Photograph by Kathy De La Torre
A Prospect baserunner dives safely back into first base in last week's clash with Pioneer. Prospect won the game 2-0 and leads the Santa Teresa Division standings.
Tough loss for Falcons
Saratoga girls are undefeated
By Dick Sparrer
Rich Raich couldn't have been too pleased.
His Saratoga baseball team played three tough games in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League last week, and the Falcons lost two of them.
One of the losses couldn't really have come as much of a surprise. The Falcons opened the week with an 11-1 loss to Wilcox, and the first-place Chargers are beating everyone in the division this spring.
But the second loss had to hurt.
Saratoga rebounded from the loss to Wilcox with a tight 1-0 win over Cupertino, but the Falcons ended the week by dropping a rough 8-6 decision to Monta Vista.
The Matadors, like the Falcons, are playing .500 baseball this season, but they nosed above that .500 mark with a hard-fought win over Saratoga last Friday.
Monta Vista, 6-5-1 for the year and 4-4-1 in the division, scored in each of the last five innnings, including two runs in the seventh, to pull out the 8-6 win in the game that went right down to the wire.
The Falcons scored single runs in each of the first five innings and led 3-1 after three.
Monta Vista scored three in the top of the fourth, but Saratoga tied it 4-4 with a run in the bottom of the frame. The clubs matched runs in the fifth, but Monta Vista nosed in front with an unanswered run in the sixth and two in the seventh. Saratoga got one back in the seventh, but ended up two runs short.
Erick Raich blasted his second home run of the year and also singled for Saratoga in the game. Adam Varteressian led the 10-hit Saratoga attack with four singles, and Caleb Mosley ripped a double.
The Falcons, 5-6-3 for the year and 4-3-1 in the division, had beaten Cupertino 1-0 two days earlier. Varteressian went the distance on the hill for the Falcons, firing a three-hit shutout.
Matt Joyce doubled and singled to lead the four-hit attack for Saratoga.
Derek Cartmell ripped a solo homer in the third, and Joyce and Jim Huether each doubled, but Saratoga lost 11-1 to Wilcox to open the week.
Panthers win two
Curtis Wills slapped six hits in three games, but the Prospect baseball team could win just two of three last week.
The Panthers remain in first place in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League, but a 14-10 to Mt. Pleasant on Friday dropped Prospect's record to 7-1.
Still, it was a big week for the Panthers. They opened the week with a tight 7-6 win over Gunderson, then edged Pioneer 2-0 before falling to the Cardinals.
Wills and Craig Yamada had two hits apiece, and Dan Hesenflow was the winning pitcher in the 7-6 win over Gunderson to open the week.
The score bounced back and forth before the Panthers finally nailed down the tough win.
Gunderson scored two in the first, but Prospect tied it with two in the second. The Grizzlies scored a run in the third, but the Panthers tied it with two in the fifth, then took the lead with two in the sixth.
The Grizzlies fought from behind with two in the seventh to send the game into extra innings, then they scored in the top of the eighth to lead 6-5. But the Panthers pulled out the win with two in the bottom of the eighth.
Hesenflow came on in relief to get the win, then pushed his mound record to 3-0 a couple of days later when he went the distance in the 2-0 shutout win over Pioneer.
Hesenflow tossed a one-hitter, striking out seven, in the win over the Mustangs. He took a no-hitter into the fourth before Sean Sarsfield broke up the gem with a two-out single up the middle.
But that was all Hesenflow would allow, and he nailed down the win in grand fashion by striking out the side in the seventh.
Wills had two hits to lead a five-hit attack for the Panthers. His second single chased home David Struble with a run in the fifth. Struble had doubled and scored Prospect's first run in the third.
The Panthers lost 14-10 to Mt. Pleasant to close out the week, despite getting a couple of hits by Wills.
Westmont, meanwhile, lost twice in Mt. Hamilton Division play, falling 7-1 to Santa Teresa and 6-5 to Leland. Colin McAvoy had two hits to drive in two runs against the Chargers.
Falcons unbeaten
The Saratoga girls softball team won twice last week to remain unbeaten in the El Camino Division. The Falcons knocked off Palo Alto 3-1 and handled Fremont 9-6 to improve to 4-0 in the division and to 7-5 for the year.
Ilana Sabes went the distance to toss a four-hitter for Saratoga in the 3-1 win over Paly. Sabes, now 5-3 for the year, struck out eight in the win.
Jessica Perry singled twice and drove in all three runs for the Falcons. Jennifer King also had two hits.
The Vikings and Falcons each scored runs in the second, but Saratoga's Perry singled home two runs in the fourth to break the 1-1 tie and lead the Falcons to the win.
Nicole Lamore blasted a home run and also singled to drive in four runs for Saratoga in the 9-6 win over Fremont.
Jaime Merz ripped three hits for the Falcons and Joanne Sprague ripped two. King supported with a double.
Bonnie Craven was the winning pitcher, evening her season record at 2-2.
Lynbrook split a couple of games in the El Camino Division, beating Cupertino 14-2 after losing 3-1 to Fremont earlier in the week.
Stacey Benzing tossed a one-hitter to lead the Vikings to the easy win over the Pioneers. Benzing pushed her season pitching record to 4-2 with the victory.
Tiffany Swinford knocked in two runs for the Pioneers in the win.
Lynbrook, 2-1 in the division and 5-4 for the year, lost 3-1 to Fremont to open the week. The clubs battled through seven innings in a scoreless tie. Fremont scored three in the top of the eighth, but Lynbrook could answer with just one in the home half of the frame.
Swinford tripled to lead a three-hit attack for the Vikings.
Over in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the BVAL, Westmont won twice last week, including an impressive 2-1 win over Mitty in 11 innings.
Junior hurler Brittany Hennig tossed eight innings of the 11-inning game to get the pitching win for the Warriors. And it was her two-run homer in the top of the 11th that lifted Westmont to the thrilling victory.
Hennig broke up the 10-inning scoreless tie with her blast. Mitty managed a run in the home half of the inning, but came up a run short.
Hennig struck out eight in the game.
Westmont, 5-0 in the division and 11-3-1 for the year, had beaten Oak Grove 7-3 to open the week.
Senior Jessica Cobillas was the big hitter for the Warriors in the win. Cobillas tripled and homered to drive in four runs for her club. Hennig supported with three hits, and Michelle Salmiery singled and doubled. Jenny Brown and Bonnie Huggett each doubled.
Lisa Chapman tossed a three-hitter for the win. She pushed her pitching record to 4-0 with the victory.
Prospect won big in the West Valley Division, whipping Silver Creek 10-0 on a five-hit shutout by Cassie Gilford.
The Panthers are now 4-0 in the division and 10-3 for the year.
Vikes lose 7-0, win 7-0
The Lynbrook boys tennis team suffered a 7-0 loss to unbeaten Monta Vista last week in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.
But the Vikings answered right back with a 7-0 win over their own. The Vikes handled Mountain View 7-0 in a nonleague match before beating Saratoga 4-3 in league play.
Tomer Azenkot rolled to a 7-5, 6-1 win at No. 1 singles to start the Vikings on the road to the shutout win over Mountain View. Mike Tai won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2 singles, Phillip Perepelitzky won 6-1, 6-2 at No. 3 and Edward Perepelitzky won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 4.
Russell D'sa and Michael Wu teamed for a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 1 doubles, Brandon Katz and Jonathan Lee won 6-3, 6-0 at No. 2, and Tim Wong and Andy Pang won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 3.
The Vikings, 8-4 for the year and 4-3 in league play, edged Saratoga 4-3 on Thursday.
Tai won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 singles, and P. Perepelitzky won 6-4, 6-1 at No. 4 doubles for Lynbrook. E. Perepelitzky teamed with Jonathan Tsou for a 6-2, 7-5 win at No. 1 doubles, and D'sa and Wu won 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 at No. 2 doubles.
James Wyatt pulled out a 7-5, 6-2 win at No. 1 singles, and Ashvin Soin won 7-6 (7-5), 6-0 at No. 2 singles for the Falcons. Alexander Sevastopoulos joined with Scott Plieto for a 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 win at No. 3 doubles.
The Falcons slipped to 4-4 for the year and to 1-4 in league play.
Prospect, meanwhile, edged Lincoln 4-3 to improve to 3-5 in the Santa Teresa Division of the BVAL and to 4-6 for the year.
Nevin Morris pulled out a 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 1 singles, and Nick Williams won 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 at No. 4 to start the Panthers on the road to the win over the Lions.
Morris, Abrahin Jama and Shayan Malek were singles winners for the Panthers in a tough 4-3 loss to Yerba Buena to open the week.
Morris won 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 at No. 1 singles, Jama won 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 at No. 2, and Malek won 6-2, 6-4 at No. 3.
In other local action, Westmont lost 4-3 to Valley Christian, 5-2 to Mt. Pleasant and 5-2 to Piedmont Hills to slip to 0-9 in the Mt. Hamilton Division.
Falcons sink Vikings
Sung Kang and Robert Pfeifer were each two-over par on different days to lead the Saratoga golf team to back-to-back wins over Lynbrook last week in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.
Kang shot a two-over 36 at the Saratoga Country Club to lead the Falcons to a 203-217 win over the Vikings. Pfeifer finished at 40 with Daniel Ruby and Kevin Nabbefeld each shooting 42s and Michael Mann firing a 43.
The Falcons pushed their season record to 6-0 with a 175-177 win over Lynbrook at the Deep Cliff Golf Course in Cupertino later in the week. Pfeifer was two over at 32, with Kang, Ruby and Nabbefeld each shooting a 34 and Mann carding a 41.
Warriors win three
The Westmont boys volleyball team rolled to three wins last week in the Santa Teresa Division of the BVAL.
The Warriors turned back Prospect 15-7, 6-15, 11-15, 15-9, 16-14, whipped Piedmont Hills 15-13, 15-10, 15-9 and handled Pioneer 15-10, 15-10, 15-12. Westmont is now 7-0 in league play and 8-0 for the year.
Prospect bounced back from the loss to the Warriors with a 15-7, 15-5, 15-5 win over Branham. The Panthers are 3-2 in league and 7-5 for the year.
Saratoga, meanwhile, lost to powerful Homestead in the SCVAL. The Falcons dropped a 15-8, 15-4, 15-6 decision to the unbeaten Mustangs.
Saratoga is now 3-3 for the year and 0-2 in league play.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
