The Cupertino Courier

Sports

Mustangs top Lancers, then fall out of playoffs

By Mike Barnhart

Homestead's baseball team--especially with junior Evan Marshall on the mound--has been a force not easily reckoned with this spring.

St. Francis, despite a last-inning comeback attempt, learned firsthand last week about the tough-to-beat Mustangs during the first round of the Central Coast Section Division I tournament.

Homestead weathered a strange, game-tying rally by the Lancers in the top of the seventh, then the Mustangs did something they had not done since 1992--they won a first-round game in the CCS playoffs, 5-4 in front of a boisterous crowd of about 500 pressing against the fences of Homestead's diamond.

"It was a great game with a great atmosphere," applauded coach Chuck Camuso, after senior Erik Taubman's bloop single chased home junior Greg Kamradt with the decisive run.

For the first time since a 2-1 triumph over Live Oak in 1992, a Homestead team won in the first round of the CCS tournament. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, just as in 1992, they bowed out in the quarterfinals.

Homestead's outstanding 2007 season ended late last Saturday night at San Jose's PAL Stadium. Valley Christian, the top seed in the 16-team affair, ousted the Mustangs 14-4 in a game called after six innings.

But what a season it was! The Mustangs captured the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League's El Camino Division championship and won 21 games, while losing just nine.

"It was our best team in several years," Camuso said. "The kids worked hard and played well together."

Homestead also had a force on the mound in Marshall, a third-year varsity player who finished the season with a 10-3 record. He was at his best in the first half of the St. Francis game, retiring 12 of the first 13 batters he faced. Meanwhile, the Mustangs gained a 2-0 lead with unearned runs in the second and third.

St. Francis finally threatened Marshall and the Mustangs in the top of the fifth, with a single and two walks. The Lancers scored their first run, while three Homestead seniors turned an infield grounder into a double play. Shortstop Alex Jones flipped to second baseman Kevin Labadie at the bag for a force out at second base. Labadie threw on to Andrew Pardo for the second out, as a Lancer hustled across the plate.

With a runner at third and two outs, Marshall delivered a wild pitch that allowed the Lancers to tie, 2-2.

Homestead responded quickly in the last of the fifth. Taubman started the rally with one of his three hits, and Marshall walked. Jones belted a two-run triple that gave Homestead another two-run lead, 4-2.

After a scoreless sixth, St. Francis' comeback began harmlessly with a weird infield pop-up that landed untouched for a base hit. Then, on back-to-back plays, there were throwing errors made on the infield, allowing the Lancers to tie again, 4-4.

Taubman prevented more damage by snagging the third out with a diving catch of John Austin's rip into center field.

"It was a super catch, sliding on his side," Camuso recalled. "The batter really had roped the ball, and if Erik would not have made that catch, they would have taken the lead."

Instead, though, the stage was set for the Mustangs to claim their first CCS win in 15 years.

Kamradt, pinch-hitting for senior Ben Lewis, led off with a walk. Brian Labadie, who earlier had singled twice and scored a run, was safe when the Lancers made an error on his sacrifice bunt attempt. Kamradt, who had moved to second on the bunt, advanced to third on a wild pitch and then easily scored on Taubman's third hit of the day.

"The place just went nuts," Camuso said. "The kids were very excited about moving on in the playoffs."

Marshall allowed six hits in the game, while striking out six batters and walking three.

Mats, Vikings fall

After getting past Wilcox 8-6 in a first-round game on May 16, the Monta Vista softball team lost a tough 2-1 decision to No. 2 San Benito (30-3). The Matadors finished the season with a 19-9-1 record.

Although San Benito pitcher Marissa Ibarra retired the first 12 batters she faced and finished with 12 strikeouts, Monta Vista hung tough and finally broke through in the top of the sixth to tie the game 1-1. Jessie Barry singled, stole second and scored on Ashley Vernazza's base hit.

Monta Vista pitcher Kelly Martino, who struck out six batters, retired the first batter in the last of the sixth, then gave up what looked like a single to the outfield. But the ball got through all the way to the fence and the batter raced all the way around for the go-ahead run.

Meanwhile, Lynbrook scored just one run in its game against Gilroy and bowed out, 5-1. The Vikings finished the season with an 18-4 record.