Serra hurlers fire 22nd no-no in school history

Dinelli closed out the no-no, as catcher Jack Armstrong framed a fastball on the outside corner to get the called third strike to end it. It is the 22nd no-hitter in Serra history. The last one was thrown in 2021 by Will Pires and Ryan Beck in a 5-0 win over Riordan.

“Everybody was fired up running out of the dugout,” Padres manager Mat Keplinger said. “I mean, we went through our handshake line, and it’s one of those things where you don’t talk about it while the game is going on. I think everybody was excited for a multitude of reasons.”

It was a reprieve for Lim, after last season when the right-hander nearly closed out a no-hitter in the season opener at Sacred Heart Prep. Now-graduated hurlers Sam Kretsch and Mason Wehmeyer fired six no-hit innings in that one, but Lim entered in relief and surrendered the game’s only hit in the seventh.

“So, kind of full-circle where he got the start [Thursday],” Keplinger said.

After totaling just four hits in Tuesday’s season-opening 4-1 win at Menlo School, the Padres got the bats going from the outset. Leadoff hitter Ian Josephson led off the game with a double, senior Davis Minton drove him home with an RBI double, and cleanup hitter Evan Bradshaw reached on an error to score Minton to make it 2-0.

Lim then climbed the mound and went to work. The junior worked five innings, walking one and striking out seven. He finished with 56 pitches.

“Riley is one of our best competitors,” Keplinger said. “He was just in attack mode from pitch one of the game. He really set the tone.”

Serra added on with a three-spot in the third by virtue of a two-out rally. Minton reached on a two-out infield single and Tyler Harrison followed with a single to set the table. Bradshaw cashed in with a two-run triple, and sophomore William Wallbridge followed with an RBI double put Serra up 5-0.

Lim was at 44 pitches after four innings of work, and asked to go out for the fifth. It’s a similar situation Serra was in Tuesday, when starting pitcher Kelley Crawford got extended after four strong innings. In the case of Crawford, he pitched to just one batter in the fifth after issuing a leadoff walk. Lim, though, breezed through a 1-2-3 inning.

“He felt strong and I told him: ‘OK, you’ve got short leash,’ and he went in there and went 1-2-3,” Keplinger said.

Serra’s pitchers provoked mostly soft contact. The only real defensive gem by the Padres came in the early innings, when right fielder Jack Wessel tracked down a foul fly ball by jumping into the fence in foul territory to make the catch.

“[Lim] was efficient,” Keplinger said. “There was some weak contact during the day. It wasn’t all by strikeout ... and the defense played great behind him.”

Hui entered in the sixth to make his varsity pitching debut, and set down the side in order, striking out two. Dinelli was playing in his first varsity game ever, and faced the minimum in the seventh, striking out one.

Junior right-hander Rallin Covey took the loss for SHP, allowing five runs on six hits through four innings of work. Junior right-hander Nico Pollioni worked three hitless innings for relief, allowing one run (none earned) with three walks and one strikeout.

This marks the third time in Serra history three pitchers have combined on a no-hitter. The last was in 2008, when Zak Edgington, Danny Chavez and Justin Maffei combined for a no-hitter in an 8-0 win over Burlingame. Also in 200, Maffei, Chavez and Stephen Lumpkins combined for a five-inning no-hitter in a 20-0 win over Mills.

With the win, Serra advances to the championship game of the “Battle for Atherton” tournament. The Padres will take on Los Gatos for the tourney title Saturday at Menlo School. First pitch is scheduled at 12:30 p.m.