SALINAS VALLEY — King City High’s baseball team dropped two divisional games last week and one non-divisional game to Greenfield to fall to 6-2 in the Cypress Division and 6-14 overall.
King City began the week in Greenfield on April 28 and the game was tight until the middle innings, when the Bruins scored three runs to take a 6-2 lead. The Mustangs added a run in the sixth inning, but it was not enough to avoid the 7-3 loss.
Frankie Hernandez pitched the Bruins to victory and struck out six batters in six innings of play. The Mustangs’ Mateo Blair took the loss and pitched four innings before being replaced by Jacoby Chavez in the fifth.
Robert Mandujano hit a homerun for the Mustangs and had a run batted in. Chavez had two hits for King City. Nathaniel Trujillo had two base hits for Greenfield.
The following day in King City, the Mustangs had just one hit in a 7-0 shutout loss to the North Salinas Vikings. Blair had the lone King City hit and Joey Pina took the pitching loss, allowing five runs and striking out five batters.
Last Thursday in Salinas, the Vikings blanked the Mustangs by a 10-0 score as they were held without a hit. JC Navarro lasted just three innings, Jacoby Chavez pitched three innings and Sebastian Lizardi pitched one inning for King City.
The Mustangs continued Cypress divisional play with a game Tuesday at Watsonville and will host the Wildcatz on Thursday in King City. The final regular season games will be a home-and-away series with Gonzales next week.
Gonzales improved to 3-4 in the Cypress Division as they swept a two-game series with the Seaside Spartans.
Gonzales won the first game, 25-3, in a five-inning game, with Ray Blanco earning the pitching win. Noah Villalobos and Noah Flores led the Gonzales offense.
Last Thursday at home, Gonzales downed Seaside by a 21-4 score. Flores was the winning pitcher.
Gonzales played Alisal in Salinas on Monday and will not play again until the two-game series with King City.
Soledad High, behind the pitching of Vidal Perez, beat host Salinas High, 4-1, last Tuesday afternoon. Perez pitched six innings and allowed one run and struck out 12 Cowboys.
Soledad’s Anakin Tavarez hit a double and had two RBIs. Perez, Anthony Medina and Ethan Sanchez added basehits for the Aztecs.
Soledad finished the week with a 4-1 loss to host St. Francis in Watsonville. The Aztecs held a 1-0 first inning lead, but the host Sharks scored three runs in the bottom of the first and added an insurance run in the third inning.
Daniel Valenzuela Jr. led the Aztecs with two hits, while Tavarez, Perez and Daniel Garcia had base hits and Victor Bravo hit a triple.
Soledad hosted Carmel on Tuesday and will host Liberty Union of Brentwood on Saturday. The Aztecs are 4-11 in the Gabilan Division and 8-14 overall.
Greenfield is 12-6 overall and 4-6 in the Mission Division to start the week.
After the home win over King City, the Bruins suffered 5-0 and 10-0 losses on the road and at home to the Alisal Trojans. The Bruins managed just one hit in the road loss.
Greenfield hosts Pacific Grove on Wednesday and then will travel to the Breakers on Friday.
