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Tech's Zumbro fans 17 Titans
Oakland Tribune, May 7, 2008 by Jimmy Durkin
OAKLAND -- After winning the Oakland Section title in each of her first three years, Oakland Tech ace pitcher Marika Zumbro knew it would've been a major letdown to not end her high school career as a champion.
Barring a catastrophic breakdown, Zumbro won't have to worry about that.
The Harvard-bound senior struck out 17 Tuesday, and Makayla West drove in the go-ahead run with a double in the bottom of the fifth inning as the Bulldogs beat Skyline 5-3.
Tech (9-1) owns a half-game lead over Skyline (9-2) and would need to lose both of its remaining games (Thursday against Castlemont and May 13 against Fremont) for the Titans to have a chance to win the title.
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"It wouldn't feel right to win the title my first three years, then lose my senior year," Zumbro said.
By virtue of winning the Oakland Section title, Tech would face the San Francisco Section champion in the TransBay series beginning May 16 at Lang Field in San Francisco.
Tech and Skyline had split their first two meetings, with the Titans winning the most recent matchup 5-3 on April 17, leaving the third game as the decisive contest.
"We needed to have the energy," said Tech coach Rosemary Whisenton, who felt her team lacked the proper energy in the earlier loss. "After practice (Monday), I knew we were ready."
Skyline went in front 1-0 when leadoff hitter Brenda Hunter crushed the second pitch she saw for a booming triple and then scored on a Matia Kilgore groundout.
The Bulldogs got that run back quickly in the bottom of the first. Devina Brown led off with a double, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on an errant throw attempting to double her off after a lineout.
Tech's Robyn Levinson helped her team take the lead in the second. She led off with a double, stole third and scored when the throw went into left field.
A run in the third gave the Bulldogs a 3-1 lead before Kilgore hit her second home run this season off Zumbro -- a liner into the left-center field gap that rolled deep into the outfield -- to make it 3-2.
The Titans tied the game in the fifth when Alex La beat out a bunt single and scored on Hunter's double.
But again, Tech quickly responded. Brown singled and scored her third run of the day when West doubled into left-center for the go- ahead run. Ymonne Davidson singled home Levinson for a sixth-inning insurance run, giving Zumbro more than she needed. Zumbro's 17 strikeouts were five shy of the state record of 22 for a seven- inning game.
"Hat's off to Mari," Skyline coach Paul Keener said. "She's a lot different pitcher than the last time we saw her."
Assuming the final week of play goes as expected, it will be Tech's fourth straight Oakland Athletic League title.
For Skyline, it's the second straight year it split the first two games with Tech only to lose the finale. Last year, a 5-4 Tech victory in the regular-season finale gave the Bulldogs the title.
"My hurt is that I have seniors who won't have the opportunity to play in the TransBay," Keener said.
Fremont 17, Castlemont 5
The Tigers put the contest away from the get-go as Fremont 10 runs in the first inning in downing host Castlemont.
Amber Moore pitched a complete game for the Tigers, and Amanda Muniz had two RBIs and a double for Fremont (5-7). The Tigers had 15 hits to the Knights' six. Castlemont's biggest inning also came in the first, when the Knights (5-8) scored three runs.
Track and field
CASTRO VALLEY -- Bishop O'Dowd had a big day in the HAAL finals at Castro Valley High, as two Dragons qualified for the NCS Bay Shore Meet.
Chad Jones finished second behind Castro Valley's Dash Oliver with a long jump of 21 feet, 8 inches. On the girl's side, O'Dowd's Shanel Brown finished second in the triple jump at 32 feet, 7 inches. The top four finishers in each event qualified for NCS.
The HAAL finals resume today.
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