Josh Correa and Ryder Vierebome drove in two runs apiece as the Novato North 11s Little League team opened up the sectional playoffs with an 11-2 win against Benicia on Thursday night in American Canyon.

Novato North broke open a close game late with six runs in the fifth inning and three more in the sixth. Novato North led 2-1 going into the fifth. Vierebome tripled to make it 3-1 then Correa later doubled in a pair of runs to make it 7-1.

Rory Dunlap and Connor Hodge also had RBIs for Novato North, which stays in the winners’ bracket and plays again at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The Novato North majors team opens up the section playoffs against Vacaville American at 11 a.m. Saturday at Joe Wagner Field in Larkspur. Vacaville American defeated Petaluma National 8-6 on Thursday night.

The Twin Cities 9-10s team also resumes play in the winners’ bracket at 10 a.m. Saturday in Woodland.

Baseball

The San Rafael Pacifics rode a couple of big innings en route to an 11-3 home victory against the Monterey amberjacks on Thursday night.

San Rafael (29-12 Pecos League) scored five times in the fifth and four more times in the seventh to break the game open against Monterey (9-28-1).

Fred Buckson had a game-high four hits and John Bicos had three hits. Jorge Rios and Blake Diggle drove in two runs apiece.

Starting pitcher Chris Allen worked five innings, allowing four hits and one unearned run while striking out eight. Richard Kiel worked the rest of the game to pick up the four-inning save.

The Pacifics were set to host the Vallejo Seaweed on Friday night before hosting the Dublin Leprechauns on Saturday.

Basketball

The Marin County Free Throw Championships are returning following a five-year hiatus and are set to be held at Archie Williams High at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday.

The fundraising event was first held in 2008 and ran until 2020 when it was shuttered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event is open to people of all ages and proceeds raised will be used to help those in need in Fairfax, San Anselmo, and San Geronimo Valley.

For more info, email saintvincentdepaul@strita.edu or call (415) 454-6420.