Oliver helps stop slide for Falcon baseball team

By Dick Sparrer

Justin Oliver provided just what the doctor ordered for the ailing Saratoga baseball team last weekend--a solid pitching performance in a 13-6 victory over rival Los Gatos.

The Falcons, who had already lost twice to the Wildcats in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, had suffered through three losses in four games earlier in the week in the rugged West Coast Classic hosted by Mitty.

When it came to the league game on Saturday, the Falcons really needed a win. And they got it, thanks to Oliver and friends.

Oliver and the Falcons held the powerful Cats to just seven hits. The big right hander picked up the mound win, pushing his season record to 3-0.

Saratoga fought from behind twice before unloading with four runs in the sixth to put the win on ice.

Gatos rallied for three in the first to take the early lead. Saratoga picked up two in the home half of the first, but Gatos matched that in the second to lead 5-2.

The Falcons took the lead with four in the third, but the Cats tied it 6-6 with a run in the fourth. Saratoga picked up three in the bottom of the fourth to regain the lead, but rallied for four in the sixth to clinch the win.

Marc Muniz blasted a grand slam for the Falcons, and Oliver helped his own cause with a homer and two doubles. Chris Filip and Trevor Adams also doubled in the win.

Saratoga, 6-10-1 for the year and 3-5 in the division, had lost to Gatos a day before posting the 13-6 win.

Saratoga had beaten Edison 7-2 earlier in the week, thanks to a strong pitching effort by junior right-hander Bret Behnke.

Behnke struck out six and tossed a four-hitter to lead the Falcons to the victory. He pushed his mound record to 3-2 with the win.

Buck Wright homered for Saratoga in the win and Todd Ziegler knocked in three runs.

Saratoga broke open a scoreless tie with a five-run rally in the fifth.

The Falcons had lost 9-0 to Dana Hills to open the tourney. Dana Hills went on to win the tournament championship.

Saratoga fell behind 2-0 in the first, but that's how it remained through four and a half innings. Dana Hills busted the game open, though, with seven runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Oliver and Scott Moran each doubled to account for two of Saratoga's four hits.

After beating Edison, Saratoga lost 13-0 to Oak Grove.

Saratoga closed out the tournament with a 12-5 loss to Taylorsville.

Warriors win

Reed Dickert and his Westmont teammates stopped the streaking Prospect Panthers with a tight 5-4 non-league win last Monday.

Dickert and the Warriors held the powerful Prospect hitters to just seven hits in recording the win. Dickert pushed his mound record to 2-3 with the win and the Warriors to 6-7-1 for the year.

Mike Gorski and Mike Haynes each singled and doubled to lead an eight-hit attack for Westmont in the game. Haynes drove in three runs for the Warriors and Josh Herzbrun chipped in with a double.

Ted Piggins doubled twice and J.D. Mazzuca singled and doubled to lead the offensive attack for the Panthers. Kevin McPeck ripped a triple and Aaron Jacks and Brent Maselli each doubled to round out the seven hits for Prospect.

Westmont took an early lead with two runs in the first. Prospect scored in the third, but the Warriors responded with two in the home half of the frame to go up 4-1.

The Panthers picked up single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth to tie it 4-4, but Westmont broke the tie with a run in the seventh to win it.

Panthers split

It was a split last week for the Panthers. After losing to Westmont on Monday, Prospect came back with a 9-1 win over Del Mar in league play.

The Panthers, 8-5 for the year, improved to 7-1 in the Santa Teresa Division.

Steve Vidal tossed a seven-hitter for the win over the Dons, pushing his season record to 5-1 for the Panthers.

It was a first inning grand slam by Jacks that started Prospect on the road to the victory.

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