regular seasons, the Scotts Valley High baseball and softball teams both are in the mix in Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League play.

After a 14-8 victory over St. Francis High-Watsonville on Tuesday to complete the season sweep over the Sharks, the Scotts Valley baseball team pulled itself back to .500 in league play at 4-4.

Four more SCCAL league games remain, including a pivotal matchup against league title contender Aptos today at Aptos High.

Soquel leads the SCCAL with a 7-1 record in league, one game ahead of 6-2 Aptos. Harbor (4-2) sits just ahead of Scotts Valley in the standings, but fell to the Falcons in the schools first meeting earlier this month.

The Falcons have won four straight games, three of which came in non-league play during Spring Break.

Mirroring the baseball league title chase, the softball title hunt is tight one. Aptos is a perfect 6-0 in SCCAL play, while Soquel (5-1) and Scotts Valley (5-2) hover just within striking distance.

Kaila Walters’ team lost 4-2 to Aptos last week, but rebounded nicely with a 4-0 shutout victory over Harbor High-Santa Cruz on Tuesday.

Nicole Whitney leads the team with a .377 average and 20 hits in 17 games played for the Falcons.

Scotts Valley squares off with Santa Cruz and Soquel next week. The key showdown with Soquel will be played at Soquel High and is set to begin at 4 pm next Thursday.