By DICK SPARRER
Fremont needs two things to stay hot in the race for a Central Coast Section playoff berth this spring.
The Firebirds need to win, and they need a little help from their friends.
And they got both last week.
Fremont knocked off Los Gatos, and Homestead upset unbeaten Palo Alto. The combination of the two leaves Fremont just a game out of second place in the rugged De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.
With the win, the Firebirds improved to 3-2 in the division. Paly slipped to 3-1 in league play, a game behind first-place Wilcox (4-0).
Homestead also helped itself with the win over the Vikings. The Mustangs evened their league record at 2-2 with the win, but they stumbled two days later when they lost 15-9 to Los Gatos.
Nick Duran and Bryan McCann helped the Firebirds to the important win over Gatos last week. Duran ran his mound record to 3-0 with four innings of shutout work, and McCann came on to pick up the save.
McCann and Darren Lang led a 6-hit attack for Fremont in the win with two hits apiece. Lang ripped a double for the Firebirds.
Fremont staked Duran to an early lead with two runs in the first. The 'Birds came back with an insurance run in the fifth.
Los Gatos scored in the sixth to cut the lead to 3-1, but McCann blanked the Wildcats in the seventh to nail down the Fremont win.
Fremont is now 5-5 for the year and 3-2 in league play.
Homestead slipped to 2-3 in the division and to 3-6 for the year after the loss to Los Gatos to close out the week.
The Mustangs and Cats were locked up in a slugfest on Friday, but it was Gatos pulling out the win in the high-scoring game.
Homestead scored first with a couple of runs in the first, but Los Gatos rallied for six in the second to jump in front 6-2.
Not to be outdone, the Mustangs answered with seven runs in the home half of the second to lead 9-6 after two.
But Los Gatos came right back with five in the third to go up 11-9, then scored four more in the sixth to win it.
Scott Myers led the Mustangs with a triple and two singles. Kayzell Milton singled and doubled for Homestead, and Steve Griffith had two hits in the 9-hit attack.
The Mustangs had opened the week in impressive fashion, though, with the 7-2 win over Palo Alto.
Senior righthander Ben Amiwero went the distance to toss a five-hitter for the win. Amiwero struck out eight and gave up just single runs in the third and seventh.
Homestead added an insurance run in the sixth and cruised to the 7-2 win.
Amiwero starred at the plate as well as on the mound. He ripped a double and two singles to drive in two runs for the Mustangs.
Griffith singled and tripled for the Mustangs and Milton singled and doubled. Myers and Steve Goldberg added two hits apiece, John Hanneman tripled and Trevor Salman doubled.
Homestead ripped 13 hits in the win.
The Mustangs slipped to 3-6 for the year last weekend when they lost 9-6 to Palo Alto in the first round of the Cupertino Lion's Tournament.
Amiwero had another big day for Homestead with a single and a 2-run homer. Milton doubled home a pair of runs and Salman doubled.
The Mustangs could manage just five hits in the game.
In other local action, King's Academy pulled out an 11-7 nonleague win over Valley Christian of Dublin. The Knights are now 5-2 for the year.
The Knights led 6-0 before Valley Christian rallied for five runs in the fifth to cut the lead to 6-5. But King's answered back with five runs in the top of the sixth and held on for the 11-7 victory.
Hank Spates had two hits to drive in five runs for the winners and Scott Gordon ripped four hits.
overrun
This article appeared in the Willow Glen Resident, March 26, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.