Down 3-0 in the fourth inning to the rival Encinal Jets, the Alameda Hornets needed a spark. With the bases loaded, senior Luis Licea hit a deep drive to right field only to have Encinal’s Jonah Abrami rob him of a home run.

“Jonah saved my butt when he caught that ball,” said Encinal pitcher Shaan Castro. Castro had 10 strikeouts through five innings. He also had 1 RBI at the plate.

The Jets held on for a 3-1 win over the Hornets on April 24 in a non-league game. It was Encinal High School’s (EHS) first win over Alameda High School since 2017.

“It felt great that our hard work throughout the season brought us to this point,” said EHS junior Angus Olaes. Olaes provided timely hitting, going 3-for-4 in the game.

Fresh off a sweep of San Leandro, the Jets were highly motivated to take down their rival.

“I got tired of hearing we were the worst on the island,” said Castro.

The Jets have won six of their last seven games, giving them a current record of 12-9 (8-0). The Hornets are currently 10-11 overall (5-3).

The Hornets are 7-2-1 in its last 10 meetings against the Jets.