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Milpitas High School's varsity baseball team got off to a fast start in the league playoffs last week, completing a two-game sweep of Cupertino High School in their best-of-three series. The series victory means that the Trojans will remain in the more prestigious De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League next season. Milpitas used strong pitching and defense to dominate Cupertino, allowing just one run in two contests.

Senior pitcher Brandon Menezes allowed three hits in five shutout innings in the first game, played at Cupertino last Tuesday. The contest remained scoreless into the top of the fifth inning, when the Trojans manufactured a run without recording a base hit.

Senior Nick Van Damme walked, stole second base, and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. Senior Justin Lagman drove Van Damme home with a sacrifice fly. That was the only run the Trojans would need, as freshman Cris Harlin pitched two solid innings in relief, allowing just one hit and earning the save in a 1-0 victory.

Senior pitcher Jeff Webb took the mound last Thursday at home for Milpitas, and provided another gem. Webb threw a complete game and did not allow a run until the seventh inning in a 4-1 Trojan win.

Junior Cody Lane gave Milpitas a 1-0 lead when he scored on a passed ball in the third inning. The Trojans broke the game open with three runs in the sixth inning, two of them coming on a bases-loaded single by senior P.J. Espitia that scored Van Damme and junior

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Tyler Marchesano.

Milpitas advanced to face Palo Alto High School in another best-of-three series. Though the Trojans are the lower seed, they hosted game one Tuesday at Milpitas High due to scheduling conflicts. Results of that game were too late for press. Game two of the series will be played today at Palo Alto High.

The most important day this week might be Saturday, when the tournament committee for the Central Coast Section championships will meet to determine seeding and at-large berths. Milpitas failed to qualify for an automatic playoff bid, so its players must wait for the results of the selection meeting.