The Oakland Tech Varsity 9 defeated rival Skyline 5-1 on Friday afternoon to start the OAL season 4-0.

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.”
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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.

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.

04/02/12 @ Rickey Henderson Field, Castlemont was Home team.
(Make-up for the 03/16/12 game @ McConnell).

Chris Castillo started and pitched 3 shutout innings for the Bulldogs, striking out 9. Daniel Dalpino took over for two innings, ending with a combined no-hitter.

Tech put up 2, 6, 7, 3, and zero runs in their five frames, to finish the shortened game at 18-0.

Played at the Rickey, 03/21/12. Oakland Tech 10 — Oakland High 0.

Randall Jackson started and pitched 3 scoreless for the Bulldogs. Daniel Dalpino took it from there, with two scoreless frames. In hindsight, actually they combined for a no-hitter.

As with the Skyline game on Monday, this game was all about one big inning for the Bulldogs — the 9-run bottom of the second. Daramani Swift was the lead-off batter in the inning — did you notice he also started the 8-run 5th on Monday? This time Swift had two doubles in the one inning. Again Evan Williams cleared the loaded bases with a ball that went to the fence in CF. Many of the starters for OT were gone after that inning.

The deep bench pushed across the 10th run in B4, allowing Dalpino to close out the 10-run rule game in top 5. in addition to Swift, Kai Henderson also had two hits in the game. David Flores had a web-gem 6-3 putout from DEEP in the SS hole in the top of the 4th.

at Skyline HS, this game is a re-schedule of the rainout on March 14.

Oakland Tech scored 8 runs in the top of the 5th, and surrendered only 1, for the 8-1 final score.

Senior Matte Cornell pitched 5 strong innings, giving up only the 1 run in the 5th.  Sophomore Chris Castillo closed out the game, throwing 2 perfect innings.

In the 8-run 5th, Castillo drove in the first two runs of the game with a clean single to right through a drawn-in infield, scoring runners from 3B and 2B. OT loaded the bases, and Alejandro Wlassowsky drove in runs 3 and 4 with a clean single to CF.  The bases were re-loaded, and Evan Williams cleared the bases with a double to RF.

The Oakland Tech Bulldogs defeated Washington High of San Francisco on Friday, 5-1, to even the TransBay Series at one game apiece.  The deciding game of the series will take place on Tuesday, May 24th, 4pm at San Francisco St. University.

Click here to read insideBayArea.com’s story about the game.

Congratulations to Varsity Baseball Coach Eric Clayton, his coaches and players for their second consecutive OAL Championship. The Bulldogs only loss in league play came against Skyline following two victories over the Titans.

Oakland Tech will now play in the Transbay Tournament against the Washington Eagles beginning Wednesday, May 18, at San Francisco State. The teams will play a three-game series, with the second game at Rickey Henderson Field on Friday, May 20.  The third game, if necessary, will take place at a date and location to be determined.

And finally, a shout-out to Senior James Harris who was selected one of the Bay Area News Group East Bay Athletes of the Year. James, who was an All-OAL selection in basketball, is being closely followed for his exploits on the baseball field, as well, with 15 to 20 scouts from major league teams following his season.

The 2010 TransBay Champions Celebrate

Pitching was the key to the Oakland Tech Bulldogs’ Transbay Tournament victory over the Galileo High School Lions of San Francisco, two games to one. Tech represented Oakland well after winning the OAL title with a 14-1 league record.

Galileo won the opener at SF State by a score of 5-4, in a game in which Tech took a two-run lead in the sixth, only to see Galileo come back to win. With the series moving to Oakland for games two and three, the Bulldogs went into the Coliseum and rode the pitching of Matte Cornell to an 8-0 victory. Cornell pitched his second complete game of the series and Oakland Tech was never seriously challenged, after a six-run rally in the second.

The Transbay moved to Rickey Henderson Field for the rubber game, and both teams scored in the first. Galileo loaded the bases with no outs, but scored only one run, as senior Kel McMiller struck out two and got the third to bounce into an unassisted force out at home. Tech came back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first on RBI singles by McMiller and Cornell (who else?) after a walk and stolen base by senior Azeem Ahmad.

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Matte Cornell delivers a pitch in his complete-game win over Galileo

The TransBay Series is tied one apiece, after today’s 8-0 victory by Tech over Galileo at the Oakland Coliseum. The deciding game is scheduled for 3 pm on Wednesday, May 26th, at Oakland Tech’s Rickey Henderson Field.

Today’s game was broken open in the bottom of the 2nd inning when the Bulldogs scored six times. The floodgates were opened by a deep drive to just right of center field by Francis Griffin, bringing the first run all the way from first base. Griffin made it to third base on the hit. From there it was an array of hits, walks and errors — after the side had batted around, six runs were on the board.

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A three-run sixth inning rally by the Oakland Tech High baseball team was matched by Galileo as the Lions took the first game of the best-of-three TransBay Series 5-4 on Wednesday at San Francisco State.

“That was a great game,” Bulldogs coach Eric Clayton said. “You can’t always win the great games. That’s why they’ve got to hold their heads up and know they’ve got a couple more coming.” (more…)

Tech edged closer to the OAL Baseball Championship by winning 11-0 vs Oakland High at Rickey Henderson Field today. Jason Finkelstein pitched 4 for the Bulldogs, and Daramani Swift closed out the 5th. A 7-run bottom of the 2nd sealed this one for the Bulldogs.

With this win, Tech moves to 11-1 in the OAL, with Skyline one game back, and 3 to play. This was the final regularly scheduled OAL date, but was the first of possibly 4 games in 6 days for the Bulldogs, as earlier rainouts are made up. Come see their next games vs Castlemont (Friday), and Fremont (Saturday), both at RHF. If Tech wins both these games, then the final Fremont contest is moot.

OH 0 0 0 0 0 0
OT 1 7 2 1 X 11

The Bulldogs prevailed 13-6 at Castlemont on Friday. They needed a win here to nail down the corners of their potential OAL Championship.

Tech rode three crooked-number innings started by their late-order hitters, and the strong pitching of Matte Cornell, to put this one in the book. The top of the fifth was pivotal for the Bulldogs, with the first batter making an out, and then 6 runs scoring before the next out. The 7th run of this inning scored on the second out, when Francis Griffin’s drive to the deepest part of the park was caught in front of the diagonally opposite 3rd base dugout, almost 400 ft from home — the runner at 3rd could tag and almost walk in.

The Bulldogs are now 10-1 in the OAL, and have one more scheduled game to play vs. O High at RHF next Wednesday. They also have 2 postponed games vs Fremont, and one vs Castlemont. The next closest team in the standings is Skyline with two losses.

Box score …

OT  1  3  0  2  7  0  0  =13
CT  1  0  4  0  0  1  0  =6

The last time Skyline held a 9-7 lead over Oakland Tech heading into the bottom of the 7th, the Bulldogs were able to mount a dramatic comeback for a 10-9 victory.  So on Friday in the exact same situation, same score, same location, Tech figured they had the Titans just where they wanted them.

Trailing 9-5 and struggling at the plate, a 2-run James Harris home run brought Tech within 2 runs in the bottom of the 6th.  This time, however, the Bulldogs were unable to mount a dramatic comeback, and went down quietly in the seventh.

Eric Robles pitched well in relief for the Titans to get the win.  Robles entered the game in the first inning and got Skyline out of a jam, and then allowed only 2 runs over the final 6 innings.

Despite the loss, Tech still has a commanding lead in the OAL race.  The Bulldogs would need to lose 2 of their remaining 3 games to avoid going to the TransBay Series against the San Francisco Section champ.

The Oakland Tech Bulldogs, held scoreless for the game’s first 3 innings, exploded for 13 runs in the last 4 frames to knock off host Skyline, 13-7, on Wednesday afternoon.

Kelvin McMiller went 3-for-5 with 4 RBI and 3 runs, and James Harris 4-f0r-5 with 3 RBI and 4 runs, to back the pitching of Matte Cornell.  Trailing Skyline 4-0, both McMiller and Harris homered in the top of the 4th inning to plate 3 runs for Tech, and their 5 runs in the top of the 5th gave them the lead they would not relinquish.

With the victory, the Bulldogs clinch the 3-game season series with Skyline, and remain undefeated in OAL play at 6-0.  Tech now has a 2-game lead over Skyline in the league standings, and will face McClymonds at Raimondi Field on Friday.

The Oakland Tech Bulldogs took an early lead, but had to rally late to defeat OAL rival Skyline, 10-9, in the first of three meetings between the two teams this season.  Matte Cornell’s dramatic 2-run home run capped a 3-run rally in the bottom of the 7th inning to stun the visiting Titans.

With one out and one on in the seventh, and the score 9-8, the left-handed hitting Cornell pulled a fastball over the right field fence for the game winner.

Tech has now won the initial game vs. Skyline for three consecutive years, but the Titans have bounced back to take the last 2 games, and the OAL Championship, in each of the last 2 seasons.  The teams next face each other on April 14th at Skyline.