Photograph by George Sakkestad
Junior outfielder John Cunningham slides home with a run against Los Gatos. Fremont lost 7-5 to the Wildcats, but came back later in the week to upset first-place Wilcox 9-7.
By DICK SPARRER
Fremont split a couple of games in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League last week.
The loss was tough for the Indians... but the win was a great one.
Fremont opened the week by dropping a tight 7-5 nod to Los Gatos. But the Indians came back with an impressive come-from-behind upset win over Wilcox to all but erase any memory of that week-opening defeat.
It appeared that the Indians might suffer a second straight loss when they trailed powerful Wilcox 7-3 heading into the sixth inning.
The Chargers, ranked in the state's top 20 and unbeaten in league play, needed just six outs to record their ninth win of the De Anza Division season. But Fremont had other ideas.
Sophomore Bryan McCann doubled home Brent McCann, and Danny Cerda singled home another run to key a six-run rally in the sixth and lead the Indians to a 9-7 win over Wilcox.
Tom Jimenez doubled twice and Lamar Harvey had two hits to lead the eight-hit attack for the Indians. Cerda knocked in a couple of runs for the winners and Bry. McCann, Nick Duran and Nick DiQuisto each doubled.
The Chargers touched starter Brent McCann for a couple of runs in the first. Fremont got the two back in the top half of the second, but Wilcox picked up two more in the home half of the inning.
Wilcox scored three runs in the fourth to take a commanding 7-2 lead. But just when it appeared that the Chargers were on their way to a victory, the Indians started their comeback.
Fremont scored a single run in the fifth to make it 7-3, then added the six in the sixth to go ahead for good.
That's all Brent McCann needed. The righthander, who settled down to blank the Chargers over the final three frames, wrapped up the victory to run his season record to 4-2. McCann struck out nine in the win.
Fremont improved to 4-5 in the division with the win. The Indians are 7-6 for the year. Wilcox is now 8-1 in the division and 12-2 for the season.
Earlier in the week, the Indians dropped a tough 7-5 nod to Los Gatos.
Cerda and Art Alegria each doubled to spark a five-hit assault for the Indians, but it wasn't enough.
The Indians scored single runs in the first and fourth to jump out to a 2-0 lead, but Gatos stormed in front with five runs in the home half of the fourth. The Wildcats picked up single runs in the fifth and sixth, and that was enough to offset Fremont's three-run rally in the seventh.
Four errors proved costly to Fremont in the loss.
Mustangs split
Homestead also split a pair of games last week, but not in league play. The Mustangs are playing in the Cupertino Host Lions Tournament over spring break.
Homestead dropped a tight 7-4 decision to rival Monta Vista, but came back to outslug Live Oak 14-11.
It was a 12-run rally in the second that broke things open for Homestead against the Acorns.
Mitch Ignaitis doubled and singled twice to lead the 11-hit Homestead attack. Ignaitis also knocked in a pair of runs for the Mustangs.
Matt Hall singled and doubled to drive in two runs and Ben Amiwero also singled and doubled. Gabe Interiano drilled a pair of hits in the win and Sal Kirmes slapped a double. Steve Watts drove home three runs for the Mustangs and Jerell Taylor knocked in a pair.
Junior righthander Tony Plant was the winning pitcher for Homestead. Plant is now 2-0 for the year.
The Mustangs improved to 10-3 for the year with the win.
Earlier in the week, Homestead had dropped a 7-4 nod to rival Monta Vista.
Kayzell Milton singled and tripled for the Mustangs and Bret Erickson singled and doubled. Ignaitis slapped a couple of hits and Hall and Watts each tripled to round out the eight-hit attack for Homestead.
Amiwero was stuck with the mound loss.
Homestead returns to league play this week. The Mustangs visit Los Altos on April 9 and host Mountain View on April 11 in a couple of 3:30 p.m. El Camino Division games.
Naivalu leads Indians
Speed star Joe Naivalu won three events to lead the Fremont boys' track and field team to a 72-44 win over Wilcox in El Camino Division action.
Naivalu won the 100 in 10.93, the 330 intermediate hurdles in 39.07 and the 120 high hurdles in 14.06 to drive the Indians to the team win.
Fremont improved to 4-0 in the division and to 5-0 for the year with the victory. The Indians lost 67-59 to Wilcox in girls' competition.
Homestead girls fall
Mary Lucido and Jennifer Amundson each recorded a pair of individual victories, but the Homestead girls' track and field team dropped a 78-40 decision to Los Gatos in De Anza Division action.
Lucido, a freshman, romped to a win in the 1,600 meters in 5:42 and added a first in the 3,200 meters in 12:05. Amundson won the shot put at 26-1 and took the discus with a toss of 93-2.
Homestead fell to 0-5 with the loss.
Stahmer stars
Junior Mike Stahmer came through with solid back-to-back rounds, but the Fremont golf team dropped a pair of decisions last week.
Stahmer fired a nine-over par 44, but Fremont dropped a 225-266 nonleague decision to Oak Grove at the Sunnyvale Municipal Golf Course.
Mike Benkoski carded a 46 the same day and Sean Blaschke and Brendon Bartholomew each shot a 54.
Stahmer and Benkoski were each eight-over at 43 on the same Muni course, but the Indians lost 217-254 to Santa Clara in league play. Chris Brierton recorded a 46 and Blaschke shot a 57.
Fremont slipped to 0-7 in the El Camino Division and to 0-10 for the year with the loss.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, April 10, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.