 |
|
|
|
Photograph by Skye Dunlap
In The Mitt: Willow Glen senior catcher Hank Hager, taking a mighty cut in an early season game, helped the Rams to back-to-back wins over San Jose and Independence last week.
Rams knock off Independence
By Dick Sparrer
What a difference a year has made for the Willow Glen baseball team.
A year... and a different division.
The Rams, who just last year finished last in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League, are currently in first place in the West Valley Division of the BVAL. And they're already won more games in league play this season as they did all year in 1999.
Willow Glen improved to 5-0 in the division with back-to-back wins over San Jose Academy and Independence last week. Not bad for a club that posted a season record of 5-20 just a year ago.
The Rams whipped the Bulldogs 10-2, then came back to edge the 76ers 3-2 in the battle of the top two teams in the division race.
Willow Glen and Independence took matching 4-0 records into their game on Friday, and it was the Rams pulling out the a 3-2 victory with a single run in the sixth to snap a 2-2 tie.
Junior hurler Matt Durkin tossed six strong innings to get the mound win for the Rams against the Sixers. Durkin fanned 10 and walked just three in the game. Senior right-hander Greg Mansfield came on in the seventh to claim the save. The two pitchers combined for a six-hitter in the game.
Senior Will Rideau ripped two hits for the Rams in the game and junior Jared Jeffrey slapped a two-run single in the third.
Jeffrey's third-inning hit gave Durkin and the Rams the early 2-0 lead, but the Sixers tied it with single runs in the fourth and fifth.
Willow Glen broke the tie with the run in the top half of the sixth, and that's all Durkin and Mansfield needed to nail down the win. Durkin is now 3-0 in league play.
The Rams improved to 5-0 in the division and to 5-3 for the year with the victory. Independence slipped into second place at 4-1.
Willow Glen had opened the week with a 10-2 win over San Jose. The Rams broke open a tight 4-2 game with six runs in the fifth.
Junior Bobby Hobbs tossed five innings of four-hit baseball to get the pitching win. Hobbs, who ran his league record to 2-0 with the victory, struck out nine for the Rams.
David Macchi singled and doubled to drive in two runs for the Rams and Rideau and Josh Weaver had two hits apiece to knock in two runs each for Willow Glen.
Gabe Candelaria and Daniel Rice also had two hits each in the game as Willow Glen rapped out a double and 13 singles in the win.
The Rams jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first, but San Jose scored a run in the second. Willow Glen rallied for two more in the bottom of the third, but once again San Jose answered with a run in the top of the fourth.
The Rams, though, unloaded for six runs in the fifth, and the Bulldogs went scoreless over the last three frames.
The Rams, who were to visit Lick on Monday, face a Wednesday bye this week before heading to Yerba Buena on March 31, 3:30 p.m. The following Monday, April 3, Willow Glen visits Lincoln at 3:30 p.m.
|
|
|
|
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
