Little Pitchers Have Big Years: Willow Glen's Matt Durkin tossed the Rams to an 11-1 victory over Lincoln for his second mound win of the year.
Photograph by Skye Dunlap
Willow Glen a big hit in league
Baseball team off to a hot 3-0 start
By Dick Sparrer
See the ball, hit the ball.
It's a very basic key to success in the game of baseball.
At least, it is for the Willow Glen baseball team this spring. Because head coach Gary Rose figures that if his Rams can hit the ball, they can win some games this season in the West Valley Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.
So far, his theory has worked to perfection.
The Rams have banged out 35 hits in three games and are off to a 3-0 start in the West Valley race.
"We feel we can hit the ball, [and] our pitchers--Bob Hobbs and Matt Durkin--can control the defensive tempo," said Rose as he looked ahead to the league season.
And to this point, that's just what's happening for the Rams.
The Rams ripped 14 hits and Durkin flipped four shutout innings in an 8-1 win over Yerba Buena to open the league season.
Willow Glen came back with 11 hits and Durkin held down Lincoln to spark the Rams to an 11-1 win over Lincoln.
And the Rams cracked 10 hits and Hobbs tossed a four-hitter in an 8-0 victory over Andrew Hill.
"We have a real positive group of young players with potential," said an optimistic Rose. "We would like to avoid injury and play within our ability."
The Rams are fighting back from a 5-20 season in 1999. They posted a 3-15 record in the Santa Teresa Division, and dropped to the West Valley Division for the 2000 year.
They started this season with three straight nonleague losses, but the Rams have battled back with three wins to open the league campaign.
Junior outfielder Gabe Candelaria and senior David Macchi flexed their muscles to help the Rams to back-to-back wins last week.
Candelaria crushed a grand slam in Willow Glen's 11-1 win over the Lions on Wednesday. Macchi singled and doubled in the win and Candelaria, Daniel Rice and Will Rideau each had two hits.
Durkin held the Lions to just five hits in the game that ended in five innings on the 10-run rule.
Macchi blasted a home run and also singled to drive in four runs in Willow Glen's 8-0 win over Hill to wrap up the week.
Candelaria singled and doubled for the Rams and Alvin Rideau and Hank Hager added two hits apiece. Pete Watts drove in two runs in the win, and Hobbs tossed a four-hit shutout.
Durkin fanned eight in four innings to lead the Rams to an 8-1 win over Yerba Buena to open the league season.
Rice doubled and singled twice to knock in two runs for the Rams in the win, and Macchi, A. Rideau and Jared Jeffrey each singled and doubled. Candelaria and Hager had two hits apiece in the 14-hit assault, and Vidal Cibrian doubled.
The Rams will be home for a 3:30 p.m. game on March 22 against San Jose before heading to Independence on March 24 and James Lick on March 27.
Netters win two
Ray Jackman and Loc Nguyen won three times in singles play last week to lead the Willow Glen boys tennis team to wins over Lincoln, Prospect and Silver Creek in the Santa Teresa Division of the BVAL.
Jackman won 6-2, 6-1 at No. 3 singles and Nguyen won 6-3, 6-3 at No. 4 to pace the Rams to a tight 4-3 win over the Panthers.
Minh Phan and Chris Lyons teamed for a 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 1 doubles and Eric Bursch and Huy Nguyen won 6-4, 7-5 at No. 2 doubles to help the Rams clinch the victory.
Nick Burggraff started the Rams on the road to the 5-2 win over Lincoln earlier in the week with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 triumph at No. 1 singles. Jackman pulled out an 0-6, 6-3, 6-4 win at No. 2 singles and L. Nguyen won 6-4, 6-2 at No. 4.
Bursch teamed with H. Nguyen for a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 win at No. 2 doubles and Alex Kane and Mike Nugyen won 7-5, 6-4 at No. 3 doubles.
The Rams capped the week with a 4-3 win over Silver Creek. Cyrus Yazdani won 6-4, 7-6 (7-1) at No. 1 singles, Jackman won 6-4, 7-6 (7-1) at No. 2 and L. Nguyen won 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 at No. 3. Kane and M. Nguyen combined for a 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 3 doubles.
Willow Glen, now 5-1 for the year and 4-1 in the division, will host Santa Teresa on March 21, 3:15 p.m., before facing a Thursday bye.
Beahm leads Rams
Guy Beahm was a real killer for the Willow Glen boys volleyball team when the Rams battled Saratoga and Fremont in a pair of nonleague matches last week.
Beahm came through with 17 kills to lead the Rams to a 15-4, 12-15, 15-1, 15-11 win over the Falcons. He also had 17 kills in a 16-14, 14-16, 15-9, 15-10 win over the Firebirds.
The Rams are now 5-0 in 2000.
Staton stars
Matt Staton came through with a pair of strong rounds to pace the Willow Glen golf team to back-to-back wins over Leigh last week in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the BVAL.
Staton carded a four-over par 39 at the Santa Teresa Golf Course to lead the Rams to a tight 221-222 win over the Longhorns.
Staton came back later in the week with a solid 42 on the par-36 Cinnebar Hills course to lead Willow Glen to a 214-249 win over Leigh.
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
