Two Alameda high school baseball/softball teams won their respective league titles last week.

Alameda Softball
The Hornet softball team was one of the hottest team in the West Alameda County Conference (WACC) heading into the league tournament. They won seven straight games before they played San Lorenzo in the semifinal last Tuesday, May 17. 

They took down San Lorenzo with ease to the tune of an 18-0 victory. The Hornets scored 12 runs in the first inning. The game was called off after the fifth inning due to the 10-run rule.

Three Hornet players had at least three RBIs in the contest. Tatianna Kelly went 2-for-4 from the plate with four RBIs, Alanna Reyes also went 2-for-4 from the plate while driving in three runners and junior Bella Sheel went a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate while driving in three runners.

The victory led to a head-to-head matchup with Piedmont on Thursday, May 19, for the WACC title. The Hornets entered the game having already beaten the Highlanders twice this year — 13-6 on Arpil 7 and 13-0 on May 3. This game was much closer than the previous two. 

Piedmont got on the board first with a run in the top of the first. However, the Hornets took the lead back, and for good, with three runs in the bottom half of the third inning. From there it was smooth sailing for the Hornets. They added another run in the sixth to stretch its lead to 4-1. 

Trina Eichel was the winning pitcher for Alameda. Mira Piramonte powered the Hornets from the plate. She went 3-for-4 and had two stolen bases. The Hornets’ record improved to 16-4. 

St. Joseph Notre Dame Baseball
The St. Joseph Notre Dame (SJND) baseball team overcame two hard-fought games to win the Tri-County Athletic League (TCAL) Rock Division tournament. The Pilots took down St. Mary’s of Albany 6-4 in the semifinals on May 17. 

The Panthers took an early 2-0 lead after the top of the first inning. The Pilots were unable to reciprocate the offense in the bottom of the first or second, but in the third inning SJND hit St. Mary’s with a four-run flurry. The Panthers tied the game with two runs in the top of the fourth, but SJND quickly responded with two runs in the bottom of the fourth.

SJND senior Augustus Moses led the team by going 3-for-4 from the plate and two RBIs. Steven Manzo pitched six innings allowing four runs and throwing four strikeouts.

In the Rock division final, SJND defeated Albany 5-4 on May 19 on a wild pitch. The Pilots got on the board first with a run in the bottom of the fourth. But, Albany scored a run in the fifth and three more in the sixth. 

Down 4-1 in the sixth inning, the Pilots mounted its comeback. The Pilots scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth and two more in the bottom of the seventh to win the game. The final run came on a wild pitch from Cougars’ senior pitcher Clayton McDonald.

In the contest senior Hunter Hennigh was a terror at the plate for SJND going 2-for-3 with three RBIs.   

The Pilots now sport a 21-5 overall record.