SV’s Gio Antonini throws back-to-back no-hitters

St. Vincent sophomore Gio Antonini had so much fun throwing a no-hitter against Westmoor from Daly City that in his next start he did it all over again, allowing no hits to Laytonville. That St. Vincent 10-runned both opponents, ending both games in the fifth inning, took nothing away from Antonini’s dominating performances.

In a 10-0 win over Westmoor, Antonini walked three and St. Vincent made one error behind him. He struck out eight. He allowed his only run of the season in a 12-1 victory over Laytonville. The run was unearned as the Mustangs committed two errors. The pitcher struck out nine and walked just two.

That game was close for four innings, until St. Vincent exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.

For the season, Antonini has pitched in four of the Mustangs seven games (going into this week). winning the two no-hitters and saving two other games. He has allowed only the one unearned run and just two hits total. He has struck out 23 while walking eight.

A catcher when he isn’t pitching, Antonini is batting .700 for the season with 14 hits, including five doubles and a triple in seven games.

Antonini acknowledges that it is “a good feeling,” to pitch two no-hitters, but said the accomplishment is secondary to the real goal.

“I just want to get the wins for my team,” he said. “Our goal is to win a North Coast Section championship.”

He said he recognized he had a no-hitter going against Westmoor in the last inning, but didn’t realize he had repeated in the game against Laytonville until it was over. “It was close all the way until the last inning, and I just wanted to get the win and keep our winning streak alive,” he said.

He said he throws mostly fast balls. “I’ll throw a curve once in awhile just to mix it up so the hitters don’t sit on my fastball,” he explained.

While Antonini admits that he considers himself a pitcher, his bat and defensive ability behind the plate, make him a valuable all-around player. “When I’m not pitching I love to catch,” he said. “It keeps me in the game.”

And, “in the game,” is where he hopes to say for quite a while. He still has two more seasons at St. Vincent and then is looking beyond. “I definitely want to be a college athlete,” he explained. “Professional baseball seems to be a stretch, but I definitely want to play in college.”

Like many of the athletes at St. Vincent, Antonini plays three sports, enjoying football and basketball as well as baseball.

At 6-foot, 1-inch, 205 pounds he has the size and aggressiveness to be an outstanding football player, and he enjoys the game, but says his post-high school career will be in baseball.

“I love baseball and I want to play as long as I can,” he said.

The son of Jim and Shannon Antonini, the sophomore has two younger brothers. He grew up playing sports, especially baseball, under the coaching of his father.

He acknowledged that being an athlete at an academic school like St. Vincent requires an extra effort.

“The classes can be tough,” he said. “It can be a challenge to balance athletics and academics.”

For Antonini, zero period begins on the pitcher’s mound.