The Sunnyvale Sun

Sports

Marshall plays key role for Homestead

Christina Fukumoto wins a scholarship

By MIKE BARNHART

The Marshall Plan continues to work for coach Chuck Camuso and the Homestead baseball team.

Because of the continuous rains and quirks of the schedule, Camuso has been able to pitch sophomore ace Evan Marshall in each of the team's Santa Clara Valley Athletic League El Camino Division games, including a 7-2 win over Santa Clara on April 6.

Marshall allowed just one hit and struck out six in five scoreless innings. Senior Derek Hargis drove in three runs with a triple and single for the Mustangs, who broke open the game with four runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth.

Two days later at PAL Stadium, in the first round of the Cupertino Lions Tournament, Homestead improved its overall record to 8-4 with a 6-1 triumph over Lynbrook. Marshall had three of the Mustangs' 12 hits in support of winning pitcher Kevin Labadie. In other Lions openers, Monta Vista beat Cupertino 8-7 and Archbishop Mitty spanked Prospect 11-2.

Homestead's tourney schedule included Mitty on April 10, before a match-up with Prospect under the PAL Stadium lights April 12 at 7 p.m. El Camino play resumes on April 17 with a home game against Saratoga.

Fremont started play in the Peninsula Easter Classic with a 3-1 loss to Carlmont on April 8. Senior Justin Cecil drove in the Firebirds' only run with a fifth-inning double.

Two days earlier, Fremont walloped Lynbrook 11-2 behind the pitching of Kevin Brahney and the hitting of Rob Ramer. Brahney allowed just three hits, while whiffing 17 Lynbrook batters. Ramer banged out four hits and scored three runs.

Mustangs surprise Mats

Led by Lauren Gniadek's hot bat and the combined pitching of sisters Melanie and Becca Gularte, Homestead's softball team stunned Monta Vista 7-2 in an SCVAL De Anza Division game on April 5.

Gniadek was 4 for 4 for the Mustangs, including two doubles and a triple. She also scored three runs.

Courtney Gosnell had two hits and an RBI for Homestead, and teammates Jessica Allemandi and Nishimoto also drove in runs against Monta Vista pitching ace Jessica Iwasaki. B. Gularte, Gosnell, Nicole Cefalu and Lindsey Chase all scored runs for the Mustangs.

Starting pitcher M. Gularte, a senior, worked the first four innings, allowing just three hits and three walks. B. Gularte pitched the final three frames, surrendering just an unearned run in the seventh.

The win improved the Mustangs' division record to 3-1 and moved them into a share of first place with Monta Vista. Homestead raised its overall mark to 7-6 by winning two of three games at the Mission City Tournament April 8 at Mission College.

After a tough 3-1 loss to Santa Teresa, the Mustangs bounced back with a pair of shutout victories, 1-0 over Fremont and 5-0 over Independence.

Becca Gularte drove in Genevieve Fernandez with the game's only run in the top of the fifth against Fremont. B. Gularte earned the pitching decision, getting some last-inning relief help from older sister Melanie to close out the Firebirds.

M. Gularte pitched a six-inning 2-hitter against Independence. Meanwhile, Mustangs Cefalu, Gosnell and Maddy McKenna all had two hits, and Jessica Allemandi and Kelly Verstegen both had RBI hits.

Volleyball team is tops

Paced by Ryan Dedrick's 12 kills, Homestead ran its SCVAL boys volleyball record to 8-0 by beating Fremont. The Mustangs improved to 18-4 overall with a 25-17, 25-16, 25-17 victory over the visiting Firebirds on April 6.

Mark Pariaszevski, who led Fremont (3-5) with nine kills at Homestead, had eight two nights earlier during a 25-19, 25-23, 25-21 win over Wilcox. Meanwhile, Weston Buckner's eight kills helped Homestead beat Mountain View, 25-12, 25-17, 25-17.

Fukumoto wins award

Christina Fukumoto of Homestead, an outstanding setter on Homestead's girls volleyball team last fall, is one of six high school seniors chosen to receive a $3,000 scholarship from the Bay Area All-Star Scholarship Team, a collaborative effort by the Oakland Athletics, San Jose Sharks, Golden State Warriors, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers and San Francisco Giants.

Fukomoto, who also played varsity basketball, track and field and softball, was honored with the other awards winners on April 9 during the Sharks-Dallas Stars game at HP Pavilion.

The Oakland A's will recognize the scholarship winners at McAfee Coliseum on July 7, prior to a game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The six winners were selected from high schools within nine Bay Area counties, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma. Public high schools nominated candidates who have at least a 3.0 grade point average, display leadership qualities in the classroom and/or inspirational qualities on the athletic field, and demonstrate the value of education, good work ethic and community outreach.