Santa Cruz High’s baseball team edged host Soquel 3-2 in a zany finish in Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League action to knock the Knights from the unbeaten ranks Tuesday.

“They made us work for every bit of it,” Cardinals coach Bubba Trumbull said.

The Cardinals trailed 1-0 through five innings, but Jason Graff hit a two-run double in the sixth to give his team a 2-1 lead.

In the seventh, Matteo Caltabiano reached on an infield hit and advanced to second on the errant throw to first base, He moved to throw on a wild pick-off throw, and was later caught in a pickle on a failed safety squeeze play, but returned to third base safely. One pitch later, he scored an insurance run, which ended up being the game winning run, on a wild pitch.

“It was craziness all over the field,” Trumbull said.

Soquel scored in the bottom of the seventh and had the tying run at third base when Santa Cruz recorded the final out.Morgan Toohey pitched two innings of scoreless relief and earned the win. Cameron Fusari pitched in the seventh and picked up the save. Kane Humecky was tagged for an unearned run in the seventh and took the hard-luck loss.

Really, Fusari made two saves, He threw out a runner at home plate from center field earlier in the contest.

“This definitely teaches the kids about the amount of effort it takes to win against a good baseball team,” Trumbull said. “You’ve got to play for the full 21 outs if you’re going to beat the better teams.”

Gabe Virgallito had two hits, one walk, and a run scored for the Knights. Noah Piona had two hits and one RBI.

On Friday at 4 p.m., Santa Cruz (3-2, 2-0) plays at Scotts Valley (5-5, 1-1), while Soquel (10-1, 1-1) hosts Aptos (2-5, 1-1).

At Harbor 6, Scotts Valley 5 >> Robert Andrade scored the game winning run on Jaxson Hoye’s hit, and the Pirates scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to earn a walk-off SCCAL win after the Falcons scored five runs in the top half of the inning.

Cole McCombs lead of the seventh with a triple and scored the tying run on a passed ball.

Naiche Fish pitched 2/3 of an inning and earned the win.

Andrade had three hits, including a double, drove in a run, and scored a run. McCombs finished with two hits, one walk and scored twice. Aiden Boles tripled and had two RBI.

Lukas Bloom had two hits, one RBI, and a run scored for the Falcons. Nick Acton had two hits and scored a run. Monte Jordan doubled, drove in a run, and scored a run. Clayton Pryor had three hits, including a double.

On Friday at 4 p.m., Harbor (9-2, 1-1) hosts SLV (1-7, 0-2), while Scotts Valley (5-5, 1-1) hosts Santa Cruz (3-2, 2-0).

The Pirates will honor 2019 alum Luke Salem, who died in a head-on collision with another vehicle on Aug. 17, before the game.

St. Francis 5, at Hollister 4 >> Javier Fonseca hit a three-run home run in a five-run fifth inning, and the Sharks held on to hand the Haybalers their first loss in Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division play Tuesday.

Mason Borrego had three hits, including a double, one RBI and scored a run for the Sharks (6-3, 3-2). Nash Horton doubled twice, had one RBI, and scored a run.

Donovan Price had a hit and two RBI for the Haybalers (6-3, 4-1), and Wes Aviles had a hit and scored twice.

St. Francis hosts Hollister on Friday at 4 p.m.

Aptos 12, at SLV 1 >> The Mariners exploded for eight runs in the first inning and rolled to the SCCAL win Tuesday.

Cole McGillicuddy had two hits, one RBI, and scored twice. Finn Cormier had two hits and two RBI. Jason Yager had two hits and a run scored. Alec Mendoza had a hit, one RBI, and scored twice. Nate Garcia had a hit, two RBI, and scored a run. Isaiah Work had one RBI and scored twice, and Dom Castillo scored twice.

Work struck out 11 batters and gave up one hit, three walks, and an unearned run over six innings to earn the win.

Brody Egnar had a hit and RBI for the Cougars. Jaden Shabry scored his team’s lone run.

Phil Nattrass gave up eight runs, five earned, over four innings and took the loss.

On Friday, Aptos (2-5, 1-1) plays at Soquel (10-1, 1-1), while SLV (1-7, 0-2) plays at Harbor (9-2, 1-1).

Watsonville 10, at Gonzales 0; 5 inn. >> Rudy Valdez threw a no-hitter, and Wildcatz prevailed on the mercy rule in their PCAL Cypress Division opener Tuesday, their first win of the season.

Valdez struck out eight batters and walked two over five innings.

Valdez and Patrick Miller-Brown each had three hits on offense. Valdez doubled and tripled, had two RBI, and scored twice. Miller-Brown doubled twice, had two RBI, and scored twice. Kaden Ortiz and Timothy Ruelas each had a hit, one RBI, and a run scored.

Watsonville (1-9, 1-0) hosts Gonzales on Thursday at 5 p.m.

High school softball

At SLV 5, Aptos 3 >> Elie Colby had two hits, including a double, one walk, one RBI, and a run scored in the Cougars’ SCCAL win Tuesday.

Cheyenne Owen and Sophia Sarmiento each had two hits, one RBI, and a run scored for the Cougars.

Winning pitcher Abi Krepelka scattered six hits and three runs, one earned, over seven innings. She struck out three batters.

Kailani Aguayo had two hits and one RBI for the Mariners (3-4, 0-2).

On Thursday at 4:30 p.m., SLV host Harbor, while Aptos plays at Soquel.

At Santa Cruz 7, Soquel 1 >> Molly Pisciotta had four hits, including two doubles, four RBI, and scored a run in the Cardinals’ SCCAL win Tuesday.

Ellia Dunton had two hits, one RBI, and scored twice. Tezdyn Medina-Mates had two hits, one RBI, and a run scored. Makayla Norman doubled and scored twice.

Emma Niizawa had a hit, walk, and scored the Knights’ lone run.

Winning pitcher Rona Lewis gave up two hits, two walks, and one unearned run in her complete-game win while recording 10 strikeouts.

Scotts Valley 12, at Harbor 0; 5 inn. >> Chloe Kent had four hits, one RBI, and scored three runs in the Falcons’ SCCAL win Tuesday.

Lorelei Warner had a hit and two RBI, Ava Grundy had two RBI, and Nick Powell had two hits.

Sofie Seese struck out four batters over two innings and earned the win.

On Thursday on 4:30 p.m., Scotts Valley (8-3, 2-0) plays at Santa Cruz, while Harbor plays at SLV.

MVC 21, at NMC 8 >> Kayla Fullalove-Silveira had four hits, four RBI, four stolen bases, and scored six runs to help the Mustangs earn their first PCAL Mission Division win Tuesday.

It was the Mustangs’ highest run total since beating Redwood Christian of Castro Valley 21-7 on Feb. 24, 2024.

Samantha Bertoldi had three hits, including two doubles, five stolen bases, two RBI, and scored five runs. Juliana Lopez and Ava Alvarado each had two hits, one RBI, and scored twice. Harper Ealy Whitby had a hit, two RBI, and scored twice.

Ealy Whitby struck out nine batters over six innings and picked up her seventh win. She gave up seven hits, six walks, and five runs, three earned.

MVC (7-6, 1-3) plays at Alisal (4-3, 2-1) on Monday at 4:30 p.m.

Boys volleyball

Harbor 3, at Scotts Valley 0 >> Sophomore Jasper Cattaert had eight kills, two blocks, and six digs as the Pirates earned a 25-21, 25-19, 25-13 sweep in their SCCAL match Tuesday.

Sophomore Eddie Weaver has two aces, two blocks, 33 assists, and five digs for Harbor. Sophomore JJ Laughlin had eigth kills andseven digs

Senior outside hitter Raith Wallwork made 13 passes, five digs, and two kills for the Falcons. Junior middle blocker Devin Bloom made three kills and one block, and junior defensive specialist Xavier Hernandez had two passes.

On Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Harbor (17-1, 5-0) hosts Santa Cruz (7-0, 4-0), while Scotts Valley plays at SLV.

Santa Cruz 3, Soquel 0 >> Outside hitter Julien Pally had 22 kills, two aces, and three block points in the Cardinals’ 25-22, 25-15, 25-17 SCCAL sweep Tuesday.

Middle Leo Sapunor had six kills and five block points for the Cardinals

On Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Santa Cruz (7-0, 4-0) plays at Harbor (17-1, 5-0) while Soquel (6-3, 3-1) hosts Aptos.

Boys tennis

Soquel 4, at Aptos 3 >> The No. 2 doubles team of Americo Castillo and Leo Hagedorn rallied for a 3-6, 7-6 (5), 10-7 win over Dylan Wood and Kyler Jones to clinch the Knights’ rare win over the Mariners in SCCAL play Tuesday.

Hudson Ward, Benja Bellito, and Colby Negro earned singles wins in straight sets for the Knights (3-0).

Isaiah Ackerman and Luve Granstrom won for the Mariners at No. 1 doubles.

Soquel defaulted matches at No. 4 singles and No. 3 doubles.

Santa Cruz 7, at Scotts Valley 0 >> Che Castro, Jeremy Arulanantham, and Sammy Lambert won their singles matches in straight sets in the Cardinals’ SCCAL sweep Tuesday.

The Cardinals’ doubles teams of Max Schumaker and Oscar Sapunor, Ethan Romanowski and Ian Burchell, and Owen Heinze and Kairo Bisbee all won in straight sets.

At Harbor 3, SLV 0 >> Malik Hall played matches at No. 3 and No. 4 singles in a battle of short-handed squads and won 6-0 in both in the Pirates’ SCCAL win Tuesday.

Abraham Bachar beat Sawyer Amos 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1 singles, and teammate Andreas Martinez won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2 singles.

No doubles matches were held.

Boys golf

Aptos 214, at Santa Cruz 216 >> The Cardinals’ Cliff Chesnut shot 38 for medalist honors, but the Mariners won the SCCAL match at Delaveaga Golf Course on Tuesday.

Ben Nowark (42), Will Byers (42), Colby Culbertson (42), Will Byers (44), and Nick Bjorn (44) scored for the Mariners (3-1).

Tobin Ortiz-McClendon (39), Sam wickens (42) Braden Brooks (47), Roman Minasan (50) also scored for the Cardinals (2-2).

SLV 217, at Harbor 240 >> The Cougars’ Keenan Duntz and Pirates’ Kaden Dunton each shot 37 for medalist honors, and the Cougars won their SCCCAL match at Delaveaga G.C. on Tuesday.

James Dahlen (39), Garrett Dahlen (47), Locklin Bischofberger (45), and Tanner Brewer (47) also scored for the Cougars.

Gunther Krueger (43), Kyler Samples (47), Jake Locknane (56), and BrodyYappert (57) also scored for the Pirates.

College baseball

Ohlone 8, Cabrillo 5 >> Adrian Castaneda, Jayson Schmeisser, and Nico Hilger homered for the Seahawks’ in their Coast Conference South Division loss Tuesday.

Castaneda finished with a walk and two hits, Schmeisser had two RBI, and Kaiden Hoapili had two hits and a run scored.

Zach Dawson, Brendan Comerford, Cam Hegamin homered for the Renegades (23-4, 6-1).

Brendan Comerford pitched 1 1/3 innings of relief and earned. the win. Tanner O’Farrell picked up the save. Ryan Johnson threw 2 2/3 innings of relief and took the loss.

Cabrillo (10-16, 3-4) hosts Ohlone on Thursday at 2:30 p.m.