All of the top pitchers--and just about every team has at least one top-notch hurler--are underclassmen.

Lynbrook sophomore Kendra Wood, who has posted 26 strikeouts in an extra-innings game, has been superb. So has Milpitas junior Danielle Yee. Los Gatos has two fine pitchers, sophomore Lindsay Zullo and junior Brianna Smith, who transferred from Santa Teresa.

Homestead junior Melanie Gularte, who pitched her team to the El Camino Division championship last season, is getting back into form after an early-season injury. Her freshman sister, Becca, filled in admirably during her absence. Another freshman, Kendra Vanek, has burst on the scene for Mountain View.

But the biggest pitching noise has been made by Monta Vista with the junior tandem of Jessica Iwasaki and Jennifer Sparks. The Matadors have started the season 5-0 in league and 14-4 overall, including two perfect games--the most recent on April 9 at the Steinbeck Classic in Salinas.

Iwasaki teamed with junior Britney Sanford to blank Alvarez of Salinas 3-0 in the Matadors' third game of the day. Iwasaki, a left-hander with a microscopic earned run average of 0.16, had seven strikeouts while working the first four innings. Sanford, in her first mound duty of the season, whiffed four of the nine batters she retired during the final three frames.

Earlier in the day, Iwasaki tossed a 3-hitter against Notre Dame-Salinas, but lost a 1-0 pitchers' duel. Two days earlier, Iwasaki fanned nine and crafted a nifty 1-hitter as the Mats topped Milpitas 2-0 in a league showdown. She ended the week with a 7-3 record.

Back on March 31, Sparks pitched the Matadors' first perfect game. She retired all 15 batters she faced in a 10-0 win over Los Altos, a game ended by the mercy rule after five innings. She helped herself at the plate with three hits and four runs-batted-in.

Last week, Sparks raised her overall mark to 7-1, going the distance in a 10-1 league win over Los Gatos and a 9-1 tournament triumph over Aptos.

Senior Danni Brown was the top hitter against Los Gatos with four hits and three RBIs. Brown and Sarah Hassman led the bat attack against Aptos with three hits apiece.

Behind the strong and resilient right arm of Wood, Lynbrook won three of four games last week and improved its overall record to 11-6. After pitching all 10 innings in a 1-0 decision over Los Gatos on April 4, she came back the next day and pitched all seven in a 6-4 victory over Homestead.

Twin sister and battery-mate, Kelsey Wood, drove in the only run against Los Gatos. Kendra doubled her first two times up against Homestead, driving in three runs and staking herself to a 3-0 lead after three innings.

Homestead broke through with a run in the fifth on shortstop Tegra Lillie's RBI single, but four Homestead errors helped produce a three-run rally for Lynbrook in the last of the sixth. The Mustangs closed the scoring with a late charge with a three-run seventh. Lynbrook improved to 3-3 in De Anza play, while Homestead dropped to 0-3.

Later in the week, Lynbrook split a pair of games in the Wilcox Tournament at Mission College. Kendra Wood pitched a one-hitter and teammate Melissa Ivan had two hits and two RBIs in a 9-0 win over Wilcox. Earlier in the tourney, on April 2, Wood sparkled in wins over Palo Alto (5-0) and Piedmont Hills (3-2). She notched 14 strikeouts in each game, while allowing a total of three hits.

Wood fired a no-hitter against Prospect in early March, whiffing 15 in the process.

Baseball

Homestead and Monta Vista both improved their standing in the El Camino baseball race, and they went about it the same way--with wins over Lynbrook and Fremont.

The Mustangs improved to 6-2 in league play and 8-8 overall with a 10-2 triumph at Lynbrook and an 11-6 win against visiting Fremont.

Freshman Evan Marshall went the distance against the Vikings, and supported himself by smacking four hits and driving in three runs. Senior Deek Hargis hit a home run and picked up his fourth save against Fremont. Junior Kyle Dukes, who had 10 strikeouts, started and received credit for the mound decision.

Junior Tony Del Vecchio had two hits and three RBIs for the Mustangs, who broke up a 6-6 tie with five runs in the last of the sixth. Dan Bergeron had two of Fremont's 11 hits.

Monta Vista raised its league mark to 3-5 by beating the Vikings 5-2 and the Firebirds 11-4.

Senior Nick Bertolucci followed up a two-hit game against Lynbrook with a grand slam against Fremont. Nick Burrow flipped a 4-hitter against Lynbrook. Matador senior Ben Maples struck out 11 in 6 2/3 innings against Fremont.

The Firebirds, who finished the week with a 6-4 league mark, managed just four hits against the Matadors. Nathan Cathcart had two of them.