Winning formula works for Cap

The Mustangs, the No. 4 seed in Division II, fended off a pesky Harbor squad, 4-2.

"There are no easy games in CCS," said Capuchino manager Matt Wilson. "You can throw out the seedings."

Harbor (15-13) was seeded 13th. Capuchino faces the winner of No. 5 Soquel and No. 12 North Monterey County Saturday at Washington Park in Santa Clara at a time to be determined.

Capuchino (18-6) was not spectacular, just consistent. The Mustangs scored single runs in the second through fifth innings, only one of which was earned. They finished with four runs on just five hits.

On the pitching side, Jesse Orozco was far from his dominating self, but he made the pitches and got the outs when he needed. Orozco pitched a complete game, giving up seven hits but stranding nine Pirate runners.

"We knew going in Harbor was going to be tough. I have to get them credit for swinging the bat and making contact against Jesse," Wilson said. "But he made the pitches when he needed to."

Capuchino was making a return to CCS after missing the playoffs last year. The Mustang players had a certain nervous energy about them all day.

"It was more (an) anxious (feeling)," said Capuchino first baseman Donte Snyder. "I think we were too pumped up."

Although it took a while for the Mustangs to get their bats going, it didn't prevent them from scoring. In the bottom of the second, Orozco was hit a pitch leading off the inning. Kevin Wild moved him to second with a ground out to second and went to third on Jared McGrew's flyout to center. Orozco ended up scoring when Harbor pitching Jason Markovitz was called for a balk.

In the third, Capuchino's clutch hitting came to the forefront. After back-to-back strikeouts started the inning, Joe Dieterle reached first when his shot to the shortstop took a wicked hop and thumped off his chest. Snyder followed a ripped a 2-1 fastball into the left-center field gap to score Dieterle for a 2-0 Capuchino lead.

Snyder said the run was classic Mustang baseball.

"Clutch hits, two-out hits. Every out, we have to move a runner over," Snyder said.

Harbor tied the game in top fourth. The Pirates loaded the bases with two outs thanks to a single, a fielder's choice and a walk. Leadoff hitter Brian Long slashed a single to left to drive in two runs. An infield hit loaded the bases again but Orozco got out of the inning without any further damage by getting a ground out to third.

The Mustangs kept plugging away, re-taking the lead, 3-2, in the bottom of the frame. Capuchino loaded the bases on a single from Orozco, McGrew getting hit by a pitch and walk to Edgar Hernandez. And for the second time in the game, a balk brought Orozco home.

The Mustangs added an insurance run in the fifth when Snyder smacked a two-out double to right and scored when Orozco's grounder to second went through the second baseman's legs.

"We're just a clutch team," Snyder said. "If our No. 3 hitter isn't hitting, our No. 4 is. Everyone contributes."

No. 11 Monterey 6, No. 6 Burlingame 2

Monterey's University of Texas-bound Joey Parigi held the Panthers to just two runs on three hits as the Toreadores bounced the defending CCS champs in the first round.

Burlingame (16-11) scored two in the first inning on a David Tufo single and a bases loaded walk to Mike Butterfield.

Monterey (20-9) tied the score in the fifth with a two-run home run off Burlingame starter Drew Shiller. The Toreadores took the lead in the fifth and put the game away with three more runs in the seventh.

Shiller took the loss, giving up six runs on just four hits. He struck out eight but hit four batters.

The game was moved to Monterey because the weather made Burlingame's Washington Park unplayable.

No. 2 Santa Cruz 11, No. 15 Mills 1

The Vikings just didn't have enough firepower to stay with the Cardinals in a game that was called after five innings because of the CCS 10-run rule.

Santa Cruz (26-7) scored three in the first, two in the second and five in the third before ending things with a run in the fifth.

Mills (17-6) scratched out a run in the third on an RBI single by Gary Hoem.