Baseball - Game Summaries

- Varsity - JV -

VARSITY 

@ WACC Playoffs

Hornets 2013 WACC Champions

GAME 2 - CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Hornets 4, Dragons 3

         1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11  R H  E
Alameda  0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0  0  1  4 10 2 
O'Dowd   1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0  0  0  3 13 2

Alameda edges Bishop O'Dowd 
to win WACC-Foothill Division baseball playoff title 
By Tony Gonsalez
mercurynews.com

SAN LEANDRO -- Erik Van Winkle was hit by a pitch to force in the go-ahead run and Matt Esparza came in relief to get out of a jam as the Alameda High baseball team won the West Alameda County Conference-Foothill Division playoff title with a 4-3 win over Bishop O'Dowd in 11 innings on Thursday at San Leandro Ball Park.

With the win, the Hornets (17-9) earned the automatic berth to the North Coast Section Division II playoffs. The Dragons will need to apply for an at-large berth in the Division I bracket.

Van Winkle was hit by a Michael Perri fastball to force in Drew Huie. The Dragons (17-9) tried to rally in the bottom of the 11th as Dom Miroglio singled with two outs, but Esparza came back to strike out Nick Adgar to end the game.

O'Dowd collected 11 hits on the night, but left 13 runners on base.

Sean Cunningham went 3 for 6 for and Trevor Greenley homered in the fourth for Alameda. Adgar drove in two runs for O'Dowd.

Piedmont 1, San Leandro 0: Senior Matt Horst threw a two-hitter and also scored the game's only run as the Highlanders (16-9) beat the Pirates (20-6) to win the West Alameda County Conference-Shoreline Division tournament title and clinch an automatic berth to the NCS playoffs.

Horst struck out four and had just one walk. He also scored on Spencer Gutterman's double in the fourth inning. Ptah Asabi also threw a complete game for San Leandro and had four strikeouts and one walk.

GAME 1
Hornets 1, Yellowjackets 0

Alameda plays for WACC Foothill League Championship Thursday night 7 pm at San Leandro Ball Park.

Submitted by: R. Krinks

vs. Encinal

Hornets 4, Jets 2

        1 2 3 4 5 6 7  R H E
Alameda 2 0 0 0 1 0 1  4 9 0
Encinal 0 1 1 0 0 0 0  2 7 1

Alameda clinches 2nd place in WACC Foothill and Home Field for Semi-Final WACC Foothill Playoff Game.

Submitted by: R. Krinks

vs. Encinal

Hornets 6, Jets 5

        1 2 3 4 5 6 7  R H E
Encinal 0 0 3 2 0 0 0  5 9 2 
Alameda 1 1 0 3 0 0 1  6 8 1

Submitted by: R. Krinks

vs. Arroyo

Hornets 7, Dons 3

        1 2 3 4 5 6 7  R H E
Alameda 0 0 1 0 0 0 6  7 6 1
Arroyo  0 0 0 0 0 3 0  3 3 3

Submitted by: R. Krinks

vs. Arroyo

Hornets 4, Dons 1

        1 2 3 4 5 6 7  R H E
Arroyo  1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1 4 0
Alameda 0 1 3 0 0 0 x  4 7 0

Submitted by: R. Krinks

vs. Berkeley

Hornets 2, Yellowjackets 0

          1 2 3 4 5 6 7  R H E
Berkeley  0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0 6 1
Alameda   2 0 0 0 0 0 0  2 7 1

~ Coach Krinks

vs. Berkeley

Hornets 5, Yellowjackets 4

         1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12  R  H  E 
Alameda  0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0  0  0  1  5  8  3 
Berkeley 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  0  0  0  4 10  2

~ Coach Krinks

vs. Castro Valley

Hornets  3, Trojans 6

Game summary can go here.

vs. Castro Valley

Hornets 11, Trojans 3

              1 2 3 4 5 6 7   R  H E
Alameda       0 0 3 1 0 7 0  11 9 1
Castro Valley 0 0 0 1 1 1 0   3 7 5

~ Coach Krinks

vs. O'Dowd

Hornets 8, Dragons 1

        1 2 3 4 5 6 7  R  H E
O'Dowd  0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1  5 2
Alameda 0 0 4 1 0 2    8 11 1

~ Coach Krinks

@ St. Francis Tournament

GAME 1:
Hornets 2, Palma 3

         1 2 3 4 5 6 7
PALMA    0 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 5 0
ALAMEDA  0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 8 1

~ Coach Krinks

GAME 2:
TBA

GAME 3:
Hornets 2, St. Mary's 3

          1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Alameda   0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 1
St. Marys 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 3 4 1

~ Coach Krinks

@ Willie Stargell Tournament

GAME 1:
Hornets 4, Heritage 3

         1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Heritage 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 4 1
Alameda  1 0 2 0 0 0 1 4 7 1

GAME 2:
Hornets 2, Acalanes 3

         1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Acalanes 0 0 0 0 3 0 0  3 4 2
Alameda  0 0 2 0 0 0 0  2 7 3

~ Coach Krinks

vs. Hayward

Hornets 6, Farmers 0

        1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Hayward 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0 4 3 
Alameda 1 1 0 0 3 1    6 7 0

~ Coach Krinks

vs. Tennyson

Hornets 20, Lancers 2

          1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Alameda   0 2 5 2 3 6 2  20 20 1
Tennyson  1 01 0 0 0 0     2 7 2

vs. Mt. Eden

Hornets 2, Monarchs 5

Game summary can go here.

vs. San Leandro

Hornets 1, Pirates 2 (10)

Game summary can go here.

vs. San Lorenzo

Hornets 11, Rebels 5

San Lorenzo 000 000 5  5  6 5
Alameda     010 514   11 10 0

~ Coach Krinks

vs. Piedmont

Hornets 8, Highlanders 4

           1 2 3 4 5 6 7  R H E
Piedmont   0 2 0 1 1 0 0  4 7 3
Alameda    1 0 3 0 1 3    8 9 1

~ Coach Krinks

vs. Clayton Valley

Hornets 9, Eagles 5
(Non-League)

Alameda   100 80 9 5 0
Clayton V 104 00 5 8 4

~ Coach Krinks

vs. Tracy

Hornets 5, Bulldogs 3
(Non-League)

Tracy   000 021 3 7 2
Alameda 000 005 5 6 2

~ Coach Krinks

JUNIOR VARSITY

Game Changer Stats & INFORMATION

vs. Encinal

Hornets 6, Jets 5

OVERALL RECORD: 11-12
LEAGUE RECORD: 7-7  (WACC)
My guess is that  in our (upper) division of the league, Castro Valley finished first, followed by O'Dowd, Berkeley, Arroyo, then us....something like that.

HOME RECORD:        6-4
AWAY RECORD:        5-8

SCORE:  HORNETS  6, JETS  5  -- A comeback, walk-off win against our cross-town rival in the bottom of the 7th, with the winning run scored by Taylor (Secret Weapon) Lee and the winning RBI driven in by Mitchell Nakahara, son of the game's ceremonial first pitch thrower, Debbi Nakahara (see below). The winning pitcher, in just his 2nd outing of the season, was a player who didn't pitch for the first time until well into the season--Walker Tolbert.  Actually, practically the entire available team contributed measurably to this final victory for Alameda--it was truly a team win. I'll try to mention everyone involved.

BACKGROUND ON THIS GAME: It was our and Encinal's final game of the season (already)! Hard to believe. Several celebratory events were planned to commemorate it. Coach George treated the boys to an early breakfast @ Jim's. The Nakaharas (after their winning bid at the  Crab Feed fundraiser) received VIP pre-game treatment, including Debbi throwing out the ceremonial first pitch (an impressive, solid strike to Mitchell all the way from the actual pitching rubber!). (And, in deference to Eric's musical tastes, the PA announcer did not play any Tom Petty or Bob Dylan.)  A tasty dinner was provided for the boys, coaches & parents at the park after the game. Many thanks to all who participated in and helped to coordinate these events!

PLAYING CONDITIONS:  Typical afternoon baseball conditions in the Bay Area--cool and breezy.  The fog was blowing in--Candlestick weather!

WHEN/HOW THEY SCORED:  This was a low-scoring affair until the 5th & 6th innings, and was ultimately decided in the bottom of the 7th. One starting pitcher--Encinal's Lewie Owens--worked in and out of trouble throughout his 5-inning stint--the Hornets had plenty of early-inning scoring opportunities but couldn't cash them all in.  By contrast, the other starting pitcher, Alameda's Jason Johnson, had a no-hitter going until the 4th inning, and gave up no earned runs until the 5th.  Alameda jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but then didn't score again until the 5th, despite loading the bases in the 2nd inning, getting 2 runners on in the 3rd inning, and getting another on in the 4th. Encinal scored its first run (unearned, on an infield error) in the 4th, then erupted for 4 runs in the 5th, benefiting from 2 outfield errors by the Hornets. Tolbert ended up closing out that inning, after Johnson reached the 80-pitch mark. It was 5-2 Encinal at that point. Alameda came back with 1 run in the 5th and 2 in the 6th to tie the score 5-5, then, after Tolbert pitched a shutdown 7th, the Hornets rallied against Encinal relief pitcher Miguel Nunez for the win.

HORNETS OFFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS: HORNETS DEFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS: FINAL LINES: A second-straight nail biter! Alameda: 6 runs, 8 hits, 3 errors. Encinal: 5 runs, 5 hits , 4 errors. Winning pitcher: Tolbert. (And his dad was there to see it!) Losing pitcher: Nunez, for the 2nd straight game.

THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR A FUN & EXCITING SEASON!

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. Encinal

Hornets 4, Jets 3

OVERALL RECORD:  10-12
LEAGUE RECORD:  6-7  (WACC)

HOME RECORD:  5-4
AWAY RECORD:  5-8

BACKGROUND ON THE JETS: Our cross-town rivals have faced many challenges during the WACC season.  They were swept by Arroyo, Berkeley, and Castro Valley, and they lost their previous match-up with us 17-11 (a game in which we were up 13-0 after 2 1/2 innings, but our pitchers surrendered 9 walks and gave the Jets an opportunity to get back into the game).

PLAYING CONDITIONS:  Excellent.  Beautiful afternoon out on the West End after a couple of days of overcast and even some rain. 68 degrees & sunny @ game time with a breeze blowing from the water from behind the stands out toward right field.  The breeze diminished during the middle of the game, then returned in the later innings.

WHEN THEY SCORED:  The Hornets jumped to a 1-0 first-inning lead with a 2-out rally, helped by a 2-base error on the Jets' outfield. The Hornets struck again in the 3rd inning, helped by another Jets error. 2-0 Hornets after 3. It stayed that way until the bottom of the 5th inning, when the Jets tied the score 2-2 (and could've done more, leaving the bases loaded). The Hornets broke the tie in the next inning, with a 2-run rally started by another 2-base error by the Jets' outfield. 4-2 Hornets. The Jets came right back to add a final run in the bottom of the 6th. 4-3 Hornets. And that's where it stayed.

HORNETS OFFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS: HORNETS DEFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS:

FINAL LINES: A closer game than some anticipated! Alameda: 4 runs, 7 hits, 2 errors. Encinal: 3 runs, 7 hits , 4 errors. Winning pitcher: Woody.  Losing pitcher: Jets starter Miguel Nunez, who actually pitched well enough to win--his line was similar to Woody's:  7 innings, 0 earned runs, 62 strikes out of 99 pitches. The difference was that he walked 5 and didn't get as much defensive support as Woody did.

MORE CREDIT TO THE OPPOSITION WHERE CREDIT IS DUE:

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. Arroyo

Hornets 2, Dons 9

OVERALL RECORD:  9-12
LEAGUE RECORD:  5-7  (WACC)

HOME RECORD:  5-4
AWAY RECORD:  4-8

PLAYING CONDITIONS:  Pretty doggone perfect--80 degrees at game time, with a breeze starting to cool things down later, not a cloud in the sky, an eventually good-sized home crowd, with a fair number of Arroyo fans also in attendance.  The umpire showed up early, so the game started 10 minutes early.

SOME LINEUP CHANGES FOR THE HORNETS:  Wesley Cheung was called up to varsity, Julian Pelzner was pitching but not hitting, (still recovering from his wrist injury), and Tony Riley was out of the lineup, so left fielder Michael Woodworth batted leadoff (in Cheung's usual spot), first baseman Kenyon Ebert batted second (in Riley's spot), and Jason Johnson DH'd for Pelzner.  Taylor Lee was the catcher.

BIG DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THIS GAME & THE PREVIOUS ARROYO GAME ON 5/1: WHEN THEY SCORED:  Arroyo jumped to a 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning when a perfect throw from centerfielder Francisco Pedraza on a fly ball out with a runner on third was dropped for an error. Alameda executed better when they tied the score 1-1 in the bottom of the 2nd inning (more on that below). Unfortunately, a two-base error that benefited the Dons first hitter in the 3rd inning resulted in 3 unearned runs that inning. 4-1 Arroyo.  Alameda had an opportunity for a big inning in the bottom of the 3rd (more on that below), but only managed 1 run. 4-2 Arroyo. Arroyo then basically blew the game open with 4 runs in the 4th inning (on 5 singles and 1 walk) and 1 more in the 5th for the 9-2 final.

KEY HORNETS PLAYS/KEY PLAYERS/KEY STATS: GIVING CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE:  Four Dons had multi-hit games, led by their #5 hitter, 3rd baseman Rudy Avila, who went 3 for 4.  Hitting right behind Avila in the 6-spot, Dons catcher Andrew Figueroa went 2 for 3 with 4 RBIs. He had their only extra-base hit, a bases-loaded double into the left-center gap. He also hit the fly ball that scored the run on the error in the 2nd inning, and had a 2-run single in the 4th inning. The Dons' 2nd pitcher, Dom Jackson, threw 4 2/3 innings of shutout ball, giving up just 1 hit (Fetzer's single) and no walks.

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. Arroyo

Hornets 5, Dons 3

OVERALL RECORD: 9-11
LEAGUE RECORD: 5-6 (WACC)

HOME RECORD: 5-3
AWAY RECORD: 4-8

SCORE: HORNETS 5, DONS 3

BACKGROUND ON ARROYO: Appeared on paper to be a pretty good team. According to MaxPreps, they won 8 of their first 9 games and came in 13-7 overall and 6-3 in league. They were swept by Castro Valley and split with Berkeley (those were their 3 league losses) but swept Encinal easily, and beat Piedmont, San Lorenzo, and San Leandro in league. Non-league wins included Mission San Jose, Las Lomas, Newark Memorial, Dublin, American, and Washington (Fremont). Also had a close 6-5 loss to Livermore. Worst losses were to St. Mary's (Albany), Newark Memorial (in a rematch), Logan, and Castro Valley. Similar in size and age-wise to the Hornets--one big kid (a 6'2", 210-lb 1st baseman) but otherwise not physically imposing and pretty evenly split between freshmen and sophomores...no juniors. (Berkeley had juniors, including their last starting pitcher against us, Hunter Rieger.)

PLAYING CONDITIONS: Hot--about 90 degrees at game time, but there was a breeze, which made things tolerable. Sunset Park in Hayward was the location. The field had no fences, with soccer teams running through the outfield in the later innings. Glad that it will likely be our last visit--had to play there because Arroyo is building new athletic facilities for next year.

OTHER KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS GAME:

WHEN THEY SCORED: Alameda had an opportunity to score first in the top of the 1st inning when starting catcher Tony Riley walked, advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch, then went to 3rd on Nakahara's single to right field. But Riley took a big turn around third, the cut-off man threw behind him, and Riley was tagged out for the 3rd out. The Dons used some of that momentum (and some uncharacteristic wildness by Woody) to push a run across the plate in the bottom of the 1st inning (and leave the bases loaded). 1-0 Dons. Slamming the door on that threat inspired the Hornets, who came back to take the lead for good with two runs in the top of the 2nd inning. 2-1 Hornets. The score remained 2-1 until the top of the 5th inning, when one of the dropped pop flies by the Dons infield opened the door for a 3-run rally by the Hornets that basically clinched the game. 5-1 Hornets. The Dons added 2 runs in the bottom of the 7th, but it was too little, too late. 5-3 Hornets.

OTHER KEY HORNETS PLAYS/KEY PLAYERS/KEY STATS:

NEXT UP: Arroyo, again, @ Lincoln Park. Friendlier surroundings. And maybe some cooler temperatures.

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. Berkeley

Hornets 4, Yellowjackets 9

OVERALL RECORD: 8-11
LEAGUE RECORD: 4-6 (WACC)

HOME RECORD: 5-3
AWAY RECORD: 3-8

SCORE: YELLOWJACKETS 9, HORNETS 4

BACKGROUND ON BERKELEY: They went into this game with a 9-8-1 record and a 2-game losing streak, after losing to Arroyo (4-3) and Alameda (9-7) in back-to-back games. They had some gaudy season hitting numbers (.324 team batting average, 9 players batting .350 or better, 3 starters hitting .390 or better, led by their DH, Jaxon Stuhr, batting .422). Their first 6 hitters appear to be legitimate threats, based on what we saw in the last game...not a team to be taken lightly. (Note: We learned after the game that Stuhr was promoted to Berkeley's varsity this week--he didn't play in this game.)

KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS GAME:

WHEN THEY SCORED: Alameda jumped to a 4-0 lead in the top of the 1st inning. But that, unfortunately, was it for the Hornets scoring-wise, though they threatened in the top of the 3rd and 5th innings (when Pedraza and Ebert were stranded at 3rd and 2nd both times), the top of the 6th (when Cheung and Woodworth were stranded at 2nd and 3rd) and the top of the 7th (when the Hornets left the bases loaded). So they didn't quit, despite being down 9-4--they just couldn't get the big hit in those innings. Meanwhile, Berkeley scored 2 runs in the bottom of each of the 1st two innings to tie the score, went ahead 5-4 in the bottom of the third, then built on their lead with 3 runs in the 4th and another in the 5th.

OTHER KEY HORNETS PLAYS/KEY PLAYERS/KEY STATS:

NEXT UP FOR ALAMEDA: Arroyo, who split their 2 games with Berkeley. Berkeley parents said those games were very competitive.

PLAYER AVAILABILITY UPDATE: Tyler Middleton will have to sit out the rest of the season, for medical reasons. That knocks the number of available players down to 14. (A parent new to the team asked at the beginning of the season why we had such a large roster. This is why!)

vs. Oakland Tech

Hornets 12, Tech 1

OVERALL RECORD: 8-10
LEAGUE RECORD: 4-5 (WACC)

HOME RECORD: 5-3
AWAY RECORD: 3-7

SCORE: HORNETS 12, BULLDOGS 1 (ended by Mercy Rule, with no outs in the bottom of the 5th inning)

BACKGROUND ON OAKLAND TECH (our last game against them on 4/2, during Spring Break): A 9-4 Hornets win in our 9th game of the season, posting our 4th win. We jumped out to a 9-0 lead after 5 innings, behind starting pitcher Ethan Lathon, who got the win, with Jason Johnson in relief. A 5-run first inning for the Hornets helped set the tone for that game.

KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS GAME: Similar dynamics as the first game against the Bulldogs. They are basically a lower-tier team (unlike Berkeley, Castro Valley, Northgate or Concord) so playing them provides an opportunity to rest some starters and give others a chance to play bigger or different roles. It took a few innings to really get the Alameda offense rolling, and the defense still sputtered a bit, but a 5-inning game is what you look to achieve in a situation like this, and a 5-inning game is what the Hornets delivered.

WHEN THEY SCORED: Alameda opened up 1-0 and 3-0 leads after the first 2 innings. OT posted a run in the top of the 3rd inning (& threatened to score a lot more, leaving the bases loaded). That's when the Hornets really broke through, scoring 5 runs in the bottom of the 3rd inning for an 8-1 lead. After a scoreless 4th, the Hornets went to work again in the bottom of the 5th inning, turning 3 walks and three singles into 4 runs that triggered the Mercy Rule.

OTHER KEY HORNETS PLAYS/KEY PLAYERS/KEY STATS:

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. Berkeley

Hornets 9, Yellowjackets 7

OVERALL RECORD: 7-10
LEAGUE RECORD: 4-5 (WACC)

HOME RECORD: 4-3
AWAY RECORD: 3-7

BACKGROUND ON BERKELEY: 9 wins, 7 losses, 1 tie coming into this game. .323 team batting average, according to their Gamechanger stats. 3.77 team ERA. Best hitter was right fielder and clean-up hitter Miles Cohen. Best pitcher was Henry Volkmer. Nano Schmidt, who was their starting pitcher this game, was #2 behind Volkmer in innings pitched. Eli Berson, their relief pitcher in this game, had not given up an earned run in his previous 4 1/3 innings pitched. They had just split their two games with Arroyo (losing to Arroyo 4-3 the previous Friday in 9 innings), and had easily swept Encinal.

KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS GAME: A good, gutsy win, but not a pretty one. 8 total errors, mostly by the Hornets, but the 2 made by the Yellowjackets were very costly for them. 16 total runs in this game, only 5 of which were earned. Some gutsy pitching, especially by Alameda's two pitchers--starter Mike Woodworth and reliever Walker Tolbert--in the face of all of those errors and extra baserunners. Lots of hits, 19 total, 10 by the Hornets. Several big hits, described below. And besides the errors, there were some big defensive plays by the Hornets, including two in a row by Woodworth, after he moved to right field, in support of Tolbert. Tolbert was a big story--hadn't pitched "in years", but had been practicing with his teammates, who told the coaches, "hey, this guy throws hard." So the coaches put him in to preserve a 4-run lead for Woody, and he nailed down the save, overcoming 2 infield errors in the 7th inning.

WHEN THEY SCORED: Alameda opened up 1-0 and 4-1 leads in the 1st and 2nd innings. Berkeley battled back to tie the score 4-4 in the 4th inning, and took a 5-4 lead in the top of the 5th inning. Five runs for the Hornets in the bottom of the 5th inning, for a 9-5 lead, basically sealed the deal, though the Yellowjackets got 2 unearned runs back in the top of the 7th to make the final score 9-7.

OTHER KEY HORNETS PLAYS/KEY PLAYERS/KEY STATS:

OTHER NOTES: Julian Pelzner is back in uniform, recovering from his broken arm. Could be available to play soon.

 

vs. Castro Valley

Hornets 4, Trojans 5

OVERALL RECORD: 6-10 LEAGUE RECORD: 3-5 (WACC)

HOME RECORD: 3-3 AWAY RECORD: 3-7

For those looking for another tight, taut game like those against Northgate, Concord, and Bishop O'Dowd, THIS was the game you were looking for. Quite a contrast with Wednesday's game: Nine total runs instead of 22. 13 total hits instead of 20. And, most importantly, just 3 total errors instead of 10, and just 1 of those errors was by Alameda. We had more good defensive plays than errors, which was a nice reversal. But we weren't quite sharp enough to get the win against a tough opponent on their home turf.

KEY PLAYS/KEY PLAYERS/KEY STATS: 

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. Castro Valley

Hornets 7, Trojans 15

OVERALL RECORD: 6-9
LEAGUE RECORD: 3-4 (WACC)

HOME RECORD: 3-3
AWAY RECORD: 3-6

Those who were looking for another tight, taut game like those between the Alameda JV and their opponents from Northgate, Concord, and Bishop O'Dowd did not find it here. No sir'ree Bob. 22 total runs. 20 total hits. 10 total errors. If you like watching coaches waving around baserunners on offense and making sighs of exasperation on defense, this was the game for you.

KEY PLAYS/KEY PLAYERS/KEY STATS:

vs. O'Dowd

Hornets 5, Dragons 4

OVERALL RECORD: 6-8
LEAGUE RECORD: 3-3 (WACC)

HOME RECORD: 3-2
AWAY RECORD: 3-6

This was the rematch game, after O'Dowd's walk-off win two days earlier. It was a face-off of two hard-throwing starting pitchers--Dominic Taylor for the Hornets and Jarrod Cleto (an Alameda native--his dad Dan had coached several Hornets players in baseball and basketball) for the Dragons.

It was a sunny but breezy afternoon in Lincoln Park. Temps in the 60s. Good-sized crowd on hand--lots of familiar Alameda baseball families and faces. Just one problem: No scoreboard! (There was power for it in the booth, and the remote seemed to be working, but we couldn't get any power/response from the scoreboard itself.) So the umpire and the P.A. announcer had to keep the crowd current on balls, strikes, outs, inning, and the score. No biggie--we rolled with it.

The end result was a dramatic, walk-off win for the Hornets! A bit of payback for the previous game. Lots of drama, plenty of big plays, and many contributors. A nice exhibition of small-ball "Alameda Baseball" for the home fans. (And for varsity coaches Ken Arnerich and Greg Dunn, who were among the spectators.)

KEY PLAYS/KEY PLAYERS/KEY STATS:

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. O'Dowd

Hornets 3, Dragons 4


OVERALL RECORD: 5-8
LEAGUE RECORD: 2-3 (WACC)

HOME RECORD: 2-2
AWAY RECORD: 3-6

This was the Hornets' first league game this month--they hadn't played one since the Encinal game back on March 28 . And this was the first time facing O'Dowd as a WACC opponent. (O'Dowd wasn't in our league last year.)

Having O'Dowd in our league is fun because there were lots of familiar Alameda faces in the Dragons' dugout--the Achramowicz twins, Jacob Cala, Jarrod Cleto, Jesse Cruz, Avi Graber, and Josh Takeuchi--and in the stands. The aforementioned Dragons players played in Alameda Little League with many of the Hornets players.

This was also the start of something else new this year--playing every team in our upper division of the WACC back to back in one week, so that teams would be forced to throw different pitchers in each game. Though it means playing each upper division rival twice in one week, it mixes things up a bit, pitching-wise.

Weather-wise, it was gorgeous--about 80 degrees, clear and sunny--great baseball weather. Unlike the Concord field, which sat isolated in a vast expanse of grass, O'Dowd's baseball field is squeezed tightly between buildings, parking lots, and their football/soccer stadium. It's cozy, with practically no foul ground. Rumor has it that they're going to remodel it next year and put in an all-weather artificial surface, like what's on their football/soccer field.

KEY PLAYS/KEY PLAYERS/KEY STATS:

Submitted by: J. Eichel

@ Concord Tournament

GAME 1:
Hornets 2, Northgate 1 (8 innings)

OVERALL RECORD: 5-5
LEAGUE RECORD: 2-2 (WACC)

HOME RECORD: 2-2
AWAY RECORD: 3-3

KEY PLAYS/KEY PLAYERS/KEY STATS: 

Submitted by: J. Eichel

GAME 2:
Hornets 3, Wolves 14

OVERALL RECORD: 5-6
LEAGUE RECORD: 2-2 (WACC)

HOME RECORD: 2-2
AWAY RECORD: 3-4

San Ramon Valley won its first Concord Tourney game 13-0 over Berean Christian. The Hornets were coming off their 2-1 8-inning squeaker over Northgate. The Hornets had won 4 of their last 5 games.

Weather conditions were sort of unusual for Concord (where it can be very hot, even at this time of year) -- 60s, partly cloudy, a bit windy. And the game got off to a late start. What was supposed to be a 4 pm game didn't get underway until 5:42 pm because the Clayton Valley vs. Concord game before ours went 11 innings, with Clayton Valley eventually emerging victorious, 6-5. The umpires (the same crew that worked the 11-inning game) also took a long break between games. The grounds crew could've finished mowing the outfield between games--there were many comments on the fairway/rough look in the outfield, which effectively deadened any balls hit beyond the mown part (the fairway) into the "rough," preventing them from rolling to the wall.

KEY PLAYS/KEY PLAYERS/KEY STATS:

Submitted by: J. Eichel

Hornets 5, Minutemen 6 (8 innings) 

OVERALL RECORD: 5-7
LEAGUE RECORD: 2-2 (WACC)

HOME RECORD: 2-2
AWAY RECORD: 3-5

This was the 3rd/4th place game of the tournament, pitting against each other the two teams that had lost the day before to the two teams playing later for the championship (Clayton Valley and San Ramon Valley). Concord had lost an 11-inning thriller to Clayton Valley, a game in which Concord at least twice had the winning run at third in extra innings with less than two out and could not get him home. (Note: SRV won the championship game 11-8, overcoming a spirited CV 4-run comeback in the bottom of the 7th inning.)

It was another cool day in Concord-- 60s and partly cloudy. But the outfield was better--after our game vs. SRV, someone jumped on a mower and expanded the "fairway", leaving less "rough." The rough was still there, but there was definitely less of it. And this game started pretty much on time.

KEY PLAYS/KEY PLAYERS/KEY STATS:

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. Oakland Tech

Hornets 9, Bulldogs 4

OVERALL RECORD: 4-5
LEAGUE RECORD: 2-2 (WACC)

HOME RECORD: 2-2
AWAY RECORD: 2-3

KEY PLAYS/KEY PLAYERS/KEY STATS:

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. Encinal

Hornets 17, Jets 11

OVERALL RECORD: 3-5
LEAGUE RECORD: 2-2 (WACC)

HOME RECORD: 1-2
AWAY RECORD: 2-3

BACKGROUND/MISC. GAME CONDITIONS: This was an extra WACC Upper Division league game scheduled to help offset the loss of other league games with teams that couldn't field a JV squad. We owe thanks to the Encinal varsity for giving up their practice field for this game! We also owe thanks to the weather gods--though rain was in the forecast, it steered north and south of us, leaving Stargell field with relatively favorable conditions--partly cloudy & breezy, with temps in the low 60s.

It was sort of like fall football weather, which was appropriate since the final tally resembled a football score. It was a game that the Hornets seemed to have well under control early and seemed on their way to a one-sided mercy-rule victory, but the pitching got a bit off-track (again), the Jets scored a total of 9 runs in the 5th and 6th innings, and all the sudden, the game was forced to the full 7 innings, with the Jets lurking within striking distance the rest of the way.

As one observer said, "Games like this are enough to make you start drinking again."

OFFENSIVE HORNETS HIGHLIGHTS:

DEFENSIVE HORNETS HIGHLIGHTS:

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. San Leandro

Hornets 3, Pirates 4

OVERALL RECORD: 2-5
LEAGUE RECORD: 1-2 (WACC)

HOME RECORD: 1-2
AWAY RECORD: 1-3

BACKGROUND/MISC. GAME CONDITIONS: It had been a rough week already for the Hornets JV, before this game. During the past several days, the Hornets learned they'd lost two players for the rest of the season (Lucas Lee, back injury, and Mitchell Crawford, arm injury) and another until at least mid-April (Julian Pelzner, broken arm). Tuesday's practice turned heavily cardio-vascular in nature after the coaches weren't pleased with Monday's effort, so the team arrived at Bartell Field Wednesday under a bit of a cloud, both figuratively and literally (it had rained overnight and was threatening to continue). The coaches' moods weren't improved when the umpire didn't show up until 15 minutes after game time--the game started over 20 minutes late as a result. And some would argue that "blue" never showed up completely--there were some interesting calls in this game.

GIVING CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE/KEYS TO THE GAME:

OFFENSIVE HORNETS HIGHLIGHTS:

DEFENSIVE HORNETS HIGHLIGHTS:

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. San Lorenzo

Hornets 12, Rebels 1

OVERALL RECORD: 2-4
LEAGUE RECORD: 1-1 (WACC)

HOME RECORD: 1-1
AWAY RECORD: 1-3

(1st league win, 1st road win)

BACKGROUND/MISC. GAME CONDITIONS: On the Ides of March, it was the Rebels who got killed ("mercy ruled", after the 6th inning). We didn't know what to expect from them, coming into the game. When the NCS realignment occurred, we knew our league was dropping 3 schools with weak baseball programs (Richmond, Hercules, and De Anza) and adding stronger opponents (like Bishop O'Dowd). But not all of the newcomers are that strong, apparently. We found out that San Lorenzo has a very nice new field, but its team is more like those of the 3 schools that were dropped [which also have nice, grant-funded fields, BTW] than like O'Dowd's. The Rebels turned out to be very good/nice hosts--brand new field within a relatively easy drive of Alameda, good playing weather (especially for this time of the year--mid 60s with a high overcast) and an accommodating defense and pitching that helped the Hornets rebound from the Piedmont game, and post their first league and road win.

OFFENSIVE HORNETS HIGHLIGHTS:

DEFENSIVE HORNETS HIGHLIGHTS:

ONE LAST NOTE: One thing concerned Coach Kenny--Hornets pitchers issued 8 walks during the game (4 each for Pelzner & Johnson). Given what happened during the middle of the Piedmont game (when Hornets pitchers had trouble throwing strikes, which helped cost us that game), Coach Kenny would like to clean this up a bit.

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. Piedmont

Hornets 5, Highlanders 11

OVERALL RECORD:  1-4
LEAGUE RECORD:  0-1  (WACC)

HOME RECORD:  1-1
AWAY RECORD:  0-3

BACKGROUND/MISC. PRE-GAME CONDITIONS:  This was the first WACC league game for both teams (and their first time facing each other as WACC opponents, after the big league re-alignment). It was a beautiful afternoon for baseball at Witter Field in Piedmont--sunny, spring-like, mid-70s. The warmth was accentuated by the design and orientation of the field, which is tucked in a nice little glen among buildings and trees, and is south-west facing. The purple and white Piedmont team was clad in white with purple pinstripes, which was a distinguished look.  Their student P.A. announcer, a first-timer, provided play-by-play and commentary as well as players' names, which added some atmosphere.

GIVING CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE/KEYS TO THE GAME:

OFFENSIVE HORNETS HIGHLIGHTS: DEFENSIVE HORNETS HIGHLIGHTS:

vs. Clayton Valley

Hornets 0, Eagles 6

OVERALL RECORD: 1-3
LEAGUE RECORD: 0-0 (WACC)

HOME RECORD: 1-1
AWAY RECORD: 0-2

BACKGROUND/MISC. PRE-GAME CONDITIONS: Clayton Valley Charter used to be Clayton Valley High School. Baseball teams from that area (Concord/Clayton) tend to be strong. This team was no exception. Weather conditions at game time were threatening--overcast, 58 degrees with a 70% chance of rain. The rain came in the third inning. The start of the game was delayed by an absence of umpires (one finally showed up in the top of the 3rd inning). The first two-plus innings were played with coaches umpiring behind the mound.

GIVING CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE/KEYS TO THE GAME:

OFFENSIVE HORNETS HIGHLIGHTS:

DEFENSIVE HORNETS HIGHLIGHTS:

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. Tracy

Hornets 7, Bulldogs 2

OVERALL RECORD: 1-2
LEAGUE RECORD: 0-0 (WACC)

HOME RECORD: 1-0
AWAY RECORD: 0-2

(First win of the season for the Hornets, "The first of many," said Coach Konstantino.)

BACKGROUND: A rare home game at College of Alameda (COA) on a cool, breezy, pre-winter storm afternoon. Temps in the high 50s. Lots of Canadian geese in the outfield, as usual for COA.

OFFENSIVE HORNETS HIGHLIGHTS (lots of effective small ball--7 runs on just 4 hits!):

DEFENSIVE HORNETS HIGHLIGHTS:

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. California - DH

BACKGROUND: "It's a beautiful day for a ballgame...Let's play two!" as Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ernie Banks famously said. These were the first non-scrimmage games of the season for the Hornets, and their 2nd road trip. Nice day for baseball in a nice setting--temperatures in high 60s with a light overcast. Nice residential area with green hills in the background and Mt. Diablo looming behind right field. Good fan turnout on the Hornets side of the field. Lots of calypso and reggae music played on the P.A. system between innings. One Alameda fan asked, "Where's the Red Stripe?" Another asked, "Or something with rum?"

GAME 1:  Hornets 1, California 7

A rough start to the season. Too many errors on defense and not enough hits on offense, especially from what's supposed to be the run-producing part of the batting order--the Hornets' starting #2-7 hitters went a combined 0 for 14 in this game with 1 walk and 0 RBIs. Ouch.

The #6-9 spots did finally come through in the top of the 7th inning with the Hornets' only run, on 3 singles and a fielder's choice. Pinch-hitter Taylor Lee grounded a ball over 3rd base with one out. Pinch-hitter Tyler Middleton forced him out at second with a fielder's choice ground ball to the second baseman. With two outs, Wesley Cheung blooped a single to right field (his second hit of the game; he also had a bunt single in the 2nd inning), with Middleton stopping at second. Dominic Taylor then lined a single to right, scoring a sliding Middleton to break up the Grizzlies' shutout.

This wasn't the defense's day for the Hornets, but a couple of things were noteworthy in this game: 1) Catcher Tony Riley did a nice job blocking pitches, and he picked a runner off first base, and 2) the defense turned a nice 5-4-3 double play (Mitchell Nakahara to Michael Woodworth to Kenyon Ebert) to end the bottom of the 5th inning, starting with a sharp grounder to Nakahara. The defense turned 2 double plays in this game.

Hornets 6, California 11

Unlike the first game, when the Hornets fell behind 7-0 after 6 innings before finally getting on the board, this time they scored two in the first inning to jump to their first lead of the afternoon. It wasn't exactly a power display--3 walks, a hit batsman, and a sacrifice fly--but it did put a crooked number on the board. The walks went to Julian Pelzner, Ben Fetzer, and Francisco Pedraza. Kyle Averitt earned a RBI when an inside pitch audibly brushed his uniform (scoring Pelzner), then Nakahara drove Fetzer home with a sinking line drive that the right fielder barely caught.

Unfortunately, the Grizzlies came right back with 5 runs in the bottom of the first inning. But the Hornets came back to tie the game in the top of the second inning with 3 more runs, scored on an RBI single (by Pelzner), an RBI walk (Pedraza's second walk of the game), and another sacrifice fly (this time by Averitt, on a deep drive to left center, his 2nd RBI).

In this game, the middle of the batting order was more productive--the #s 4-6 hitters knocked in 4 of the 6 total runs.
Alas, the Hornets would only score once more after tying the game, while the Grizzlies put up 6 more runs (2 each in the bottom halves of the 2nd, 3rd & 4th innings). The Hornets scored their final run in the top of the 5th inning after an Averitt single, a Wesley Cheung walk, and a Walker Tolbert "swinging bunt" down the third base line that turned into an RBI single.

Again, the defense was a little shaky at times (4 errors leading to 4 unearned runs), but it had its moments. Michael Woodworth came in to pitch with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the fourth inning, and only gave up 1 run on a sacrifice fly. Woodworth went on to pitch two shutout innings in relief, throwing 67% of his pitches for strikes. Behind Woodworth, in the bottom of the 5th inning, shortstop Mitchell Nakahara made a nice play on a grounder up the middle to turn what looked like a sure hit into an out. Then, in the bottom of the 6th inning, the defense made another nice play behind Woodworth, turning an unconventional 5-3 double play. With runners on 1st and 2nd, third baseman Wesley Cheung fielded a hard ground ball, stepped on third for the force, then fired across to first baseman Jason Johnson, who made a nice dig to force the runner at first. Earlier in the game, Cheung also made two nice "hot corner" plays, turning two hard line drives into outs.

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. Maria Carrillo (scrimmage)

Hornets vs. Pumas

No official scores are kept from scrimmages, but here are some highlights:

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. De La Salle (scrimmage)

Hornets vs. Spartans

No official scores are kept from scrimmages, but here are some highlights:

Next scrimmage: Saturday, Feb. 16 @ Maria Carrillo. Go Hornets!

Submitted by: J. Eichel