By Dick Sparrer
The Leigh girls' softball team is looking forward to April 30.
It's not until then that the Longhorns get another shot at Leland, the only team to have beaten the 'Horns in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League this season.
So what are the Longhorns doing in the meantime? Winning.
Leigh took care of Presentation last week to improve to 4-1 in the division and to 10-4 for the year.
Freshman hurler Kim Rose went the distance to flip a one-hit shutout for the Longhorns in the win over the Panthers. Rose struck out eight and walked just two in the game. The only hit she allowed was a double by Jamie Hamann.
Leigh had just four hits in the game, but freshman outfielder Samantha Alford made her count with two runs-batted-in.
The Longhorns jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the first and coasted from there to the win. Leigh added insurance runs in the second and fifth.
Leigh will be off for spring break this week, but will play in the Strikker Tournament at Mission College on April 12-13. The Longhorns will return to league play April 16 when they visit Westmont.
Gatos girls fall
The Los Gatos girls, meanwhile, lost their only game last week, falling 3-0 to first-place Los Altos.
Megan Edwards tossed a four-hitter, but the Eagles managed to pick up single runs in the first, second and fourth to pull out the win.
Los Gatos had just three hits in the shutout and slipped to 3-3 in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League and to 7-5 for the year.
The loss came after back-to-back shutout wins for Edwards and the Wildcats.
But Edwards is only a part of the talented package on the Los Gatos softball diamond this spring. Head coach Jerry Garza thinks his club boasts one the school's strongest outfield combinations ever.
"We have great speed, accurate arms and the ability to make the big plays," he said. "This year's outfielders should prove to be among Los Gatos's finest ever."
Junior center fielder Melanie Barker leads the effort in the outfield for the Cats. Junior Sara Bellew is the Gatos starter in right field with juniors Mandy Lopez and Barbara Bellanch sharing time in left.
The Cats took their 7-5 record on the road last weekend to compete in the Reno Tournament in Nevada. Gatos will be back in league action on April 17 at St. Francis.
Cats are on par
Junior Ramien Ebadypour and freshman Mike Vivona each fired seven-over par 41s to lead the Los Gatos golf team to an impressive 216-234 win over Santa Clara in Santa Clara Valley Athletic League play at the La Rinconada Country Club last week.
Sophomore Matt Cuevas supported with a 43 for the Cats. Soph Sean McIntyre finished with a 45 and senior Justin Burkes was close behind at 46.
But Los Gatos dropped to 3-1 in league play and to 4-3 for the year just a day later, losing 215-229 to Monta Vista at Summit Point.
Cuevas was brilliant for the Wildcats, carding a five-over par 41 to lead all Gatos finishers.
Ebadypour and Vivona each shot a 43 to finish just behind Cuevas. McIntyre came in at 50 and Burkes finished at 52.
Los Gatos is off this week for spring break, but the Wildcats will be back on the course April 15 when they visit Palo Alto at Sharon Heights Country Club.
Wildcats ring Bells
The Los Gatos boys' volleyball team remained unbeaten in league play with an impressive 15-6, 15-4, 16-14 win over Bellarmine last week.
The Wildcats improved to 9-0 in the West Catholic Athletic League with a 15-4, 15-3, 15-6 win over Homestead later in the week.
The Cats are 21-1 overall this year. They recently finished third in the rugged Tournament of Champions held at Cal State-Northridge. Los Gatos's only loss was to University of West Los Angeles, the eventual tourney champion.
Sands leads Gatos
Chris Sands nailed a 6-1, 7-5 win at No. 1 singles, but the Los Gatos boys' tennis team dropped a tight 4-3 decision to Homestead.
The Wildcats had lost 7-0 to Monta Vista earlier in the week. The Cats are now 0-7 in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, April 10, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved