Prep baseball: St. Pat's pitching, defense lead to win over Bethel

Royce Pennington strikes out 7 in 3 shutout innings as Bruins defeat crosstown rival Jaguars 3-1

Apr. 3, 2026 at 7:34pm

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A fragmented, geometric painting in bold colors depicting the dynamic action and energy of a high school baseball game, with players and the field deconstructed into sharp, overlapping shapes and planes.A cubist interpretation of the intense defensive battle between two crosstown high school baseball rivals.Vallejo Today

Royce Pennington, a junior transfer to St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School, made his debut for the Bruins on Thursday, striking out 7 batters and allowing just 1 hit and 1 walk across 3 shutout innings to guide his team to a 3-1 victory over crosstown rival Jesse Bethel. The Bruins' strong defense, led by shortstop Madden Mendez, also played a key role in the win.

Why it matters

This early-season matchup between two local high school baseball programs highlights the importance of pitching and defense in the Tri-County Stone League. The game also marks the return of Royce Pennington, a talented junior transfer, to the mound after missing the start of the season due to transfer rules.

The details

Pennington, who transferred to St. Pat's from Vallejo High, was making his first start since May 14, 2025. After allowing a leadoff single and walk, he settled in to strike out 7 of the next 10 batters he faced. The Bruins' defense, anchored by shortstop Madden Mendez, made several key plays to support Pennington and the bullpen. Bethel starting pitcher Alex Romo bounced back after a rough first inning, but the Jaguars struggled to capitalize with runners in scoring position, going 1-for-8 and leaving 9 runners on base.

  • Pennington's last start was on May 14, 2025, when he played for Vallejo High.
  • Pennington was forced to miss the first 11 games of the season due to North Coast Section transfer rules.

The players

Royce Pennington

A junior who transferred to St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School at the start of the school year. He struck out 7 batters and allowed just 1 hit and 1 walk across 3 shutout innings in his Bruins debut.

Madden Mendez

The Bruins' junior shortstop who made several impressive defensive plays, including fielding back-to-back grounders in the bottom of the fourth and making a slick grab in the fifth.

Alex Romo

The Bethel starting pitcher who allowed 2 runs in the first inning but then settled down, allowing 5 hits, 5 walks, and 1 run the rest of the way while striking out 5 in a complete 7-inning outing.

Jeremiah Wilson

The Bethel outfielder who made an impressive catch, backtracking to the left-field wall to rob Xavier Brewer of a potential run-scoring double.

Brandon Brown

The St. Patrick-St. Vincent head coach who praised his team's defense and Pennington's performance in his Bruins debut.

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What they’re saying

“It was everything that we expected, everything as he's advertised. We're just trying to make sure as he's coming back, that he's comfortable.”

— Brandon Brown, St. Patrick-St. Vincent head coach

“I'm just grateful to have the opportunity to play, especially after having it taken away. I'm just happy to be out here with my guys and I'm glad we got the win today.”

— Royce Pennington, St. Patrick-St. Vincent junior

“It was just about taking a deep breath, centering myself, seeing where I'm at and realizing I got these great defenders behind me. Then I just started to work in the zone and let my guys eat.”

— Royce Pennington, St. Patrick-St. Vincent junior

“We have a good defense when they focus up. We expect Madden to make plays, we expect all of our guys out there on defense to make plays.”

— Brandon Brown, St. Patrick-St. Vincent head coach

“Best catch in the outfield this year. We made 85 percent of the routine plays and if we made 90 percent, it's a different ball game.”

— J.R. Lindsey, Bethel head coach

What’s next

The Bruins will look to build on this win as they continue their Tri-County Stone League schedule, while the Jaguars will aim to bounce back and improve their offensive production with runners in scoring position.

The takeaway

This game showcased the importance of strong pitching and defense in high school baseball, with Royce Pennington's dominant outing and the Bruins' solid fielding proving to be the difference. The crosstown rivalry between St. Patrick-St. Vincent and Jesse Bethel also adds an extra layer of excitement to this early-season matchup.