The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Plant nails win and save

Mustangs pull out win over Firebirds

By Dick Sparrer

Tony Plant sure couldn't complain about lack of pitching time for the Homestead baseball team last week.

The senior right-hander saw enough mound action in two games to pick up a win and a save for the Mustangs, helping them even their record at 4-4 in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.

Plant came on to get the save in Homestead's 7-4 win over Palo Alto to open the week, and he came back to get the win in the Mustangs' 9-2 victory over Fremont a few days later.

The loss for the Firebirds came just two days after Fremont had upset unbeaten Wilcox 8-5. The Chargers were 6-0 in the division and 8-0-1 for the year heading into the game, but Fremont tagged them with their first loss of the season.

Still, the excitement was short-lived, thanks to the efforts of Plant and the Mustangs.

Fremont could manage just five hits as Plant and the Mustangs coasted to the 9-2 win. Plant evened his mound record at 2-2 with the win, and Homestead improved to 5-5-1 for the season.

Kenny Milton doubled twice and homered to drive in four runs and lead the Homestead offensive assault in the win over the Firebirds.

Andy Myers singled twice and tripled to knock in two runs for the Mustangs, and Robbie Garcia had three hits. Manny Rosario and Scott Mullins cracked two hits apiece in the win. Aaron Hall tripled, and Eric Wilson ripped a double.

Gabe Duran ripped a double to lead the five-hit effort for the Firebirds in the loss.

Fremont staked Plant to a 2-0 lead in the top half of the first, and that was all the big right-hander really needed. He blanked the Firebirds over the first six frames on the way to the win.

The Mustangs picked up a run in the third, two in the fourth, three in the fifth and one in the sixth, though, to win easily.

Winning wasn't quite as easy earlier in the week. Homestead led just 5-4 heading into the last of the fifth, but picked up single runs in the fifth and sixth to clinch the victory.

Peter Park was the winning pitcher for the Mustangs, and Plant came on late to get the save.

Myers tripled and singled twice to drive in two runs for Homestead in the win. Adam Miliken added two hits in the 11-hit attack.

Fremont upsets Wilcox

Duran was a leader for the Firebirds earlier in the week, helping Fremont to a big win over Wilcox.

Duran picked up the mound win and belted a pair of hits to lead the Firebirds to the 8-5 upset win over Wilcox.

Duran was the winning pitcher, pushing his mound record to 2-0, but he needed a little relief help from Tony Carrillo, who came on to claim his fourth save of the year.

Bryan McCann doubled and singled twice to lead a 14-hit assault for the Firebirds. Manuel Hernandez singled and doubled to drive in three runs in the win, and Scott Armer singled and doubled.

Johny Tona ripped a pair of hits for Fremont, Chris Hoff doubled home a couple of runs and Ray Loya ripped a two-base hit.

Fremont jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a couple of runs in the second, then appeared to take control of the game with four more runs in the third.

But Wilcox fought right back with four of its own in the home half of the fourth, and it was a 6-4 ballgame.

Fremont, though, answered with two runs in the fifth, and the Chargers could only pick up one more run.

Knights win

King's Academy pulled out an 8-4 win over Fremont Christian in a nonleague game last week. Hank Spates drilled a couple of hits and Matt Meng drove in a pair of runs in the win that helped the Knights improve to 2-5 for the year.

Cook rips HR

Leann Cook ripped a home run and Natalie Corral was the winning pitcher for the Homestead girls' softball team in a tight 6-5 league win over Palo Alto last week.

Homestead broke open a 3-3 tie with three runs in the home half of the fifth, then held on for a 6-5 win over Paly in the De Anza Division of the SCVAL.

Cook homered and singled to lead the Mustangs to the win. Corral was the winning pitcher and also had three hits to drive in two runs for Homestead.

Shawnti Bortoli singled twice to knock in a pair of runs for the Mustangs, and Kacie Huguenin added two hits in the win.

In other local girls' softball action last week, King's Academy turned back Gunn 5-1 in a nonleague game.

Freshman Katheryn Neufeld went the distance to toss a three-hitter, striking out seven along the way. Neufeld is now 9-0 for the year.

Senior catcher Rebekah Atwell doubled and tripled to drive in two runs for the Knights, and Pam Gordon tripled and homered in the win.

The Knights, who had opened the week with a 4-1 loss to Sacred Heart Prep, improved to 12-4 for the year with the victory.

Golfers fall

Matt Cytron fired a 45, and R.J. Beck was close behind with a 46, but the Fremont golf team dropped a 208-239 decision to Mountain View last week at the Sunnyvale Municipal Golf Course.

The loss left the Firebirds 0-7 in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.

Fremont had lost 209-270 to Los Altos earlier in the week. Cytron led the Firebirds with a 48 at Shoreline.

Cytron had carded a four-over par 39, but the Firebirds lost a 192-245 decision to Palo Alto at Sunnyvale Muni last week.

Volleyball wins

Homestead pulled out an exciting four-game win over St. Francis in boys' vollyeball action in the West Catholic Athletic League last week. The Mustangs turned back the Lancers 15-10, 15-11, 12-15, 15-12 to improve to 3-2 in league play and to 12-4 for the year.

The Fremont boys' volleyball team, meanwhile, went four games to knock off Valley Christian in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League. The Firebirds whipped the Warriors 15-13, 15-11, 2-15, 15-7.

But Fremont lost 15-8, 15-8, 15-2 to Los Gatos earlier in the week. The Firebirds are now 3-1 in league and 4-3 for the year.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, April 1, 1998.
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