By Zack Farmer

http://www.sanfranpreps.com/2012/05/16/baseball-washington-completes-transbay-sweep-with-victory-over-oakland-tech/

The Washington High School baseball team found itself in the same position this time last season.

It had won the opener of the Transbay Series against Oakland Tech and went into the second game with a chance to claim its first inter-section title since 2006.

The Eagles failed to get the job done a year ago, but did not let the opportunity slip away again.

Behind a strong performance from junior Christopher Hau on the mound and at the plate, Washington was able to avenge its 2011 Transbay loss by scoring four runs in the first inning and three more in the fourth to beat Oakland Tech 7-4 on Tuesday at San Francisco State University, sweeping the best-of-three series.

Washington junior Christopher Hau sets to send a pitch toward the plate against Oakland Tech on Tuesday at San Francisco State University. (Photo by Willie Eashman)

“We talked about our approach,” said Washington head coach Rob Fung. “We have quite a few seniors on this team and they had a taste of it [last year]. We had a better approach coming into this series.”

Washington (23-9) got going offensively when Dane Vande Guchte took off for third base on a steal attempt and saw a throw from Oakland Tech catcher Evan Williams sail into left field, allowing Vande Guchte to score and tie the game up at 1-1.

Run-scoring singles from Christopher Yee and Gio Solorzano capped off the first inning and had the Eagles up 4-1.

“It’s always important to score as quick as you can, as early as you can, especially late in the season because all the teams playing now are good teams,” Fung said. “If you get that opportunity or slight window that opens up, you have to take advantage of it.”

Hau settled down after a rough first inning and retired nine of the next 11 batters.

“Finding my balance point is the main key to it because if you’re rattled, you’re going to be all over the place,” Hau said. “The catcher comes out and tells me to calm it down, just catch my balance and you do.”

After missing out on a bases-loaded chance in the third, Washington found the bases loaded again in the fourth with Hau at the plate.

The junior ripped a single down the left-field line, which scored Javon Phillips and Jordan Wilson, to give the Eagles a commanding 6-1 lead.

“He pitched well and to get a couple of extra hits to add on to our lead was huge,” Fung said.

Hau threw six innings, allowing two earned runs on eight hits, and went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

Once the Eagles had a large lead, Fung knew the big inning was now something his team needed to prevent.

“We knew we had the lead and we knew that we didn’t want to give up the big inning and if we refrained from that, I think we were going to be in good shape,” Fung said. “Late in the season you can’t give up the big inning.”

Oakland Tech (13-11) finally got back on the scoreboard in the fifth with two runs following a dropped fly ball in right field that would have been the third out.

Oakland Tech’s Dar Swift went 4-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI.

Scoring Summary

First Inning
OT – Alejandro Wlassowsky singles, Chris Castillo scores
W – Dane Vande Guchte scores on a throwing error
W – Christopher Yee singles, Javon Phillips scores
W – Gio Solorzano single, Yee scores
W – Sean Matthews sacrifice fly, Christopher Hau scores

Fourth Inning
W – Hau singles, Phillips and Jordan Wilson score
W – Yee steals home on a double steal

Fifth Inning
OT – Kailen Robinson scores on an error
OT – Dar Swift doubles, Kyle Kelly scores

Sixth Inning
OT – Anthony Morris singles, David Flores scores

Fifth inning home run by Washington sinks Oakland Tech in TransBay Series opener

By Jimmy Durkin
Oakland Tribune
Posted: 05/11/2012 09:34:10 PM PDT
Updated: 05/11/2012 10:46:55 PM PDT

Javon Phillips hit a go-ahead two-run opposite field home run in the fifth inning to propel Washington High-San Francisco to a 5-3 win over Oakland Tech in Game 1 of the TransBay Series on Friday at Rickey Henderson Field in Oakland.

The Eagles (22-9) can close out the series Tuesday when the teams meet at San Francisco State at 4 p.m. Washington is seeking its first TransBay title since 2006.

Phillips’ blast, which cleared the 20-foot fence that protects the short 265-foot power alley in right center field, gave Washington a 4-3 lead. The Eagles added an insurance run in the sixth on an RBI single by Zach Dair.

“When it came off the bat, I knew I had it,” Phillips said. “I knew it had the height and the distance to go. It felt pretty good knowing that swing of the bat gave my team the lead.”

Dane Vande Guchte earned the win, allowing three runs (two earned) in six innings of work. Alex Skevos pitched a scoreless seventh for the save.

Oakland Tech, the two-time defending TransBay champion, hopes it can repeat history. This is the third straight season the Bulldogs have dropped the first game of the series, but they rallied to win the final two games the past two years. Last year’s title came against Washington.

Tech (13-10) took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI single by Christopher Castillo. After Washington tied it, Evan Williams stole home in the second to make it 2-1. An RBI double by Alejandro Wlassowsky in the third made it 3-1.

The Eagles pushed across a run in the fourth, and Phillips put them ahead in the fifth.

05/02/12. Rickey Henderson Field.

Oakland Tech rounded out their OAL season with the last game vs. Oakland High. The Bulldogs took this one 13-0 in 4-1/2 innings, giving up just one hit. Akintunde Ahmad started and pitched 2 innings, Kai Henderson took over for two, and Randall Jackson closed out the game.

Oakland Tech finished the Oakland Athletic League season 11-1, including the scheduled 05/09/12 game vs. McClymonds (a forfeit). As OAL Champions (3rd consecutive year) they move on to the TransBay Series, against the SF Section winner, yet to be determined.

The Oakland Tech Boys and Girls Swim Teams, following the lead of their University of California aquatic counterparts, both won league championships at the OAL Finals at Mills College on Saturday.

The Boys were led by 4 different swimmers who each won championships in 2 different events.  Andrew Lo (200 IM, 500 Free), Quincy Hayden (200 Free, 100 Free), Gustavo Artmon (100 Fly, 100 Back) and Tanner Swenson (50 Free,  100 Back) all were double-winners.

The Boys relay teams fared equally well, winning all 3 events (200 Medley, 200 Free, and 400 Free) by more than 10 seconds over the 2nd place school.

The Girls were led by individual champions Kate Yungert (100 Butterfly) and Lily Dunbar (100 Free), and the 200 Free relay team, which outraced the field by 7 seconds.

Congratulations to all Bulldog swimmers and coaches!

Boys Final Team Standings

1. Oakland Tech, 140 points
2. Skyline, 77 points
3. Oakland, 74 points

Varsity Boys Event Results

JV Boys Event Results

Girls Final Team Standings

1. Oakland Tech, 148 points
2. Skyline, 98 points
3. Oakland, 45 points

Varsity Girls Event Results

JV Girls Event Results

04/27/12. Rickey Henderson Field. (Castlemont was home team).

This game was in direct competition with the Senior Prom. For a 17-player squad with 11 Seniors, this was a serious issue. Five were unavailable, six started, and 4 left the game after 4-1/2 innings, with the Bulldogs clinging to a 5-3 lead. Daniel Dalpino took the mound in the bottom of the 4th inning, with only 7 team-mates, and powered Tech to a 7-5 win.

The 8 players left to carry us across the finish line were: Akintunde Ahmad (SS), Cristopher Castillo (LCF), Daniel Dalpino (P), Zhi Mankin (2B), Randall Jackson (1B), Marcus Miller (3B), TJ Morris (C), and Daramani Swift (RCF). Thanks Guys!!

This clinches the OAL title for Tech. Apparently Mack has forfeited the rest of their season, so the Bulldogs only have one more regular season game, vs. Oakland High next Wednesday (05/02/12). With a one game lead over Skyline and a 2-1 advantage in the season series, even a loss vs. Oakland and a tied record goes to OT.

04/25/12 @ Skyline.

In the final game of the season series, Skyline scored 2-4-4-4 runs on the way to a 14-5 victory, in a rain-shortened game. The Bulldogs’ normally solid pitching and strong defense deserted them.

The host Titans kept their Oakland Athletic League title hopes alive with an outburst of runs against the Bulldogs, who entered the game unbeaten in league play. The Titans (9-12, 8-2 OAL) are now one-half game behind Oakland Tech (11-6, 8-1). The game was called after 41/2 innings because of rain.

The outpouring of runs in this game was atypical — in the previous two league games between the teams, including Monday’s 4-2 Tech victory, a total of only 15 runs had been scored. Oakland Tech won the first game 8-1. “Both teams came out hitting. Both teams didn’t throw their ace, which played a part in the runs,” Skyline coach James Salazar said.

Skyline scored at least two runs in all four of its at-bats. It was led offensively by center fielder Ryan Wi. The leadoff hitter was 3 for 3 with a double and five RBI. All three of the hits were line drives. He also walked in his first at-bat.

Oakland Tech scored two runs on an error in the top of the first, but Skyline countered with two in the bottom of the inning. The only hit in that frame by Skyline was an RBI double by Keith Britton. The Titans broke open the game in the bottom of the second with four runs. They also only had one hit in that inning, a two-run single by Wi.

04/23/12 @ Rickey Henderson Field.
Make-up game for 03/28/12.

Matte Cornell pitched a fine, complete, 2-hit game for Tech. After giving up a hit to the first batter in the game, Cornell proceeded to strike out the side. His second inning was rocky, giving up 2 runs on 2 walks, a hit batter, a hit, and a fielder’s choice. Cornell was perfect through the next five. The excellent OT defense helped keep the Titans off the bases in the last five innings. Daramani Swift seemed to have at least 10 assists at first base, with comebackers, attempted bunts, dropped strike threes, ground balls to RF, and even regular ground balls to the infield.

Kyle Fisher pitched well for Skyline too, pitching all six innings. Fisher limited the Bulldogs sometimes explosive offense to one in the first, 2 in the second, and one in the 5th. Although at times there seemed to be plenty of runners on base, Tech never got the key hit to break things open. Solid defense by the Titans helped Fisher pitch his way around serious trouble, and he avoided any really big innings.

Final Score 4-2 Tech.

This game completed the first two rounds of OAL play for Oakland Tech, with an 8-0 OAL record. Game 3 of the season series with Skyline is scheduled for Wednesday at Skyline, weather permitting. Tech has won the first two. Both these teams are in the process of sweeping the other OAL teams for the season.

04/16/12 @ Rickey Henderson Field.
(Make-up for the 03/24/12 game).

Eddie Heard from Mack was throwing hard and well, but had little backup — providing odd statistics such as his first inning pitching line … 4 strike-outs, no hits, 3 runs scored. Eddie continued to apply himself through 3 plus innings. Although the Bulldogs didn’t have a lot of hits, they were helped out by some walks, a few errors, and being able to reach base on a dropped strike three.

Meanwhile, Randall Jackson (3 innings), Daniel Dalpino (1), and Kai Henderson (1) shut the Warriors out over their 5 series of at-bats. The final score in the 4-1/2 inning game was 12-0.

04/06/12 @ Oakland High School

Four Tech pitchers got some work against the Oakland High team, going 2-2-2-1 innings respectively for Matte Cornell, Chris Castillo, Daniel Dalpino and Kai Henderson. The Wildcats scored one run in the 6th, when their runner from 3B scored just before the runner from 1B was caught in a run-down, for the 3rd out of the inning.

After a quiet first inning for both teams, Evan Williams broke the 0-0 tie in the second with an inside the park HR, coming off a shot to RF that came out of the setting sun to rocket by the deep right fielder, and go to the wall in RF. The Bulldogs put themselves in the driver’s seat with 4 in the 3rd and also left the bases loaded that inning. They added another 3 runs in the 5th.

The Wildcats left runners aboard in several frames, and finally broke through to score in the bottom of the sixth. Final score 8-1.

04/04/12 @ Rickey Henderson Field.

Daramani Swift started and pitched 2 plus innings, giving up 2 runs. Randall Jackson came in to finish the third inning, and pitched out the 4th and 5th. Six of his 8 outs were strike outs, and he gave up no runs.

The Bulldogs batters started slowly, but cranked out 8 runs in the bottom of the second inning, to move into a commanding position (9-2 after 2 innings). With another two in the third, they entered the bottom of the fifth needing one run to end the game, which came with none out.

David Rodriguez went 3-3 at the plate, scoring once. 12-2 Tech, final score.