The Palo Alto High School baseball team is set to face off against the Bellarmine Bells in the quarterfinals of the CCS (Central Coast Section) playoffs on Saturday.

The fifth-seeded Vikings advanced to the second round after defeating the 12th-seeded Watsonville Wildcatz 12-4 on Wednesday at Paly. The underdog Wildcatz seized the early advantage, but senior outfielder Austin Poore and junior third baseman Bowen Gerould led the offense as the Vikings pulled away with eight unanswered runs in the final four innings.

Meanwhile, the fourth-seeded Bells struggled in their first round game, narrowly edging the 13th-seeded Fremont Firebirds 1-0.

Bellarmine’s first round struggle was a surprise, considering the Bells finished the season 25-6 overall and 10-4 in the WCAL (Western Catholic Athletic League), among the strongest leagues in the Bay Area.

This sets up an intriguing rematch of a game back in April, when the Vikings fell to the Bells 1-0 in an intense defensive battle. The Vikings’ offense struggled to find their rhythm as they were held to only five hits by the dominant Bellarmine pitchers.

“It should be another close game,” junior pitcher Chris Smith said. “They’re an explosive team who had a lot of success in a very strong league. We have to be at our best if we want to win this game.”

The time and location of the matchup are still to be determined because other CCS playoff games have not been played yet.