SAN JOSE — In baseball, one mistake might be the distinction in a recreation.
So it was on Friday at Bellarmine Faculty Prep. The house Bells have been internet hosting St. Ignatius in a West Catholic Athletic League showdown in San Jose.
Within the backside of the second inning, Bellarmine had Nate Bateman on first when Sprint Knight chopped a floor ball up the center. The ball was misplayed within the center infield, and the Bells instantly had two runners on and no outs.
They took benefit with two extra hits and a run-scoring double play, and that was all she wrote. These two runs have been all Bellarmine wanted on a day of wonderful pitching and protection, and the Bells beat SI 2-0.
Bellarmine’s Preston Pera (14) strikes out the final batter in in opposition to St. Ignatius within the seventh inning Bellarmine Faculty Prep in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
“Whoever blinks first or makes the first mistake in these types of games usually ends up losing the game,” Bellarmine coach Nate Sutton mentioned. “Especially in our league. It seems like the pitching is pretty dominant as a whole.”
It actually was on Friday afternoon. Bellarmine mixed for a shutout, as starter Apolo Lapiz pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings earlier than giving method to Preston Pera, who shut the door with 2 1/3 frames of scoreless aid.
SI starter Chase Gordon was simply nearly as good, pitching an entire recreation with six innings of labor and only one earned run allowed. It’s attainable that he wouldn’t have allowed any with out the error behind him within the discipline.
It was simply that type of afternoon. All it took was a bit daylight in a recreation determined by a sliver.
St. Ignatius’s Chase Gordon (12) pitches in opposition to Bellarmine within the second inning at Bellarmine Faculty Prep in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
“I thought our pitcher did a great job,” SI coach Brian Pollzzie mentioned. “Chase was really efficient. They hit a couple balls, a couple bunts, and we didn’t make a play or two. I thought their pitcher did a great job. They’re a tough team.”
Gordon was SI’s greatest hope for a run-producing alternative as nicely. He got here to the plate within the prime of the third with the bases loaded and roped a line drive to deep right-center discipline, however Bellarmine’s Luke McNeil put it away to finish the risk.
Gordon got here up with the bases loaded once more within the fifth and lined out to Bells middle fielder Evan Tavarez. It was that type of night time for SI, and one other validating win for a Bellarmine staff that has racked up some spectacular outcomes the previous few weeks.
The Bells (10-7, 4-5 WCAL) began WCAL play 0-5 this 12 months however have since received their final 4 in opposition to WCAL faculties, together with a 12-inning win over St. Francis and a sweep of Sacred Coronary heart Cathedral.
Bellarmine’s Nate Bateman (2) celebrates scoring in opposition to St. Ignatius within the second inning at Bellarmine Faculty Prep in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
“As long as we take the mistakes that we’ve made and learn from them, then we’re getting better,” Sutton mentioned. “These losses aren’t essentially losses if we are able to get one thing out of it. Our purpose is on the finish of the 12 months to be enjoying our greatest baseball. That was the messaging the entire time. Getting the primary one out of the way in which, studying find out how to win.
“Especially last year, we didn’t have a great season. We’re learning how to win games this year. (St. Francis) was the turning point of our season, because they showed a little grit, a little fight, more than we have. They learned how to not back out.”
All just isn’t misplaced for SI (8-5-2, 5-3 WCAL). The Wildcats will now get able to journey to Sacramento for the Boras Traditional, a prestigious match named for MLB tremendous agent Scott Boras that pits among the greatest prep groups in Northern California in opposition to one another.
“You’re gonna see good pitching, and we’ll definitely learn a lot about our team over the next week,” Pollizzie mentioned. “We’re excited. We’re happy we got invited to that, and now we’re just trying to play as well as possible.”
Bellarmine’s Apolo Lapiz (3) pitches in opposition to St. Ignatius within the second inning at Bellarmine Faculty Prep in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
Bellarmine’s Drew McClelland (34) dives for the ball in opposition to St. Ignatius throughout the seventh inning at Bellarmine Faculty Prep in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
Bellarmine’s Isaiah Beyah (17) bunts the ball in opposition to St. Ignatius within the second inning at Bellarmine Faculty Prep in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
Bellarmine’s Preston Pera (14) pitches in opposition to St. Ignatius within the sixth inning at Bellarmine Faculty Prep in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
Bellarmine’s Ollie McNamara (32) tosses the ball in direction of first base in opposition to St. Ignatius within the seventh inning at Bellarmine Faculty Prep in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
Bellarmine’s Drew McClelland (34) throws the ball to first base in opposition to St. Ignatius within the sixth inning at Bellarmine Faculty Prep in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
Bellarmine’s D.J. Dunne (22) bats in opposition to St. Ignatius within the fourth inning at Bellarmine Faculty Prep in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
Bellarmine’s Drew McClelland (34) throws the ball to first base in opposition to St. Ignatius within the second inning at Bellarmine Faculty Prep in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
Bellarmine’s Vincent Kim (7) hits a double in opposition to St. Ignatius within the sixth inning at Bellarmine Faculty Prep in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
