Photograph by Robert Scheer
Willow Glen outfielder Donald Sanchez (right) hangs onto the ball despite a nasty collision with second baseman Chris Monroe. Both players were shaken up and left the game, and the Rams ended up losing a 7-4 decision to Del Mar.
By DICK SPARRER
The Fremont baseball team was hoping for a two-win week.
But it was more than that. The Indians needed a two-win week to get back into the title race in the tough De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.
It just wasn't to be.
The Indians got off to a good start last week, beating Palo Alto 8-3 to even their league record at 2-2.
But Fremont dropped a disappointing 4-2 decision to Los Gatos on Friday to slip back to 2-3 in the division and to 5-4 for the year.
Andrew Hoff and Nick Duran each belted triples, and the Indians gave up just five hits, but Gatos took advantage of a couple of Fremont mistakes to jump out to an early lead.
A triple and a walk put Wildcats on the corners with one out in the first, but a wild pitch allowed the game's first run to score.
An inning later a dropped fly ball opened the door for a three-run Gatos rally, and the Indians were down 4-0 early.
Fremont picked up single runs in the third and sixth to get close, but couldn't pull out the victory.
Earlier in the week, the Indians rolled to the 8-3 win over Paly.
Fremont broke open a scoreless game with five runs in the third. The Indians added two more in the fourth and matched Paly's run in the sixth to take an 8-1 lead into the seventh. The Vikings could pick up just two, and Fremont had locked up the victory.
Brent McCann was the winning pitcher, running his record to 2-0 with the win.
Art Alegria and Danny Cerda slapped two hits apiece for the winners. Hoff tripled home a pair of runs and Duran belted a double.
Mustangs win two
Homestead, meanwhile, is off to a hot start in the El Camino Division of the SCVAL.
The Mustangs blanked Lynbrook 4-0 and topped Mountain View 4-2 last week to jump to 5-0 in division play and to 6-2 for the year.
Senior Bret Erickson ripped a home run and junior righthander Ben Amiwero flipped a four-hit shutout to lead Homestead to the win over the Vikings to open the week.
Erickson had a single to go with his homer as he led an eight-hit attack for the Mustangs. Senior third sacker Sal Kirmes belted a double in the win.
Amiwero went the distance to pick up the win, striking out nine along the way. He's now 3-0 for the year.
Juniors Mike Elias and Tony Plant combined for a six-hitter in the win over Mountain View to finish off the week. Elias earned the win, pushing his record to 2-0, and Plant nailed his second save of the season.
The Spartans took an early lead with a run in the second, but Homestead jumped in front with two in the fourth. The Mustangs picked up two more in the seventh, and that was more than enough to hold off the Spartans, despite their single run in the last of the seventh.
Homestead will host Saratoga in a key El Camino Division game on March 26, 3:30 p.m., before opening play in the Lions Tournament on March 30 against Terra Nova at Monta Vista.
Naivalu's a winner
Star hurdler Joe Naivalu of Fremont romped to an individual title at the Stanford Invitational last weekend, winning the 400 intermediate hurdles in 54.59.
Brierton tops Fremont
Chris Brierton came in with a low 42, but the Fremont golf team dropped a 193-262 decision to Wilcox at the Santa Clara Golf and Tennis Club.
Brierton was just eight over for the day. Mike Stahmer was two strokes back at 44 and Mike Benkoski finished at 49. Sean Blaschke shot a 61 for the Indians.
Fremont slipped to 0-2 in league competition with the loss.
Holan an All-American
Regina Holan has been selected to the Parade All-America girls' soccer team after a sensational senior season at Homestead.
Holan, who is headed to Portland State to play soccer next season, was named to the all-league first team in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League and was picked to the all-Central Coast Section second team.
Homestead senior Carrie Townsend also earned a spot on the all-league first team and senior Karyn Eynon was picked to the all-league second team in the De Anza Division.
Talented senior Dawnell Larsen of Fremont was picked the outstanding offensive player in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.
Seniors Cari Gonzales and Shannon Ryan joined Larsen on the all-league first team.
Watters leads Mustangs
Scott Watters won three times at No. 1 singles to lead the Homestead boys' tennis team to three victories in four matches last week.
Watters nailed a 6-3, 6-0 win at No. 1 singles in Homestead's 6-1 nonleague win over Bellarmine, and he won 6-1, 6-2 in a 7-0 victory over Santa Cruz in another nonleague match.
It was a 6-2, 6-0 win by Watters at No. 1 singles that sparked the Mustangs on the road to a De Anza Division victory over Saratoga.
The win streak for Watters and the Mustangs came to an end late last week when Homestead ran into powerful Palo Alto. The Vikings pulled out a 6-1 win to improve to 3-1 in the division and to 7-1 for the year. It was the first loss of the year for the Mustangs, who are also 3-0 in league and 7-1 for the year.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, March 27, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.