Prep Roundup: March 17

After being shutout 3-0 by San Benito on Thursday, Gilroy rebounded with a league win over Palma.
The Mustangs beat the Chieftains 6-3 at home Friday, but lost 1-0 to Branham in a non-league game Saturday. 
Branham scored its lone run in the top of the fourth for the ‘W.’ 
Gilroy scored two runs in the bottom of the third and three more in the bottom of the fifth to take a 5-0 lead over Palma. 
The Chieftains finally got on the board with three runs in the top of the sixth, but the Mustangs answered with a run in the bottom of the inning for the final. 
Gilroy (2-5 overall, 1-2 in league) will be back in action at 4 p.m. today at Palma. 
Cougars drop two in a row
Christopher dropped two straight games, falling to Palma and Monte Vista Christian last week. 
The Cougars lost 10-3 to Palma on the road Thursday. MVC then edged Christopher 4-3 on Friday in Watsonville. 
Christopher and MVC were tied 2-2 heading into the fifth inning. The Mustangs scored two more in the bottom of that inning to take the lead. The Cougars added a run in the top of the sixth, but fell just short. They outhit MVC 9-5. 
Brian Easton, who came in for relief in the fourth inning, was given the loss. He gave up two runs on two hits and walked one through one and two thirds innings. 
Makaio Duyao led Christopher at the plate and went 3 for 4 with a run. Alec Cordova and Anthony Rodriguez were both 2 for 3 with a run scored and double. Mike Sanchez, Darren Santos and Ricky Rios each had an RBI. 
It was a different story against the Chieftains, however.
The Cougars held a 1-0 lead over Palma until the bottom of the fifth. The Chieftains scored four to take the lead. Christopher scored two more in the top of the sixth to trail by one, 4-3, but Palma blew the game open with seven runs in the bottom half of the sixth. 
Duyao was handed the loss on the bump. He pitched four and a third innings and gave up four runs on one hit, walked two and struck out six. Santos came in for relief in the fifth, gave up seven runs on six hits and walked two in an inning and a third of work. 
Gordy Papalias and Cordova both went 1 for 3 with a run scored. Cordova also had an RBI as did Easton and Rodriguez. 
Christopher (3-5 overall, 1-2 in league) will be back in action at 4 p.m. today to host Monte Vista Christian. 
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Mustangs fall to Seaside
Gilroy put up a fight against the Spartans, but lost in straight sets 3-0 Monday at home. 
Seaside won 25-21, 25-16, 25-23. 
Gilroy’s Mark Oliveira and Ryan Nguyen combined for four service aces in the game. Cesar Ponce and Antony Lara combined for 12 digs.
The Mustangs (3-4 overall, 0-2 in league) will take on Carmel at 6:30 p.m. Thursday on the road.
Cougars top Carmel
It took five sets, but Christopher walked away a winner against Carmel. 
The Cougars won 3-2 over the Padres Thursday at home. 
Stats and scoring from this game were not yet available.
Christopher (5-3, 1-0) will host Watsonville at 6:30 p.m. tonight.
TRACK AND FIELD
Cougar girls sixth, Mustangs 14th; CHS boys eighth at Wildcat Relays
Christopher’s Ally Foster earned not one, but two first place finishes at Saturday’s Wildcat Relays in Watsonville. 
Foster took first in the long jump with a 17-foot, 2-inch result and in the triple jump with a distance of 35 feet, 6 inches. Her top places helped the Cougar girls to a sixth place finish with 31.47 points. The Gilroy girls were fourteenth with 10 points. 
Tim Van Horn was the highest placer for Gilroy, tying for first in the high jump with a 6-foot, 2-inch mark. 
Christopher’s Natalie Gutierrez also tied for first in the high jump with a 5-foot, 2-inch leap. Nicole Holder, from Gilroy, was third with a jump of 5 feet.
The Cougar boys took first in the 800-meter relay in a time of 1:35.51. They were also second in the 1600m relay and third in the 400m relay. The Christopher boys placed eighth with 24.5 points.
Gilroy’s Anela Zamarron was third in the shot put, throwing for 33 feet. On the boys side, Victor Sanchez took 18th for the Mustangs with a distance off 33 feet, 4 inches. 
Christopher will host Notre Dame/Palma at 3:30 p.m. Thursday. It will also host the Don Christopher Invitational at 9 a.m. Saturday. 
Gilroy will host Monte Vista Christian at 3:30 p.m. Thursday for a dual meet. 
SWIMMING
Cougars split with Monterey
Christopher split its meet with Monterey Friday as the girls won 125-56 and the boys lost 98-78. 
Ashley DeAbreu, Malaya Santos and Maccy all notched three wins for the Cougars. DeAbreu won the 200-meter freestyle in 2:22.90 and the 50m free in 27.45 seconds. She was also a member of the first place 200m medley (Maccy, Chloe Kurzenknabe, Kaela Nguyen) and 200m free (Maccy, Sierra Ceballos, Ali Souza) relay teams.
Santos easily won the 100m and 500m free events. Santos beat her Monterey counterpart by nearly a minute in the 500m free, completing it in 5:45.38. She won the 100m free in a time of 57.74, a solid five seconds ahead of her opponent. She was also a member of the first place 400m free relay with Nguyen, Ceballos and Kurzenknabe. 
Maccy won the 200m individual medley in 2:27.31 and the 100m fly in 1:04.45. 
Nguyen won the 100m backstroke in 1:08.76, while Kurzenknabe took the 100m breaststroke in a time of 1:19.38.
On the boys side, Jordan Jacinto won the 50m free in 24.27—edging out teammate Max Deliz by .49. Darren Yafai took first in the 500m free in a time of 6:01.79. 
The 200m medley relay team of Jacob Holm, Rudy Montenegro, Chris Lee and Jacinto took first place with a time of 1:57.13. 
Christopher will host San Benito at 3:30 p.m. Friday. 
SOFTBALL
Mustangs win two straight at Circle of Champions
Gilroy picked up two straights wins, beating both Capuchino and Half Moon Bay by a score of 1-0 Saturday at the Circle of Champions tournament in Salinas. 
The Mustangs picked up their lone run against Capuchino in the bottom of the second. Nicole Dan hit a leadoff single and came home on a sac fly from Adrianna Lujan. 
Dan led her team, going 2 for 3 with a run. Lauren Castro got the win in the circle, allowing just four hits and two walks over seven innings. She also struck out five. 
The Gilroy ace was just as stellar against HMB, recording the win with a three-hit, five strikeout performance over seven innings. 
Makenna Weiler scored the Mustangs’ run against HMB in the bottom of the first off an Alexis Conlon single. 
The Mustangs (4-5 overall) will take on Pioneer at 4 p.m. today in San Jose.
Cougars blast past Soquel
Christopher routed Soquel 13-5 Thursday on the road.
Stats and scoring from this game were not yet available.
The 3-2 Cougars will host Harbor at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Find out when and where your favorite Cougar and Mustangs teams are playing this week:
CHRISTOPHER
3.17 — Boys golf at San Benito*, San Juan Oaks, 3 p.m.; Baseball vs. Monte Vista Christian*, 4 p.m.; Boys tennis at Pacific Grove*, 4 p.m.; Boys volleyball vs. Watsonville*, 6:30 p.m.; Lacrosse vs. San Benito*, 7 p.m.
3.18 — Softball vs. Harbor, 4:30 p.m.
3.19 — Boys golf vs. Los Altos, Eagle Ridge, 3 p.m.; Track vs. Notre Dame/Palma*, 3:30 p.m.; Baseball at Sobrato, 4 p.m.; Boys tennis vs. Everett Alvarez*, 4 p.m.; Boys volleyball at Alisal*, 6:30 p.m.
3.20 — Swimming vs. San Benito*, 3:30 p.m.; Softball at Aptos, 4 p.m.; Lacrosse at Salinas*, 7 p.m.
3.21 — Track at Don Christopher Invitational, CHS, 9 a.m.

GILROY
3.17 — Boys golf at Watsonville*, Pajaro Valley GC, 3 p.m.; Baseball at Palma*, 4 p.m.; Softball at Pioneer, 4 p.m.
3.18 — Badminton vs. James Lick, 4 p.m.
3.19 — Track vs. Monte Vista Christian*, 3:30 p.m.; Baseball vs. Monterey*, 4 p.m.; Softball at Archbishop Mitty, 4 p.m.; Boys volleyball at Carmel*, 6:30 p.m.
3.20 — Swimming vs. Seaside, 3:30 p.m.; Baseball at Monterey*, 4 p.m.; Boys volleyball at Wilcox, 6:30 p.m.
*Denotes league contest.