Windward Volleyball Wins Playoff Opener

The Windward School boys' volleyball team had little trouble in its CIF Southern Section Division 4 playoff opener, sweeping Garey of Pomona, 25-16, 25-15, 25-18. 

The fourth-seeded Wildcats will host Orange League champion Magnolia in the second round at 7 p.m. Thursday. The winner will face either Del Rio League runner-up Santa Fe or Del Rey League champion Cathedral in the quarterfinals Saturday. 

If seedings hold, Alpha League co-champion Windward would collide with Ocean League champion and No. 1-seeded Santa Monica in the semifinals May 17. 

Baseball 

The Wildcats lost the first game of their home-and-home series with Brentwood, which clinched at least a share of the Delphic League crown with a 4-3 victory in nine innings Tuesday afternoon on Senior Day at Foley Field.

Windward took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third inning, but the visiting Eagles got one in the third and one in the fifth to force extra innings. Right-hander Kunal Patel allowed six hits and three runs with nine strikeouts in six innings and brother Kirav Patel pitched the last three innings. 

Outfielder Zak Levine had two hits and one RBI and Michael Huettner, Kunal Patel, Kirva Patel, Tanner Savitsky, and Aven Helford each added one hit for the Wildcats (12-11 overall, 6-1 in league), who must win the second game Thursday at Brentwood to gain a share of the league title.

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