Photograph by Skye Dunlap
Right on, Rideau: Willow Glen's Alvin Rideau races home with a run in Wednesday's crucial 8-4 win over Independence. The Rams came back with a 7-2 come-from-behind win over Lick on Friday to clinch a tie for a league championship.
Rams clinch tie for baseball title
Willow Glen's Staton advances in the CCS golf tourney
By Dick Sparrer
It was a pretty tense time for the Willow Glen baseball team.
The Rams had come up with a crucial 8-4 win over Independence last Wednesday to move into a first-place tie with the 76ers in the West Valley Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League. But they needed a win over fourth-place James Lick on Friday to hold onto that share of first.
So when Willow Glen trailed the Comets 2-1 heading into the sixth inning, it was definitely a tense time for the Rams. They had just six outs remaining to pull out the win, the championship and a trip to the Central Coast Section playoffs.
And the Rams certainly made the most of those six outs.
Willow Glen took the lead with two runs in the sixth, then clinched the win with four more in the seventh to pull out a 7-2 victory over the Comets.
The win left the Rams 14-4 in the division and tied for first place with Independence, a 11-2 winner over Lincoln on Friday.
Willow Glen earned a trip to CCS with its showing. The Rams, 19-7 for the year, will visit No. 1 seed Wilcox (22-5) in the first round of the CCS EDivision II playoffs on May 18, 3 p.m. The winner faces the San Mateo (17-7)-Prospect (15-8) winner on May 20, 7 p.m., at Washington Park in Santa Clara.
Willow Glen needed two wins last week to tie for the title and advance to CCS. The first came in impressive fashion with the 8-4 win over the Sixers. The second was a nailbiter.
Lick took the lead Friday with two runs in the second, and held that 2-0 until the fifth. Willow Glen picked up a run in the fifth, then added the two key runs in the sixth to take the lead.
Pete Watts doubled home a couple of big runs for the Rams in the win over the Comets, and Josh Weaver singled and doubled. Jared Jeffrey had two hits and Gabe Candelaria tripled.
Matt Durkin went the distance to toss a three-hitter for the win, blanking Lick over the final five frames. Durkin, who struck out nine for the Rams, pushed his mound record to 8-2 with the win.
Watts had two hits to knock in three runs for the Rams in the win over Independence to open the week. Bob Hobbs tossed a complete game for Willow Glen, scattering eight hits. Hobbs is also 8-2 for WG.
David Macchi, Will Rideau and Alvin Rideau belted two hits each for Willow Glen and Jeffrey ripped a triple.
Staton advances
Willow Glen senior Matt Staton fired a one-over par 72 at the Rancho Cañada East Course in the CCS regional golf tournament to qualify for the CCS finals on May 18.
Staton had qualified for CCS along with teammates Mike Puthoff and Brian McMinn. The three were leaders on the Willow Glen squad that posted an 8-5 record this spring.
"Matt will be an asset to any Division I golf program," said WG coach Tom Myers, assessing Staton's potential at the collegiate level.
Puthoff, a junior, and McMinn, a freshman, will be top returners for the Rams next season along with John Cabral, Will Housmon, Ryan Radjabi and Nick Kawar.
Lyons, Pham third
The doubles team of Chris Lyons and Minh Phan finished third overall at the Santa Teresa Division tennis finals last week.
The two juniors lost in the semifinals to a team from Santa Teresa, but they came back to beat a Silver Creek twosome in the third-place match.
Rams, Panthers lose
The Willow Glen and Presentation girls softball teams both lost league decisions last week.
The Rams dropped a 15-2 nod to Pioneer in the Santa Teresa Division. Junior Maria Gonzales and freshman Janelle Calderon had two hits apiece for Willow Glen.
The Rams slipped to 2-12 in the division and to 7-17 for the year with the loss.
Presentation, meanwhile, fell 4-1 to Oak Grove in the Mt. Hamilton Division despite getting a five-hitter from pitcher Jana Arde. Shannon Linerud and Stacey Gremer had two hits each for the Panthers.
Despite the loss, the Panthers still advance to the CCS playoffs. Presentation, 23-12 for the year, will take on Soquel (16-13) on May 18, 5 p.m., at PAL Stadium. The winner visits Notre Dame-Belmont (16-6) on May 20, 2 p.m., at Hawes Park.
Rams fall
An outstanding 2000 season came to an end in the first round of the CCS playoffs for the Willow Glen boys volleyball team. The Rams dropped a tough match in five games to powerful Serra.
The Rams lost a heartbreaker 12-15, 15-13, 13-15, 15-7, 15-10 to the Padres to fall out of the playoffs. Serra lost three straight to Mt. Madonna a match later.
Guy Beahm and Richard Stayskal starred for the Rams this spring as Willow Glen rolled to a 20-7 season.
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
