The first inning was a home run. More accurately, it was a touchdown.
St. Francis paid homage to the football team by scoring seven times in the opening frame of a 17-0 rout of visiting St. Ignatius-San Francisco in the first round of the West Catholic Athletic League baseball playoffs in Mountain View.
“I think our whole team, up and down, is seeing the ball really well right now,” said St. Francis shortstop Alex Blandino, who led off the bottom of the first with a home run. “And now we have some big games coming up the next two days.”
The top-seeded Lancers (23-5) next play St. Ignatius-San Francisco today at 4 p.m. at Santa Clara University.
“Hopefully, we get some revenge,” said Blandino, who remembers being upset in last year’s WCAL playoff by the Wildcats.
There was very little chance of an upset Tuesday afternoon. Seven of the first eight hitters reached base and scored for St. Francis, starting with Blandino’s line drive over the left-center wall off a 1-0 fastball.
“It takes a little pressure off the starting pitcher and the guy who is following him,” said teammate Richard Prigatano, who had a perfect 3-for-3 afternoon.
No. 2 hitter Braden Bishop, who stole three bases, scored to make it 2-0 off a Pritagano single. Jon Williams, who hit a sacrific fly during a four-run fifth to finish with three RBIs, drove in a pair in the first with a single.
Blandino, who got a second turn at the plate in the first, delivered an RBI double to make it 7-0.
“I think getting back home and seeing teams we’re more familiar with, getting back in our comfort zone, has helped us out a lot,” said Blandino, whose team had lost four of five games after leaving for a trip to Southern California.
Blandino’s second double of the game led off the bottom of the fourth and Bishop drove him home with a single before Prigatano tripled into the right-center gap.
“It was to the deep part of the alley and right off the bat I thought three,” Prigatano said.
Catcher Jon Nelson went 2-for-2 with a walk and two RBIs while right-hander Ryan DeGregorio was only needed for four innings on the mound, at which point all of the starters were lifted.
The playoffs seem to have reawakened something within the Lancers.
“You just focus on the little things more in practice,” Prigatatno said. “Just make sure everyone does their own job, and we’ll be alright.”
E-mail Vytas Mazeika at vmazeika@dailynewsgroup.com.
