The Sun
      Sunnyvale's Newspaper

      Photograph by Robert Scheer

      Fremont's Lonnie Castro is safe at third on this play. Castro doubled to lead the Firebirds to a 5-2 upset win over Los Gatos last week.

      Win is 'pitcher' perfect

      Homestead can't touch Gunderson

      By DICK SPARRER

      Gunderson is a school over in the Blossom Valley Athletic League.

      But in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, Gunderson is a softball player who is schooling the rest of the teams in the De Anza Division.

      Annie Gunderson is a star pitcher for the Cupertino Pioneers, and last week she was holding class for Homestead in a division softball game.

      Gunderson taught the Mustangs a lesson when she tossed a perfect game for the Pioneers in a 5-0 Cupertino victory.

      The talented Cupertino senior mowed down 21 straight Mustangs, 13 on strikeouts, to record her perfecto. It was her fifth no-hitter of the 1997 season.

      Karen Adkins and Sarah Higgins-Putz ripped two hits apiece to lead the Cupertino eight-hit attack in the win. The Pioneers scored two runs in the fourth and three more in the seventh to give Gunderson all the support she needed.

      The Pioneers, 6-2 in the division and 17-7 for the year, had opened the week by dropping a tough 4-1 decision to unbeaten St. Francis. The Lancers improved to 6-0-1 in division play with the win.

      Gina Paradiso slapped a double to key the three-hit assault for the Pioneers.

      Mustangs win two

      Homestead had posted back-to-back wins over Mountain View and Los Altos before falling to Gunderson and the Pioneers.

      Home runs by Nicole Byroads and Shawnti Bortoli were all Homestead needed to post a thrilling 2-1 win over Mountain View.

      Bortoli, a freshman, homered in the second to give the Mustangs a 1-0 lead, but the Spartans tied it with a run in the fifth. Byroads snapped the tie with a four-bagger in the sixth, and she put down the Spartans in the seventh to nail the victory.

      Byroads went the distance to toss an eight-hitter for the win, striking out three and walking just three.

      Julie Speckles and Angela Diffenderfer belted two hits apiece for the Mustangs in the win.

      Byroads came back to toss a one-hitter in Homestead's 9-1 win over Los Altos. She struck out nine and walked three in the game.

      The Mustangs broke the game open with six runs in the third inning. Run-scoring singles by Bortoli and Caryn Liniak keyed the six-run rally for Homestead.

      The Mustangs added a run in the fourth, then picked up some insurance in the sixth when two runs scored after Erin Skitt's fly ball was misplayed.

      Bortoli had two hits to drive in two runs in the win.

      The win evened Homestead's record at 3-3, but that was before the loss to the Pioneers.

      Still, the Mustangs have been competitive despite losing star pitcher Natalie Corral and starting center fielder Leann Cook to broken fingers on their throwing hands.

      The Mustangs, who were to visit Wilcox on Monday, will head to Fremont on April 30 and will visit St. Francis on May 2 for a pair of 4 p.m. games.

      Fremont splits

      The Fremont girls are 1-6 in division play after splitting a pair of games last week.

      The Firebirds, 7-13 for the year, upset Los Gatos 5-2 before losing 2-0 to first-place St. Francis.

      Fremont battled from behind to beat Gatos in the first game of the week.

      The Wildcats scored two runs in the first to take the early lead, but Fremont scored two in the fourth to tie it, then broke the 2-2 tie with a three-run rally in the seventh.

      That's all starter Sheila Hess needed to nail the win. She blanked the Cats in the seventh to complete a five-hitter for the victory. She pushed her season pitching record to 4-8.

      Lonnie Castro doubled to lead a six-hit attack for the Firebirds.

      Cortney Canter had two hits and Castro ripped another double, but the Lady Birds dropped a tough 2-0 nod to the Lancers.

      Hess was tagged with the tough loss, despite blanking the Lancers over the first four frames.

      The clubs were locked in a scoreless tie through four and a half innings before St. Francis picked up two runs in the last of the fifth.

      'Birds top Mustangs

      The Duran brothers, Nick and Gabe, joined forces to lead the Fremont baseball team to a thrilling 9-7 win over Homestead in De Anza Division play last week.

      Gabe Duran blasted a home run, and Nick Duran was the winning pitcher in Fremont's come-from-behind win over the Mustangs.

      G. Duran actually singled and homered to drive in three runs in the win, and N. Duran singled and doubled in addition to picking up the mound win. He is now 5-2 for the year.

      Art Alegria doubled twice to plate a pair of runs in the Fremont victory, and Bryan McCann and Chris Hoff each doubled.

      Fremont, 6-6 in the division and 8-10 for the year, led 2-0 in the second, but Homestead rallied for five runs in the home of the second to take a 5-2 lead.

      The Mustangs added single runs in the third and fourth to move out to a 7-2 advantage.

      Fremont cut the lead to 7-5 with three runs in the sixth, then the Firebirds jumped in front with a clutch four-run rally in the seventh.

      Steve Goldberg and Steve Papoulias ripped two hits each for the Mustangs, and Aaron Hall doubled.

      The Mustangs, 5-6 in division play, lost 6-1 to Milpitas later in the week despite a pair of doubles by shortstop Andy Myers.

      Firebirds fall

      The Fremont boys' volleyball team dropped a 15-6, 15-4, 15-6 decision to powerful Los Gatos last week. The loss left the 'Birds 3-2 in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League and in a three-way tie for second in the division with Pioneer and Valley Christian.

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      This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, April 30, 1997.
      ©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.