In sports, sometimes you’re the hammer, and other times, you’re the nail.
Foothill brought the hammer down on Livermore on Tuesday in Pleasanton, taking full advantage of a potent offense to run-rule the visiting Cowboys 16-6 in five innings.
The Falcons (12-5-1, 7-3 EBAL) got things going early in this East Bay Athletic League matchup, scoring five times in the first inning and thrice in the second to build an 8-0 advantage. Livermore brought out its best punch in the fourth inning, scoring five runs to make it a 9-6 game.
But Foothill wasn’t done. The Falcons added a run in the bottom of the fourth and ended the game with six more in the fifth, slamming the door shut on Livermore’s potential comeback.
Foothill pitcher Myra Galzie (11) throws against Livermore High in the second inning of a softball game at Foothill High School in Pleasanton, Calif., on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Foothill’s gaudy offensive output was paced by senior leadoff hitter Ellie Novitske, who plated four runs on two hits, including a home run, and scored two runs herself.
Senior second-place hitter Sophia Burdick wasn’t far behind, compiling five hits, an RBI, three runs scored and a trio of doubles.
Freshman Myra Galzie (homer, three RBI), senior Kaycie Burdick (three hits, three runs, two RBI) and sophomore Addison Chandler (two runs, three hits, two RBI) also had big afternoons at the plate for Foothill.
Bay Area News Group athlete of the week nominee Gianna Willes hit a home run and drove in three runs for Livermore, which dropped to 13-8 and 5-5 in the EBAL.
Livermore’s Gianna Willes (22) circles the bases as she celebrates her three-run homer against Foothill High in the fourth inning of a softball game at Foothill High School in Pleasanton, Calif., on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Foothill’s Kaycie Burdick (7) connects an RBI single against Livermore High in the second inning of a softball game at Foothill High School in Pleasanton, Calif., on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Foothill’s Kaycie Burdick (7) makes a catch for an out against Livermore High in the second inning of a softball game at Foothill High School in Pleasanton, Calif., on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Livermore’s Kymber Dao (13) is welcomed home by her teammates after she hit a solo homer against Foothill High in the fourth inning of a softball game at Foothill High School in Pleasanton, Calif., on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Menlo-Atherton 7, South San Francisco 6
A tight Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division matchup ended with a wild walk-off in Atherton. In the bottom of the seventh, with the score tied 6-6, M-A’s Emma Loose drew a leadoff walk. The next batter, Gracelyn Nava, laid down a bunt and reached first safely, but Loose was caught in a rundown between second and third and couldn’t wriggle free, eventually being tagged out. Nava advanced to second on the play. But no matter. Juliana Pandolfo came up to the plate and promptly ripped a double to left field, scoring Nava and winning the game for the Bears (11-6, 4-3 PAL). It was Pandolfo’s second RBI of the contest, tying Faith Schubin for the M-A team lead. South San Francisco dropped to 9-7, 3-3.
Burlingame 1, No. 18 Hillsdale 0
Burlingame scored an upset win thanks to stellar pitching from the sophomore duo of Aditi Bafna and Kiley Lyons, who combined for seven shutout innings to secure the Panthers’ narrow victory. Bafna started the game and picked up the win by pitching five scoreless frames, allowing three hits. Lyons secured the save, recording six consecutive outs to seal the deal in the circle. Amalia Alfers had the lone RBI, plating Samantha Arce with a single to left in the bottom of the second. Burlingame improved to 5-10 overall and 2-7 in the PAL Bay Division. Hillsdale dropped to 13-7-1, 5-4.
No. 5 Capuchino 11, San Mateo 0
Elsewhere in the PAL Bay, Capuchino continued to fortify its standing as a top team, routing league rival San Mateo in a run-rule affair. Cap (14-6, 7-2 PAL) ended the contest in quick fashion, building its 11-0 edge after three innings and holding the line to end the game after 4 1/2 frames. Lola Sierra threw a shortened no-hitter for the Mustangs in the circle, striking out eight San Mateo hitters and walking only one – she faced just one hitter over the minimum. Not to be outdone, she drove in five runs at the plate with a triad of two-baggers. Third-place hitter Dana Motroni drove in three runs and scored two for Cap. San Mateo dropped to 12-6, 5-4.
BASEBALL
Santa Clara 10, Monta Vista 5
Santa Clara continued its excellent campaign in 2025, knocking off Monta Vista 10-5 at Cupertino High School.
The Bruins are now 19-3 overall and 13-1 in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League’s El Camino Division, and they have won 10 games in a row, a streak that dates back to April 1.
Andrew Traffas and John Kepner each drove in three runs for Santa Clara. Connor Houle, Drew Diffenderfer, Greg Salgado and Zach Gallegos each plated one.
Joseph Murai drove in a pair for Monta Vista (13-8, 7-7), which hosted the Bruins at Cupertino while its field undergoes renovations. Timothy Yin and Van Chow each batted in one runner for the Matadors.
Santa Clara’s John Kepner (6) high-fives Santa Clara’s Jonathan Young (3) after their 10-5 win over Monta Vista at Cupertino High School in Cupertino, Calif., on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Santa Clara’s Andrew Traffas (1) throws to first base against Monta Vista in the seventh inning at Cupertino High School in Cupertino, Calif., on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Santa Clara’s Jonathan Young (3) throws against Monta Vista in the sixth inning at Cupertino High School in Cupertino, Calif., on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Monta Vista’s Sravik Sajja (7) makes a catch for an out on a ball hit by Santa Clara’s Greg Salgado (10) in the fifth inning at Cupertino High School in Cupertino, Calif., on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Monta Vista’s Joseph Murai (12) hit an RBI single against Santa Clara in the fifth inning at Cupertino High School in Cupertino, Calif., on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Santa Clara’s Zach Gallegos (7) heads to second base after a missed throw against Monta Vista in the third inning at Cupertino High School in Cupertino, Calif., on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Santa Clara’s Greg Salgado (10) hits an RBI single against Monta Vista in the third inning at Cupertino High School in Cupertino, Calif., on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
No. 11 St. Ignatius 3, Bellarmine 2 (8 innings)
A thriller in the West Catholic Athletic League came down to the bottom of the seventh. The Wildcats, trailing 2-1 at home, tied the game on a solo home run by Ryan Rosenthal, sending the game to extra innings. In the additional frame, SI manufactured a run in the bottom of the eighth. DJ Delaney drew a walk, then stole second. Beau Schaffer plated Delaney with a single to right, giving the Cats a walk-off win. In a rematch of the two teams’ pitchers duel just weeks ago, Chase Gordon started the game for SI and pitched six innings, allowing one earned run on six hits. Eddie McCartney relieved Gordon and pitched two shutout frames to pick up the win. Apolo Lapiz, also reprising his appearance in mid-April against SI, pitched the full regulation game, matching Gordon by conceding two runs (one earned) on six hits.
No. 1 De La Salle 18, Livermore 4
De La Salle, the newly minted top team in the Bay Area News Group rankings, continues to blow teams out in the East Bay Athletic League. This time, the Spartans dispatched Livermore by scoring in every inning except the sixth – five of those innings featured at least two runs, and four of them featured at least three. Junior Tyler Spangler and freshman Jacob Gray each drove in five runs for DLS (16-3, 7-1 EBAL), and Spangler roped two home runs. Griffin Lee and Erik Schock each drove in a run for Livermore, which fell to 13-7, 5-4.
No. 16 Clayton Valley 6, No. 10 Benicia 2
The Ugly Eagles scored an upset win by taking down Benicia on the road Tuesday. CV (15-4, 3-2) scored in four of seven innings and received offensive contributions from up and down the lineup. Vince Della Santina and Mateo Perez each drove in two runs, with Tavion Stafford and Elliott Webb each adding an RBI. Webb pitched a complete game and allowed just four hits. Benicia dropped to 13-5, 3-2.
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Campolindo 2, No. 14 Acalanes 0
Campo (11-8, 1-4) knocked off Acalanes in Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division action, picking up its first win in league play thanks to a gem by Colin Rutzen. The senior pitcher hurled a complete-game shutout with just three hits allowed to keep the Dons off the scoreboard entirely. Off the mound, senior William Myers and junior Luke McLeod each plated a run for Campo. Acalanes dropped to 11-6-1, 2-3.
Liberty 2, No. 9 Pittsburg 1
Liberty won out in this hotly contested Bay Valley Athletic League tilt, scoring the winning run in the top of the sixth to knock the Pirates off the plank on the road. Liberty (12-6, 5-0 BVAL) went up 1-0 in the second inning, but Pittsburg responded with a run in the bottom of the fifth, tying the game. That set the stage for Tristan Ainsworth to score on a wild pitch in the next half-inning, giving the Lions the margin of victory. Ainsworth contributed on the mound as well, pitching three innings of scoreless, one-hit ball to help Liberty secure the win.
Santa Clara’s Drew Diffenderfer (8) hits a single against Monta Vista in the sixth inning at Cupertino High School in Cupertino, Calif., on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Livermore pitcher Laine Macosky (12) throws against Foothill High in the second inning of a softball game at Foothill High School in Pleasanton, Calif., on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Foothill’s Summer McCarthy (34) is out at first by Livermore’s Kerigan Coates (1) in the fourth inning of a softball game at Foothill High School in Pleasanton, Calif., on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Santa Clara’s Bruce Gibson (15) throws against Monta Vista in the fourth inning at Cupertino High School in Cupertino, Calif., on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Santa Clara’s Andrew Traffas (1) throws to first base to complete a double play against Monta Vista in the fourth inning at Cupertino High School in Cupertino, Calif., on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Livermore pitcher Laine Macosky (12) throws against Foothill High in the second inning of a softball game at Foothill High School in Pleasanton, Calif., on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Livermore’s Gianna Willes (22) is welcomed home by her teammates after she hit a three-run homer against Foothill High in the fourth inning of a softball game at Foothill High School in Pleasanton, Calif., on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Foothill outfielder Eishita Singh (12) watches the ball flying over the fence after Livermore’s Kymber Dao (13) hit a solo homer in the fourth inning of a softball game at Foothill High School in Pleasanton, Calif., on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
