But Willow Glen coach Brad Sanfilippo and his Rams had played a little April Fools' joke on the Chargers a day earlier with a 5-4 upset victory on March 31 at Leland. And it was junior slugger Chris Hobbs who had the last laugh.

Hobbs blasted a grand slam to key a five-run rally in the fifth inning, leading the Rams to the impressive win.

The Chargers had entered the game leading the pack in the division with a 6-1 record. The Rams were struggling with just two wins in seven games.

And when Leland opened up a 3-0 lead with two runs in the first and one in the fourth, the Chargers seemed to be in control. But things unraveled in a hurry for Leland in the fifth.

Hobbs stepped to the plate with the bags packed in the inning, and he unloaded with a slammer.

By the time the dust had cleared Willow Glen had handed pitcher Justin Johnson a 5-3 lead, and, with a little relief help from Doug Dionne, he was able to nail down the win, evening his mound record at 1-1. Dionne picked up his first save of the season.

Johnson and Steve Rebagliatti ripped two hits apiece for the Rams in the win.

Willow Glen couldn't maintain its momentum, though. The Rams lost 4-0 to Santa Teresa two days later to slip to 3-5-1 in the division and to 4-9-1 for the year.

Hobbs singled and doubled to lead a four-hit attack for the Rams.

The Saints scored a run in the first, and it remained 1-0 until they added three more runs in the sixth.

Willow Glen will try to return to its winning ways this week. The Rams visit Leigh on April 9 and host Prospect on April 11 in a pair of 3:30 p.m. games.


Softball win, loss

The Willow Glen girls softball team split a pair of games last week. The Rams pulled out a 2-1 victory over Independence but were blanked 6-0 by Branham.

Sophomore hurler Lindsay Beebe scattered seven hits to lead the Rams past the 76ers. The Sixers scored a run in the first, but Beebe shut them out the rest of the way. The Rams tied it with a run in the fourth and won it with a run in the sixth.

The Rams slipped to 3-1 in league play and to 11-5 for the year after the 6-0 loss to the Bruins. Jamie Andrews tripled for Willow Glen.

The Rams will be back on the field for two 3:30 p.m. games this week, heading to Del Mar on April 9 and hosting Piedmont Hills on April 11.


Rams net wins

The Willow Glen badminton team won two more matches last week to improve to 8-0 in the West Valley Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.

The Rams opened the week with a hard-fought 8-7 win over James Lick in East San Jose.

"It was our toughest league competition yet," said Willow Glen coach Nancy Williams. "We trailed the entire match and won the last three to clinch the victory."

Chris Woo and Vy Ta helped secure the team win with a "super-close mixed third doubles" victory, said Williams.

The Rams came back to blank Leigh 15-0. Senior Nancy Huyen Vu won 15-2, 15-2 in the girls No. 1 singles spot, and senior Tue Tran won 15-10, 11-15, 15-2 in the boys No. 1 singles match.


Volleyball split

Frank Sarinana hammered home 20 kills to lead the Willow Glen boys volleyball team to a 15-8, 15-4, 11-15, 15-9 win over Prospect last week.

But the Rams lost 15-3, 15-10, 16-14 to Oak Grove later in the week to slip to 3-1 in the Mt. Hamilton Division and to 10-7 for the year.