Ando Butner hit a first-inning leadoff homer and Jimmy Cusumano knocked in two more runs with a double later in the inning to lead fifth-seeded Acalanes past top-seeded Cardinal Newman 4-2 in the semifinals of the North Coast Section Division II playoffs on Wednesday in Santa Rosa.
Acalanes (16-10-1) will play No. 15 seed Rancho Cotate for the division crown Saturday at 1 p.m. at Diablo Valley College. Rancho Cotate beat Tamalpais in the other D-II semifinal.
The Dons scored three runs in the first and added another run in the third against Josh Jannicelli, rated by Baseball America as one of the top prospects in Northern California. The right-hander was ranked No. 235 among the top 500 college and high school draft prospects released this week by the publication. The UC Santa Barbara commit has a sub-1.00 ERA.
He was outdueled by Acalanes junior Branson Smith, who leads his team in wins and innings pitched. Smith pitched a complete game, allowing three hits, walking one and striking out three.
After Butner’s leadoff homer, James Stadt singled and David Gonzales drew a one-out walk. Cusumano then doubled to center.
Cardinal Newman (18-11) scored a run in the bottom of the first, but the Dons got that run back in the fourth when Gonzales singled home Keegan Goddard, who reached base on an error.
Acalanes lost its last three regular-season games before the playoffs.
Division IV
No. 13 Las Lomas 12, No. 8 Healdsburg 0
The Knights continued to make a shambles of the D-IV playoffs, scoring six runs in the third inning and four more in the fourth. The game was called after the fifth.
In three playoff games thus far, the lower-seeded Knights have outscored their opponents 20-1. They have allowed three hits.
Las Lomas has played all three games on the road.
Alessandro Martinez-Cabrera, Matthew Williams and Thomas Wood combined to allow only two hits against Healdsburg. They walked one and struck out eight. Martinez-Cabrera, who no-hit Fort Bragg in Las Lomas’ NCS opener, worked the first three innings. Williams and Wood each pitched an inning.
Jimmy Salinas and Harrison May did most of the damage at the plate. Salinas homered, doubled, scored three runs and drove in three. May had two hits, scored two runs and had two RBI.
Las Lomas (15-11-1) will play at No. 6 seed Clear Lake (19-5) on Saturday at 2 p.m. for the title. Clear Lake beat American Canyon 11-9 on Wednesday.
Softball
Division V
No. 4 Miramonte 2, No. 1 McKinleyville 1
Miramonte is one win away from its first NCS softball championship in program history after the Matadors traveled to McKinleyville and beat the hosts in a tight semifinal.
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Miramonte took a 1-0 lead in the first. McKinleyville evened the score with an unearned run in the third and the visitors broke the tie with a run in the fifth.
The Matadors (17-8) advance to play Kennedy-Fremont (12-8) on Saturday at California School for the Deaf in Fremont for the title.
McKinleyville finished 15-14.
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