Post 82 pounds South City

Ponzo was 3 for 4 with a walk, two runs scored and three runs driven in. He admits, however, that it was tough getting back into the swing of things. He said he struggled during the season-opening tournament at Menlo College over the weekend.

"The first couple of games I wasn't doing very [well]," said Ponzo, who just completed his freshman year at Sonoma State. "The whole year I was working out in the gym but started hitting only recently. It was hard at first. You just have to keep at it."

Ponzo drew a bases-loaded walk in the fourth to drive in his first run of the game. He followed that with a two-run double in the Orioles' six-run fifth.

Ponzo wasn't the only one who had a good day at the plate. Pat Whelly, a freshman from Cal State Hayward, drove in two runs in the fourth with a single. Former Aragon standout Bobby Scott drove in two with a towering two-run homer in the fourth. Ryan Peterson, who lit up the Coast Conference playing for City College of San Francisco, drove in a pair with a double in the seventh and Matt Arbunich, a senior at Aragon, added a two-run single in the fifth.

All told, San Mateo scored 16 runs on 15 hits. The Orioles scored at least two runs in every inning except the first and sixth.

"We're pretty solid (offensively)," said San Mateo manager Mike Chanteloup.

The offense was more than enough for the Orioles' pitching staff. Yo Miyamoto, a senior at Hillsdale, threw the first three innings, giving up three runs - only one earned - on three hits. Giorgio Lavezzo, a senior at Serra, followed and pitched three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit. Matt Arbunich, a senior at Aragon, pitched the seventh, allowing an infield hit. Miyamoto had the most innings pitched during the high school season while Arbunich pitched infrequently and Lavezzo didn't pitch at all for the Padres.

"I think we have some (pitching) candidates [who] haven't been used in the past," Chanteloup said. "Giorgio … dominated their hitters. With pitching coach Anthony Thomas calling the game and Giorgio trusting him, it was amazing how often he got in on their thumbs."

The Orioles also did a better job of fielding the ball. After committing seven errors in an 8-5 loss to the San Mateo Titans in the Memorial Day tournament, the Orioles committed three more against South City, all in the second inning. After that it was flawless defense as they turned three double plays the rest of the game.

With the summer season only four games old, San Mateo is still trying to find out who can do what where. Chanteloup admitted there is a fine line in trying to get players innings while still trying to win games.

"Today we tried to win," he said. "The tournament was more trying to feel things out."