By DICK SPARRER
There's nothing wrong with playing .500 baseball.
But the Fremont baseball team has had enough of it, at least for a while.
The Firebirds are hovering near the .500 mark this spring with a 4-5 record, and that comes after two .500 weeks to open the season in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.
Fremont opened the year with a 2-0 win over Homestead, but lost 12-2 a game later to start the season with a 1-1 week.
And it was more of the same for the Firebirds last week. Fremont blasted Monta Vista 6-1, but lost a 2-1 heartbreaker to Palo Alto for another 1-1 effort.
Put them together, and Fremont is off to a 2-2 start in the De Anza Division--and no matter how you slice it, that's .500.
Still, an even record is better than a losing record, and the Firebirds made sure they stayed even in league play by opening the week with the victory over the Matadors.
Senior Nick Duran went the distance to pick up the win against the Mats, scattering eight hits along the way. Duran improved his mound record to 2-0 in 1997.
Bryan McCann swung the big bat for the Firebirds. The junior pounded a double and a two-run homer to lead the eight-hit attack in the win.
Art Alegria singled and doubled for the 'Birds.
Fremont staked Duran to a 1-0 lead with a run in the home half of the first, and that's how it remained through three. But the Firebirds opened the game up with two runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth to cruise to the victory.
McCann took over on the hill for the Firebirds against Palo Alto two days later, and he was the tough loser in the tight 2-1 loss to the Vikings.
Fremont again went up with a run in the first, and that 1-0 lead stood through three innings. But this time it was Fremont giving up a two-run rally in the fourth to lose the lead. Paly made the two runs stand up for the 2-1 victory.
Alegria tripled and singled twice and Duran roped a double to account for all four of the Fremont hits in the loss.
Homestead's first win
Homestead rallied for three runs in the seventh to pull out a 4-1 win over Monta Vista last week. It was the first win of the De Anza Division for the Mustangs.
Ben Amiwero was the winning pitcher for Homestead, evening his record at 1-1.
Kayzell Milton and Steve Goldberg ripped two hits apiece and Matt Hall and John Hanneman each doubled to lead a 9-hit assault for the Mustangs.
Homestead had opened the week by dropping a 7-0 decision to unbeaten Wilcox. The Chargers rallied for four runs in the second and two more in the fourth on the way to the victory. They held the Mustangs to just four hits.
Split for King's
King's Academy, meanwhile, split a pair of games last week, beating Pinewood 8-2 before losing to Menlo 9-1.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, March 19, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.