Serra off to good start in WCAL playoffs

"It was a good day," Hansen said. "I haven't hit the ball too well the last couple of games. I was just seeing the ball well (Tuesday)."

Serra will play the highest remaining seed today at 3:30 p.m.

After Mitty was retired to start the game, Serra got to Monarchs starting pitcher Jason Codiroli before he could settle in. Giorgio Lavezzo led off the bottom of the first with a single to center and Jon Finley followed with a single to left. Codiroli struck out the next two batters to bring up Hansen. He took the first pitch he saw for a strike before working the count full. On Codiroli's payoff pitch, Hansen deposited the ball over the Ducky's Car Wash sign in left field to give Serra a quick 3-0 lead.

"It was a curveball," Hansen said. "I was looking for anything. [The pitch] kinda hung."

Serra starting pitcher Scott Sobczak made that lead stand up through the first three innings. He retired the first six batters he faced before back-to-back singles led off the third. But a popup and a double play got him out of the inning.

Mitty finally broke through in the fourth. With one out, Ryan Conan doubled off the netting in left-center field. After a groundout, John Joins chased Conan home with a single to center and moved up to second when the center fielder bobbled the ball. Jono Shaffer followed and ripped a double just fair down the left-field line to plate the Monarchs' second run of the inning.

Sobczak looked to be out of the inning when he induced Dana Silveria to hit a ball off the end of the bat down the first base line to Serra first baseman Jesse Lehane.

The ball had a tremendous amount of spin, however, and when it hit Lehane's mitt, it spun out and rolled between his legs. Joins, who was running on the play, scored from second to knot the score at 3.

"[Sobczak] is probably our second ," said Serra manager Pete Jensen. "He has a hard time getting out of the fourth (inning).

"Obviously we gave away a couple runs. You hate to give teams extra outs in innings."

The Padres didn't hang their heads. They responded in the bottom of the frame to take the lead for good. Hansen led off the inning with a walk, checking his swing on a 3-2 pitch. He moved to second when Drew Pedersen beat out a bunt to put runners on first and second. Anthony Stoloski followed and, after failing to put a sacrifice bunt down, singled to right to load the bases. Pinch hitter Martin Riego De Dios came up and sent a sacrifice fly to center to score Hansen with what turned out to be the game-winning run.

But Codiroli got out of the inning without any further damage.

Jensen then brought in Brian Beli to pitch the fifth. Beli was nearly untouchable. He would have retired the final nine Mitty batters if not for a throwing error in the sixth that allowed Mitty's Kevin Becker to reach first.

He was quickly erased, however. Conan followed a ripped a shot to third baseman Chris Armanino, who made a shoe-top catch for the out. Armanino alertly threw to first to double up Becker, who was headed to second when Armanino made the catch. Beli then retired the final four Monarchs, striking out Silveria looking to end the game.

"We've been trying to get [Beli] in there," Jensen said. "He did a great job today."

With Beli locking down the save, the Hansen drove in an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth. Chuck Lofgren stroked a one-out single and moved to second on Armanino's swinging bunt. Hansen followed and in a great piece of hitting, went to the opposite field on a 1-2 pitch, dumping a single into right and plating Lofgren with a play at the plate.

"[Hansen] has really filled a role well, hitting behind Chuck," Jensen said. "He's batting over .400."

Jensen was just happy to get a victory. The Padres had lost five of their seven games down the stretch to drop from second place in the WCAL to fourth. But the playoffs are a whole new season.

"I'm happy just to get a win," Jensen said. "We have to win three games (to win the WCAL tournament title). Early in the year we did that, beating some of the best teams in the Bay Area. Hopefully we can muster up some pitching and get it done."