Solomon’s pitching, hitting leadLowell over Balboa for city title

The Lowell junior fired a seven-hitter to improve to 8-0 and added two hits and three RBIs — including a two-run double in the seventh — to lead his team to a 6-3 San Francisco Section/AAA title-game win over Balboa.

Solomon, the team’s leading hitter at .422 heading into Wednesday, secured Lowell’s fourth consecutive section crown, its 14th since 1975 and 18th overall.

Balboa, after its first title since 1992, fought back from a 3-0 deficit with an unearned run on an RBI single from relief pitcher Ethan Chen in the fifth.

The Buccaneers (11-12-1) then added two in the sixth on a run-scoring double by Gio Norori and a two-out RBI single from Jacob Wong.

After a strikeout, Adam Gardi singled in the go-ahead run and then Solomon followed with a line-drive double to the gap in right-center to bring home two.

Norori’s throw from shallow left-center arrived in time, but was just up the third-base line and Gardi was able to avoid the tag of catcher Mauricio Sanchez.

The Cardinals pushed their lead to 3-0 in the fifth on an error, infield single and stolen base from Bradshaw and two-run single up the middle by Matthew Sam, one of four Lowell players who had two hits (Gardi, Solomon and Bradshaw were the others).