The Palo Alto varsity baseball team showed its depth by defeating Los Gatos, 3-2, on Wednesday afternoon, exciting the home crowd fans at Coach Hurley Memorial field.

The game was comprised of great pitching, clutch hitting, coaching, and multiple strategy changes and near impenetrable defense for both teams.

The Vikings started junior pitcher Karl Laughton who got the win for the Vikes with seven strike outs and three walks, giving up five hits and allowing one earned run in six strong innings of work.

"Karl pitched well for us," Vikings closer and starting pitcher senior Jeremy Gillan said. "Carl kept it close and more or less totally controlled the game, and the team really wanted to help him get the win; we all just did our jobs."

The two runs scored and that went on Carl’s era record were both scored on clutch hitting by Wildcat senior third base man Logan Schafer. In the top of the fifth the scoreless tie was broken with a sacrifice fly by Schafer, scoring Los Gatos junior center fielder Mike Brienzo.

Paly had two major strategy changes during the game. One was moving starting third baseman Ryan Greenfield to play second base and moving junior Matt Wismann to third in the top of the fourth inning. This put a sure handed Wismann at third base and an experienced Greenfield at second.

The Wildcats started senior Kyle Jensen, who got the loss despite pitching 5 and 2/3 hitless innings and giving up two walks in the first five innings on disputable calls. Jensen seemed to tire as the game went on, and was rattled in the bottom of the sixth inning by an impressive Paly rally.

All three of the Viking’s runs resulted in scores during this rally. Jensen started the bottom of the sixth with his third walk to Viking’s left fielder senior Adam Dexter. Laughton had a sacrificed bunt, moving Dexter to second with one out. Greenfield grounded out for the second out. This brought Vikings shortstop senior Russ Hagmann to the plate. With a one strike no ball count, Hagmann hit a hard grounder to the pitcher who juggled it to the second baseman who bobbled it several more times and could not make the play. With runners on first and second out, Viking starting center fielder senior Max Pinto came to the plate.

"Kyle pitched phenomenally for us," Los Gatos head coach Brad Sanfilippo said after the loss. "I just feel really bad for him, one bad break after another and it goes from a win to a loss."

On the next pitch, the eighth of the inning, Pinto hit far and deep down the first baseline. Barely fair, the impressive home run into the nearby tennis courts made the score 3-1. Pinto’s third home run was all the support that Paly’s pitching staff and defense would need.

The Wildcats got another RBI from senior third baseman Logan Schafer at the top of the seventh. The last hit Laughton allowed was to Los Gatos junior first baseman Derek Thomas on the first pitch of the top of the seventh inning.

The other major strategy change that the Vikes made was taking Laughton out, putting Gillan in and putting Laughton in left field.

Thereafter, the uncharacteristic day continued as Paly starting catcher junior Nathan Ford allowed a passed ball, which allowed Thomas to go to second base uncontested, setting up the last Wildcat run.

Gillan got a strike out, a fly out, and the game looked like it was over, but the Wildcats bit one more with Schafer at bat. Schaffer took a 2-1 fastball deep to the wall in right center field and it fell for a double making the score 3-2. Gillan finished the job and struck out Wildcat sophomore second baseman Justin Schafer to get the save.

"I’m out there to do my job, I’m just glad to get the W," Gillan said of the win. "I’m really happy that my boys got the job done."

The Vikings even up their league season at 2-2 and total season at 4-4. The Vikings take on the Millpitas Trojans this afternoon at Paly’s Coach Hurley Memorial Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m..