Prep baseball: Los Gatos takes command early, holds off Los Altos in league opener
LOS ALTOS — The last time the two staff aces hooked up the result was a 2-1 pitchers’ duel in the final week of the 2024 regular season.
The expectation was for more of the same Wednesday.
But on this occasion, as in so many others in the annals of baseball, that most unpredictable of athletic endeavors, you might as well expect the unexpected.
Los Gatos (8-3, 1-0) scored nine runs in the first three innings and held on for a 9-5 victory over Los Altos in a Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division opener.
Los Altos left-hander Sly Cash went into Wednesday’s matchup 2-0 with a 1.27 ERA. He was the tough-luck 2-1 loser in last year’s matchup with Los Gatos ace Ethan Williams. But this time, the Wildcats scored two in the first, two in the second and five in the third as Cash struggled with his command, hitting three batters and walking four.
“That happens in baseball,” Los Altos coach Gabriel Stewart said. “Sly’s a great pitcher. He’s going to win a lot of games for us and today was just not his day. No reflection on effort or preparation, today he just didn’t have it.”
Williams, after going 5-0 last year as a sophomore, improved to 4-0 this season. He set the Eagles down scoreless the first three innings. They managed to scratch a run across in the fourth and Los Gatos coach Mike Minkel, with an eight-run lead, decided to pull Williams after four innings.
“If he would’ve cruised through the fourth inning like he did the first three, probably would’ve run him back out there in the fifth,” Minkel said. “He got gassed a little bit by the end of the fourth.”
Seeing someone besides Williams on the mound was a breath of fresh air for Los Altos batters as they loaded the bases with one out in the fifth and Gavin Moore, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound right-handed hitter, unloaded them with a blast over the fence in left-center.
“That’s a testament to Los Altos,” Minkel said. “Not giving in, not giving up. They could have easily rolled over when they were down 9-0.”
Baker Robinson was brought in to close out the fifth inning and Tre Golino went the final two innings, striking out three.
Lucas Carlisle was the big producer for the Los Gatos offense with two-run doubles in both the second and third innings.
“He showed a lot last year,” Minkel said. “Was the beneficiary of our third baseman getting hurt early in the season, went in, took the job and ran with it. Having him back, one of our better, more consistent bats, he’s a fixture in the middle of our lineup. I really like him in the two hole because there’s a multitude of things he can do for you.”
After Cash exited in the third, third baseman Darrion Wesley shifted over to the mound and held the Wildcats scoreless the final four innings.
“Darrion did a fantastic job, I really think this can be a jumping off point for him,” Stewart said.
The teams will play at Los Gatos on Friday. Los Altos (6-2, 0-1) will be looking for a split and also an end to a 10-game losing streak to Los Gatos, a streak that dates back to 2019.
“I know, 2019, because I was here then,” Stewart said. “Before that it was 2012 when I was the JV coach. All that means is I’ve been here entirely too long.”