 |
|
|
|
Photograph by Kathy De La Torri
Fremont's Tyler Duran slides home with a run in last week's 10-7 win over Live Oak in the first round of the CCS playoffs. But the Firebirds lost 5-4 to Serra last Saturday to face elimination.
Firebirds fall in CCS quarterfinals
By Dick Sparrer
The Fremont baseball team entered the Central Coast Section Division I playoffs with high expectations.
After all, the Firebirds were seeded No. 6 after posting a 20-9 regular season record, and they had rolled to the championship in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League with a 17-1 record.
But those expectations were dashed last Saturday evening at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara when the Firebirds dropped a 5-4 heartbreaker to Serra to see their season come to an end.
Serra, a 10-0 first-round winner over Milpitas, ran its record to 22-10 with the Saturday win over the Firebirds, and the Padres will prepare for the CCS semifinals.
Fremont, meanwhile, is finished for the season. But it was a rather impressive season while it lasted.
The Firebirds secured an automatic CCS berth by finishing first in the tough El Camino Division, and they opened the section playoffs with a solid 10-7 win over Live Oak.
Pitching ace Troy Tulowitzski ran his record to 11-0 for the year with a victory over the Acorns in the first round of the tourney.
The Firebirds backed him up with just six hits, but they put them together to rally for 10 runs and the win.
Brandon Klein blasted a home run for the 'Birds, and Pat Burgess ripped a pair of singles. Both sluggers drove in two runs for Fremont.
Kyle Severns doubled home three runs in the win and Delainy Durgin doubled home a pair. Tulowitzski also doubled for Fremont in the win.
Fremont picked up two runs in the first, but Live Oak scored a run in the second and added a big five-run rally in the third to lead 6-2.
But the Firebirds wouldn't quit. Fremont added a run in the bottom of the third, then rallied for four in the fourth to take a 7-6 lead.
After the Acorns tied it with a run in the top of the sixth, Fremont won it with three in the bottom of the frame.
Fremont made a valiant run at Serra on Saturday, but the Firebirds came up a run short.
The Padres opened up a 5-0 lead with two in the first, two in the third and one in the fourth, but Fremont came storming back with three runs in the fifth and one in the sixth. The Firebirds came up a run short, though.
Klein ripped his second playoff homer with a three-run shot in the fifth. Tulowitzski and Burgess each singled and doubled.
The loss left Fremont 21-10 for the year.
Tulowitzski starred all season long for the Firebirds, along with Klein, Severns and Burgess. Rounding out the Fremont squad were Durgin, Felix Tabarez, Laniel Harvey, Javier Eredia, Vince Klumper, Scott Brown, Kris Dunwoody, Ron Cerda, Tyler Duran, Brett Bonetti, Nick Pullano, Daniel Guevara and Brandon Takalski.
Loss for Mustangs
In the first round of the CCS Division I girls softball tournament, Homestead was blanked 4-0 by Wilcox.
Sophomore hurler Karen Purdy tossed an eight-hitter, but the Chargers broke the game open with a three-run rally in the sixth. Homestead took a slim 1-0 lead into the last of the sixth.
Junior outfielder Julie Colvin led a three-hit Homestead attack with a pair of singles.
Homestead finished the year 12-8-1. The Mustangs had finished second to Lynbrook in the El Camino Division with a 10-2 record, their only two league losses coming against the Vikings.
Along with Purdy and Colvin, members of the Homestead club included Andrea Watson, Laura Currier, Ashley Walters, Kelly Spencer, Danielle Bailey, Brandi Tomasovitch, Paula Kane, Johanna Harris, Amelia Alexander and Ashley Suth.
King's falls
In CCS Division III, the King's Academy lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to Hillsdale in the first round of the tournament. The loss left King's 20-6 for the year.
Senior Kathryn Neufeld was the star pitcher all season for the Knights. Rounding out the squad were Jolynn Boice, Katie Henderson, Lindsay Threewitt, Carissa Threewitt, Amy Lau, Cecily Gordon, Rachel Linn, Annie Favero, Angela Guidi and Dani Luna.
|
|
|
|
Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
