California 120 -000 -2 -- 5 8 2
Acalanes 021 -400 -x -- 7 9 2

Slaats, Bartolone (4), King (5) and Bowers and Gallegos (5). Emery, Guglielmo (4), Floethe (7) and Stone. W: Guglielmo (1-0). L: Bartolone.S: Floethe (1). 2B: Gallegos (C). HR: Emery (A) 3rd inning, none on. 

Records: California 0-3, Acalanes 1-0. 

Highlights: A -- Floethe 2-for-3, 3 RBI; Englehart 2-for-3; Emery 2-for-2; C -- Gallegos 3-for-4, 2 runs scored.

El Cerrito 010 -033 -0 -- 7 5 2
Acalanes   140 -520 -x -- 12 14 1

Severy, Spitler (4), Tramble (6) and Cowart. Applebury, Miller (4), Pestal (6) and Stone. W: Applebury (1-0). L: Severy. S: Pestal (1). 2B: Floethe (A) 2, Lee (A), Cote (A), Severy (EC). 

Records: Acalanes 2-0, El Cerrito 2-2-1. 

Highlights: 
EC -- Severy 2-for-2, 2 runs, 2 walks, 2 RBI. A -- Floethe 4-for-4, 5 RBI, 2 runs; Englehart 2-for-3, 2 RBI, 3 runs; Lee 2-for-4, RBI, 2 runs; Cote 2-for-3, 2 runs.

Campolindo and Acalanes high schools open league play Tuesday as the early favorites, but nearly every coach agrees that almost anything could happen.

Acalanes
• COACH: Andy Tarpley, third season

• 2006 RECORD: 19-6, 14-4 DFAL

• TOP RETURNING PLAYERS:; Utl./P Jake Floethe, Sr.; 3B Joe Wallace, Sr.; OF T.C. Lee, Sr.; P Mike Guglielmo, Sr.; P Scott Emery, Sr.; Utl. James Matthew, Sr.; C Mike Stone, Sr.; OF Dustin Montero, Sr.; P Donny Miller, Sr.

• TOP NEWCOMERS: OF/1B Matt Ross, Sr.; P Robby Pestal, Jr.

• KEY LOSSES: SS Derek Poppert, 2B Dan Masi, P/DH Brian Diemer, OF Chris Bohannan, OF Kyle LaHonta, P Travis Beecroft, C Tony Panacci

• OUTLOOK: Even though the Dons graduated their top two pitchers, both starting middle infielders and two-thirds of their starting outfield, Tarpley still returns a core of 11 seniors that could still help put his team near the top of the standings. The Fresno State-bound Floethe and Nevada-bound Wallace could serve as the catalyst for this group, much like Adam Greenberg and Evan Ellison did for Dublin last season.

====================================

Predicted finish:
• 1. Campolindo
• 2. Acalanes
• 3. Las Lomas
• 4. Northgate
• 5. Miramonte
• 6. Alhambra
• 7. Dublin
• 8. College Park
• 9. Concord
• 10. Mt. Diablo

Acalanes 101 -533 -5 -- 18 14 2
Northgate 101 -000 -0 -- 2 6 4

Emery, Appleberry (7) and Stone. Dolliver, Bartlett (3), Malinowski (4), Bataska (5), Kent (6), Moore (7) and Johnson. W: Emery (2-0). L: Malinowski (0-1). 2B: Englehart (A), Stone, Emery, Matthew (A), Guglielmo (A). 

Records: Acalanes 4-0, 2-0 DFAL; Northgate 4-1, 1-1. 

Highlights: A -- Englehart 4-for-5, 4 runs, RBI; Stone 4-for-5, 4 runs, 4 RBI; Matthew 4-5 3 RBI.

Alhambra 100 -000 -0 -- 1 6 0
Acalanes 210 -000 -x -- 3 7 0

Baesa and Hashimoto. Guglielmo and Stone. W: Guglielmo (3-0). L: Baesa (2-2). 2B: Floethe (Aca) 2, Laidley (Alh).

Records: Acalanes 5-0, 3-0 DFAL; Alhambra 3-3, 2-1.

Highlights: Aca -- Guglielmo 7 IP, ER, 3 strikeouts; Floethe 2-for-3, run; Stone 2-for-3, RBI, run. Alh -- Matt Baesa 6 IP, 0 walks.

====================================

DFAL
W L GB
Acalanes 3 0 --
Alhambra 2 1 1
Miramonte 2 1 1
Dublin 2 1 1
Las Lomas 2 1 1
Campolindo 1 1 11/2
Northgate 1 1 11/2
College Park 1 2 2
Concord 0 3 3
Mt. Diablo 0 3 3

Dublin    000 -100 -00 -- 1 3 1
Acalanes 000 -010 -01 -- 2 7 0

Arata, Funk (6) and Pesicka. Emery, Miller (6) and Stone. W: Miller (1-0). L: Funk (1-2). 2B: Humphrey (D). HR: Lee (A) 8th inn., 0 on.

Records: Dublin 3-3, 2-2 DFAL; Acalanes 6-0, 4-0.

Highlights: D -- Arata 5ª IP, 6 hits, 3 strikeouts, walk. A -- Miller 3 IP, 0 ER, 4 strikeouts; Lee 1-for-4, game-winning RBI; Emery 5 IP, 1 ER, 3 hits, 6 strikeouts.

====================================

DFAL
W L GB
Acalanes 4 0 --
Las Lomas 3 1 1
Miramonte 3 1 1
Northgate 2 1 11/2
Alhambra 2 2 2
Dublin 2 2 2
Campolindo 1 2 21/2
College Park 1 3 3
Mt. Diablo 1 3 3
Concord 0 4 4

Other Highlight of Interest:  

Mt. Diablo 8, College Park 3 (92-Game DFAL Losing Streak Ends for Mt. Diablo)

Knights drop ball against undefeated Dons, fall 17-5

On a blustery Tuesday at the Las Lomas High School baseball field, nothing was colder than the gloves of the Knights.

Committing an alarming eight errors, Las Lomas was no match for first-place Acalanes as the Dons pounded their way to a 17-5 Diablo Foothill Athletic League win.

Acalanes (7-0, 5-0 DFAL) took advantage of Las Lomas miscues right from the outset. The Dons scored three unearned runs in the first inning and never trailed.

However, the game was still partially competitive until the top of the fifth. It was then that Acalanes sent 15 batters to the plate and scored nine runs on seven hits and a pair of Las Lomas errors.

"I felt we had played very well defensively up to this point," Las Lomas coach Sean Hennessey said. "I also felt good about our pitching staff. So today was atypical and frustrating."

Not everything can be blamed on the Knights' defense. The Dons were certainly dialed in at the plate as they notched 15 hits on the day and hit for the cycle during the nine-run fifth.

"(Las Lomas starter) Kyle Adkins is a good, strong pitcher, but he was a little erratic," Acalanes coach Andy Tarpley said. "We just wanted to make them play catch, and they didn't do that real well today. But I did think we did a good job swinging the bats."

Adkins (1-2) allowed nine runs in four-plus innings, though only four of the runs were earned.

"I think (Adkins) just has some mechanical issues that he's working through," Hennessey said. "His stuff looked fine, but I just think he's trying to find a comfortable rhythm on the mound, and I think he's closer than this outing indicated."

Las Lomas (5-3, 3-2) mustered just four hits off Acalanes starter Mike Guglielmo (2-0). The Dons right-hander worked five innings and gave up three runs, two coming in the first inning on Kevin Stanley's third home run of the season.

Joe Wallace had four hits for the Dons, James Matthew tripled and drove in four, and Jake Floethe also hit a three-run homer for Acalanes.

Acalanes 330 -191 -0 -- 17 15 0
Las Lomas 201 -001 -1 -- 5 6 8

Guglielmo, Pestal (6), Applebury (7) and Stone, Matthew (7). K. Adkins, Dorn (5), Kingdon (5), Torrigino (5), Elsasser (7) and Stanley. W: Guglielmo (2-0). L: K. Adkins (1-2). 2B: Floethe (A), Stone (A), Lee (A), Ross (A). 3B: Matthew 
(A), K. Adkins (N). HR: Stanley (LL), 1st inn., 0 on; Floethe (A) 5th inn., 2 on.

Records: Acalanes 7-0, 5-0 DFAL; Las Lomas 5-3, 3-2.

Highlights: A -- Wallace 4-for-6, 4 runs, RBI, SB; Matthew 1-for-2, run, 2 walks, 4 RBI; Lee 3-for-5, 2 runs, RBI; Floethe 1-for-4, 3 runs, 3 RBI. LL -- Stanley 1-for-2, run, 2 RBI; K. Adkins 2-for-3, run, 2 RBI; Dorn 2 RBI.

=====================================

DFAL
W L GB
Acalanes 5 0 --
Miramonte 4 1 1
Alhambra 3 2 2
Las Lomas 3 2 2
Campolindo 2 3 3
College Park 2 3 3
Dublin 2 3 3
Northgate 2 3 3
Concord 1 4 4
Mt. Diablo 1 4 4

Acalanes 060 -220 -3 -- 13 13 1
Miramonte 010 -010 -0 -- 2 4 1

Emery, Miller (6), Cole (7) and Stone; Vaccaro, Lloyd (2), Kjar (4), Hudson (6) and Miers. W: Emery (3-0). L: Vaccaro (3-1). 2B: Wallace (A), Emery (A), Guglielmo (A), Lee (M). HR: Floethe (A) 7th inn, 2 on.

Records: Acalanes 9-0, 6-0 DFAL; Miramonte 6-3, 4-2.

Highlights: A -- Wallace 2-for-2, 2 RBI, Floethe 1-for-2, 2 walks; Emery 3-for-4, 3 RBI. M -- Mayeri 2-for-3.

====================================

DFAL
W L GB
Acalanes 6 0 --
Alhambra 4 2 2
Las Lomas 4 2 2
Miramonte 4 2 2
Campolindo 3 3 3
College Park 2 4 4
Concord 2 4 4
Dublin 2 4 4
Northgate 2 4 4
Mt. Diablo 1 5 5

11. San Leandro (7-3), 12. San Ramon Valley (6-4), 13. Foothill (7-3), 14. Pittsburg (8-3), t15. Monte Vista (6-3), t15. Berkeley (6-5) Others receiving votes: Albany (8-1-1), James Logan (7-5), Encinal (7-3), Liberty (5-4), California (5-5). The baseball poll incorporates all East Bay high schools and is compiled by the staffs of Contra Costa Newspapers and the
Alameda Newspaper Group. Records are through Saturday.

Mt. Diablo 000 -000 -1 -- 1 4 2
Acalanes 142 -430 -x -- 14 14 2

Haley, Oliva (4) and Shaikh. Guglielmo, Pestal (3), Applebury (6) and Stone, Matthew (7). W: Pestal (1-0). L: Haley (0-5). 2B: Wallace (A), Floethe (A), Trettenero (MD). 3B: Engelhart (A), Montero (A). HR: Lee (A) 4th inn., 2 on.

Records: Mt. Diablo 3-7, 1-6 DFAL; Acalanes 9-0, 7-0.

Highlights: A -- Engelhart 3-for-5, run, 5 RBI, SB; Montero 2-for-3, 3 runs, 2 RBI, SB; Lee 1-for-3, 4 RBI. MD -- Trettenero 2-for-3, RBI.

========================================

DFAL
W L GB
Acalanes 7 0 --
Alhambra 5 2 2
Campolindo 4 3 3
Las Lomas 4 3 3
Miramonte 4 3 3
College Park 3 4 4
Northgate 3 4 4
Concord 2 5 5
Dublin 2 5 5
Mt. Diablo 1 6 6

Acalanes 210 -033 -2 -- 11 10 1
Concord 000 -100 -0 -- 1 2 5

Emery, Miller (6), Cuiper (7) and Stone; Alexander, Ruiz (5), Swank (7) and Rogers. W: Emery (4-0). L: Alexander (1-3). 2B: Englehart (A), Wallace (A) 2, Emery (A), Matthew (A), Ruiz
(C).

Records: Acalanes 10-0, 8-0; Concord 3-7, 2-6.

Highlights: A -- Emery 5 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 5 strikeouts; Wallace 2-for-4, 3 Runs, RBI, 3 SB; Guglielmo 2-for-4, 2 RBI. C -- Ruiz 1-for-3 run; Rogers 1-for-3, RBI.

====================================

DFAL
W L GB
Acalanes 8 0 --
Alhambra 5 3 3
Campolindo 5 3 3
Miramonte 5 3 3
College Park 4 4 4
Las Lomas 4 4 4
Dublin 3 5 5
Northgate 3 5 5
Concord 2 6 6
Mt. Diablo 1 7 7

Guglielmo (3-0) walked two of the game's first three batters, but quickly settled down and didn't surrender his first hit until the Falcons' Troy Channing led of the fourth inning with an infield single.

Acalanes (11-0) gave him plenty of run support, too. Behind a two-run double by Ben Englehart, the Dons scored three runs in the second inning off Foothill starter Tony Vanderzee (0-1).

Acalanes scored runs in each of the ensuing innings and finished the game with 12 hits, six for extra bases.

Foothill (8-5) appeared a bit lethargic after an 11-7 East Bay Athletic League loss to Granada on Friday.

============================================

Mike Guglielmo could get used to this.

Bolstered by consistent defense and solid run support from a red-hot lineup, the ace of the Acalanes High School baseball team looked at ease Saturday.

The senior threw a two-hit shutout to lead the Dons to a 10-0 victory over Foothill in the first round of the Willie Stargell Memorial Classic at the College of Alameda.

Guglielmo (3-0) walked two of the game's first three batters, but quickly settled down and didn't surrender a hit until the Falcons' Troy Channing led off the fourth inning with an
infield single.

"I was just loosening up (in the first inning)," Guglielmo said. "I was able to find my rhythm and just cruised from there."

Acalanes (11-0) gave him plenty of run support, too.

Behind a two-run double by Ben Englehart, the Dons scored three runs in the second inning off Foothill starter Tony Vanderzee (0-1). Acalanes scored runs in each of the ensuing innings and finished the game with 12 hits, six of the extra-base variety. The game ended in the bottom of the sixth due to the tournament's 10-run rule.

"It's really relaxing to go out on the field when you know you're getting that type of support," Guglielmo said.

Foothill (8-5) appeared a bit lethargic after an 11-7 East Bay Athletic League loss to Granada on Friday. After using five pitchers in that loss, the Falcons were also short on fresh arms.

"We knew coming in that (Acalanes) was a very good ballclub," Foothill coach Brian Freitas said.

Foothill 000 -000 -- 0 2 2
Acalanes 031 -222 -- 10 12 1
Called after 6 innings, 10-run rule

Guglielmo and Stone. Vanderzee, Chinn (4), Ansmus (5), Law (6) and Baptista. W: Guglielmo (3-0). L: Vanderzee (0-1). 2B: Englehart (A) 2, Floethe (A), Guglielmo (A), Montero (A). 3B: Wallace (A).

Records: Foothill 8-5, Acalanes 11-0.

Highlights: F -- Channing 2-for-3. A -- Guglielmo CG, 0 R, 2 H, 5 strikeouts, 4 walks, 1-for-3, 2 runs, 2 RBI; Englehart 3-for-4, 2 runs, 3 RBI; Montero 4-for-4, 2 runs.

Several Easter Tournaments will kick into action on Saturday including Encinal's 16th annual Willie Stargell Memorial Easter Classic which runs April 7-11.  Guest teams will be College Park, Will C. Wood, Foothill, Acalanes, Washington-Fremont, Newark Memorial and Amador Valley.  The tournament features some good first-round match-ups on Saturday, especially when Foothill opens against red-hot Acalanes at 11:00am.  All games will be at College of Alameda.  If Dons win on Saturday, the next game will be Tuesday at 11:30am.  If the Dons should lose the first game, the next game will be Monday at 12:30pm.  Wednesday's game will either be at 9, 11:30, or 2:00 depending on win/lose record.

TUESDAY'S GAMES on 4/10/07:

College Park vs. Encinal, 9 a.m.
Acalanes vs. Amador Valley, 11:30 a.m.
Seventh-place game, 2 p.m.

WEDNESDAY'S GAMES 4/11/07:

Consolation final, 9 a.m.
Third-place game, 11:30 a.m.
Championship game, 2 p.m.

"We just got done telling our team that it's in an 18-game league and nobody is going to go 18-0," Luckhurst said after
the March 13 game. "And if they do, you tip your cap to them because it's not easy."

Four weeks later, Acalanes is making things look pretty easy.

The Dons enter their game today at the Willie Stargell Easter Classic at the College of Alameda with an unblemished record of 11-0. They will return to DFAL play next week where they've posted an 8-0 mark and built a three-game lead. Campolindo, Alhambra and Miramonte are tied for second at 5-3.

"As a team, they are a better club than they were last year by far," said Northgate coach Chris de Clercq, whose team was
responsible for ending Acalanes' 2006 season when it upset the top-seeded Dons in the North Coast Section quarterfinals.
"They pitch, they play defense, they all put the ball in play and get hits when they need to get hits."

With the exception of one-run wins over Campolindo and Dublin, Acalanes has outscored its other six DFAL opponents 76-12.

Northgate played the Dons even for four innings March 15 before Acalanes turned it into an 18-2 rout.

"The minute you give them a little bit of a crack, they punch a hole in the wall," de Clercq said. "The only way a team has
a chance to beat them is they are going to have to play a clean, clean game against them."

In his fourth year coaching the Dons, Andy Tarpley recognizes this team is different.

"My coaches and I talked about it, and I think that it might not be the most talented team we've had, but it's probably the
best overall team," Tarpley said.It hasn't all been about scoring runs for the Dons. Seniors Mike Guglielmo and Scott Emery have come together to form a formidable starting pitching duo.

"The chemistry is what's different (this season)," Guglielmo said Saturday. "We're all friends. We weren't as close last
year. It's a lot easier to play on the field when we're tight off of it."

The last team to go 18-0 in the DFAL was Las Lomas in 2003. The Knights finished the year as NCS 2A champions with an
overall mark of 23-4.

1. Acalanes 11-0 Dons have scored double figures in five straight games
2. Clayton Valley 11-2 Routs of Liberty and San Leandro soften 2-0 loss at Ygnacio Valley
3. De La Salle 6-3 Starting pitching rounding into form behind Jared Wagner
4. Alameda 10-2 Hornets stung by El Cerrito, but bounce back with 2-1 win over Freedom
5. St. Mary's 11-0 Will take perfect record to Vacaville Christian tournament this weekend
6. Deer Valley 8-3 Dylan Rath notches save and complete-game win in two one-run victories
7. Livermore 9-3 Cowboys earn split against previous No. 15 Monte Vista, have won six of seven
8. California 7-5 Winners of five straight, Grizzlies are once again atop EBAL standings
9. Freedom 8-5 Falcons can't catch break in 2-1 losses to both Deer Valley and Alameda
10. San Ramon Valley 6-4 After idle week in EBAL, Wolves go to San Luis Obispo tourney this week
11. Pinole Valley (9-4), 12. San Leandro (9-4), 13. Amador Valley (9-5), 14. Bishop O'Dowd (6-6), 15. Berkeley (7-5)Also receiving votes: Castro Valley (7-4), James Logan (9-5), Foothill (8-5), Monte Vista (7-4), Albany (9-2-1). The baseball poll incorporates all East Bay high schools and is compiled by the staffs of Contra Costa Newspapers and the Alameda Newspaper Group. Records are through Saturday.

Through five innings pitched, Emery had been highly effective, limiting Amador Valley to four hits, two runs and seven strikeouts.

Despite the performance, his team still trailed 2-1 going into the bottom of the fifth inning of a semifinal game at the 16th annual Willie Stargell Memorial Easter Classic on Tuesday. But
Emery had good reason not to be flustered. He knew he could count on his team.

He was right.

Mike Stone keyed a one-out rally with a two-run infield single in the bottom of the fifth inning to give Acalanes a 3-2 lead, and Acalanes eventually prevailed 5-3 over Amador Valley at College of Alameda.

Acalanes (12-0) faces Diablo Foothill Athletic League foe College Park for the championship at 2 p.m. today. The Falcons beat tournament host Encinal 7-5 in the other semifinal.
Amador Valley (9-6) faces Encinal in the third-place game today at 11:30 a.m.

"I had supreme confidence out there," Emery said about the support his teammates provide. "You are always able to know that you are in the ballgame because of them."

Emery kept Acalanes in the game with his fastball and breaking ball that he worked for a complete-game five-hitter with 11 strikeouts.

"Stone's hit was clutch," said Ben Englehart, who went 4-for-4 with an RBI to lead Acalanes. "And then our pitcher was great. His fastball was going and his curveball was biting and it was
one of the better times I have seen it this year."

Amador Valley's Robbie LeClair was equally as impressive through the first 4-1/3 innings. LeClair kept Acalanes, which had scored 65 runs in its last five games, to one run on five hits.

In the bottom of the fifth, Acalanes finally figured out LeClair, tagging the senior for three hits and two runs in the inning. Acalanes added three more hits and two additional runs off reliever Kevin Johnson.

Amador Valley scored once in the third, fifth and seventh innings on RBI singles by Scottie David and Stephen Piscotty and a sacrifice fly by Piscotty, respectively.

Acalanes 5, Amador Valley 3

At College of Alameda

Amador Valley 001 -010 -1 -- 3 5 4
Acalanes         000 -122 -x -- 5 11 3

LeClair, Johnson (5) and Garwood; Emery and Stone. W: Emery (4-0). L: LeClair (4-3). 2B: Johnson (AV), Starkey (AV), Wallace (A), Guglielmo (A), Montero (A). Records: Amador Valley 9-6, Acalanes 12-0.

Highlights: AV -- LeClair 3 strikeouts, 7 hits, 2 earned runs; David 2-for-3, RBI; Piscotty 1-for-4, 2 RBI. A -- Emery 2 earned runs, 11 strikeouts, walk; Englehart 4-for-4, RBI; Wallace 2-for-3, walk; Guglielmo 2-for-3, RBI, run.

Today: Consolation final, Foothill vs. Washington, 9 a.m.; Third place -- Amador Valley vs. Encinal, 11:30 a.m.; Championship -- Acalanes vs. College Park, 2 p.m.

Acalanes answered any questions about its competitive edge Tuesday with a 5-3 win over Amador Valley in the semifinals of the Willie Stargell Easter Classic at College of Alameda.

Acalanes from Lafayette, The Chronicle's No. 2 team, had racked up five straight wins via the 10-run mercy rule, before twice fighting back from deficits to post its 12th straight win to start the season.

Acalanes, which rode a five-hit, 11-strikeout performance from hard-throwing right-hander Scott Emery and a 4-for-4 effort from leadoff man and shortstop Ben Englehart, advanced to today's championship game against College Park-Pleasant Hill.

Amador Valley-Pleasanton, which dropped to 9-6, plays host to Encinal-Alameda in the third-place game.

"We hadn't been in a dogfight for a while so this feels real good," said Englehart, who had three hits in a 10-0 win over Foothill-Pleasanton on Saturday. "We knew we weren't going to just cakewalk past these guys."

Not with Amador Valley throwing its ace, Robbie Leclair, who picked up the loss despite giving up only one earned run in 41/3 innings. Leclair was helped by some great defensive plays, including a spectacular catch in the first inning by center fielder Tommy Gale, a diving stab and perfect throw to first by third baseman Matt Saracco, and two double plays and a pair of assists by strong-armed catcher Wes Garwood.

But down 2-1, Acalanes got over the hump in the fifth with one out, as Englehart and Joey Wallace singled and Jake Floethe was hit by a pitch.

Mike Stone then grounded an infield single to the right of shortstop Bryce Miller to score Englehart. When the ball glanced off Miller's glove, Wallace also scored, giving Acalanes the lead for good.

"Even though things weren't exactly going our way, we never lost faith," Englehart said. "We have a ton of confidence in one another that one way or another things will work out."

It helped to have Emery, who struck out five in the first two innings, on the mound, utilizing a hard fastball and a nasty slider.

"My plan was to use nothing but fastballs and use the slider as my strikeout pitch," said Emery, whose strikeout total was a career high. "It all went pretty much according to plan."

Acalanes added two insurance runs in the sixth on back-to-back doubles from Mike Guglielmo and Dustin Montero, who came home on an infield hit by Englehart.

Amador Valley responded in the seventh before the game ended on one of the strangest plays imaginable. With two on and two outs, Stephen Piscotty hit a sharp grounder that took a wicked hop off the top of third baseman Joey Wallace's head and caromed all the way into right field.

Instead of scoring without a play from second base, Brent Starkey rounded third and stopped. Teammate Joe Young rounded second and was steaming into third when he had to skid to a halt. That left Piscotty hung out to dry between first and second.

Acalanes eventually tagged out Piscotty for the game's final out after Starkey crossed the plate, making the final score 5-3.

"It wasn't the prettiest game, but we'll take it," Englehart said.

Clinging to a 7-6 lead in the top of the seventh inning in the championship game of the 16th annual Willie Stargell Memorial Easter Classic, the Dons turned to their reserves for a game-changing play.

And Will Cote didn't disappoint.

Cote, who hadn't seen any action at the three-game tournament, sparked a five-run seventh inning with a bunt single to help Acalanes beat Diablo Foothill Athletic League foe College Park 12-7 at College of Alameda.

"It's all about the team," said Ben Englehart, who was named the tournament MVP after going 6-for-8 with two RBI in his last two games. "Here, we have a kid that hasn't played all
tournament and lays down a perfect bunt without complaining about having to bunt. Now, all of a sudden, we have three on and no outs."

Cote's bunt set up back-to-back RBI singles by Englehart and Joey Wallace and kick-started the final inning, in which the Dons (13-0) sent 10 batters to the plate.

After falling behind 6-2 after 31/2 innings, College Park (6-8) rallied back with two runs each in the third, fifth and sixth innings. Josh Nuyten helped key the third- and fifth-inning rallies with an RBI single in each frame. But Acalanes didn't panic and responded with five hits and a walk in the final inning.

High school 16th annual Willie Stargell Easter Classic
Championship Acalanes 12, College Park 7

At the College of Alameda

Acalanes 204 -001 -5 -- 12 15 3
College Park 002 -022 -1 -- 7 11 2

Miller, Applebury (5), Pestal (6)and Stone; Sidhu, Goonan (6) and Wells. W: Miller. L: Sidhu. 2B: Stone (A), Vink (CP). 3B: Goad.

Records: Acalanes 13-0, College Park 6-8.

Highlights: A -- Englehart 2-for-3, RBI, run, walk; Wallace 3-for-5, RBI, 2 runs; Stone 2-for-4, RBI, run; Emery 2-for-4, 3 RBI, run. CP -- Goonan 2-for-3, RBI, run; Nuyten 2-for-4, 2 RBI; Smith 2-for-4, RBI, run; Goad 2-for-3, run,

Acalanes 000 -010 -10 -- 2 4 7
College Park 001 -010 -01 -- 3 5 3

Guglielmo and Stone. Harr and Wells. W: Harr (3-3) L: Guglielmo

Records: College Park 7-8, 5-4 DFAL; Acalanes 13-1, 8-1 Highlights: CP -- Harr CG, 3 strikeouts, 4 walks; Goonan game-winning RBI.

=================================

DFAL
W L GB
Acalanes 8 1 --
Alhambra 6 3 2
Campolindo 6 3 2
College Park 5 4 3
Miramonte 5 4 3
Dublin 4 5 4
Las Lomas 4 5 4
Northgate 4 5 4
Concord 2 7 6
Mt. Diablo 1 8 7

Acalanes 104 -001 -0 -- 6 8 5
Campolindo 010 -030 -0 -- 4 4 1

Emery, Miller (6), Floethe (7) and Stone. Ousman, Gold (5), Gala (6) and Campbell. W: Emery (6-0). L: Ousman (3-2). S: Floethe (2). 2B: Floethe (A), Lee (A). HR: Emery (A) 3rd inn., 2 on; Lee (A) 3rd inn., 0 on.

Records: Acalanes 14-1, 9-1 DFAL; Campolindo 9-5, 6-4.

Highlights: A -- Emery 2-for-4, 4 RBI, 5 IP, 5 strikeouts; Lee 3-for-4, run, RBI. C -- Tanaka 1-for-3, 2 RBI.

==============================================

DFAL
W L GB
Acalanes 9 1 --
Alhambra 7 3 2
Campolindo 6 4 3
College Park 5 5 4
Miramonte 5 5 4
Dublin 5 5 4
Las Lomas 5 5 4
Northgate 4 6 5
Concord 3 7 6
Mt. Diablo 1 9 8

Mike Guglielmo (4-1) pitched a complete game to get the win for Acalanes (15-1, 10-1 DFAL), which remains in first place in the league standings.

Losing pitcher Brett Schneider (6-2) also went the distance for the Broncos (9-8, 4-7).

Scott Emery went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored and Jake Floethe was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run for Acalanes.

Northgate 011 -000 -0 -- 2 4 1
Acalanes   101 -002 -x -- 4 9 2

Schneider and Johnson; Guglielmo and Stone. W: Guglielmo (4-1). L: Schneider (6-2).

Records: Northgate 9-8, 4-7 DFAL; Acalanes 15-1, 10-1.

Highlights: N -- Schneider CG, 6 IP, 3 ER, 5 strikeouts. A -- Guglielmo CG, 1 ER, 4 strikeouts, 4 hits; Emery 2-for-2, RBI, run, walk; Floethe 2-for-3, RBI, run.

===============================

DFAL
W L GB
Acalanes 10 1 --
Alhambra 7 4 3
Campolindo 6 5 4
College Park 6 5 4
Miramonte 6 5 4
Las Lomas 6 5 4
Dublin 5 6 5
Northgate 4 7 6
Concord 4 7 6
Mt. Diablo 1 10 9

-- The Dons suffered their first loss of the season against College Park on April 17, and now teams like the Bulldogs are hoping to pick up where the Falcons left off and get back in the DFAL race. Alhambra played Acalanes tough in the teams' first meeting, as Dons ace Mike Guglielmo bested Matt Baesa in a 3-1. Expect the two pitchers to square off again the second time around.

Acalanes 000 -001 -3 -- 4 7 2
Alhambra 000 -000 -0 -- 0 5 8

Emery, Miller (7) and Stone; Baesa, Ward (7) and Hashimoto. W: Emery. L: Baesa (7-3). 2B: Stone (Aca).

Records: Acalanes 15-1, 12-1 DFAL; Alhambra 11-7, 7-5.

Highlights: Aca -- Floethe 3-for-4, 2 runs; Gugliemo 2-for-4; Emery 6 IP, 4 hits, 4 strikeouts, 2 walks. Alh -- Baesa 6 IP, 1 unearned run, 6 hits, 2 strikeouts, 2 walks.

==========================================

DFAL
W L GB
Acalanes 11 1 --
Alhambra 7 5 4
Campolindo 7 5 4
Las Lomas 7 5 4
Miramonte 7 5 4
College Park 6 6 5
Dublin 6 6 5
Northgate 4 8 7
Concord 4 8 7
Mt. Diablo 1 11 10

Las Lomas  000 -102 -0 -- 3 9 1
Acalanes    010 - 020 -1 -- 4 9 1

Peterson and Stanley; Guglielmo, Miller (7) and Stone. W: Miller (3-0). L: Peterson (4-3). 2B: Pestal (A). 3B: Emery (A).

Records: Las Lomas 9-9-1, 7-6 DFAL; Acalanes 17-1, 12-1 DFAL.

Highlights: LL -- Adkins 3-for-4, 1 run; Brensal 1-for-1, 2 RBI. A -- Emery 2-for-4, 3 RBI, game winning RBI; Guglielmo 6ª IP, 1 ER, 4 strikeouts.

====================================

DFAL
W L GB
Acalanes 12 1 --
Campolindo 8 5 4
Miramonte 8 5 4
Alhambra 7 6 5
Dublin 7 6 5
Las Lomas 7 6 5
College Park 6 7 6
Northgate 5 8 7
Concord 4 9 8
Mt. Diablo 1 12 11

Acalanes 000 -102 -0 -- 3 5 1
Dublin 000 -000 -0 -- 0 5 1

Emery, Miller (5) and Stone. Arata, Townsend (7) and Pasicka. W: Emery (8-0). L: Arata (3-6). 2B: Wallace (A).

Records: Acalanes 18-1, 13-1 DFAL; Dublin 9-11, 7-7.

Highlights: A -- Wallace 2-for-4, 2 runs; Stone 2-for-3, run, RBI.

=======================================

DFAL
W L GB
Acalanes 13 1 --
Miramonte 9 5 4
Campolindo 8 6 5
Las Lomas 8 6 5
Alhambra 7 7 6
Dublin 7 7 6
College Park 7 7 6
Northgate 6 8 7
Concord 4 10 9
Mt. Diablo 1 13 12

1. De La Salle 13-7 Assumes outright lead in the BVAL with a nine-inning win at Deer Valley
2. Acalanes 18-1 Can clinch at least a share of DFAL title with win against Miramonte today
3. Clayton Valley 17-3 Eagles stay hot with wins over Deer Valley and Heritage
4. Pinole Valley 16-4 Has outscored opponents 50-6 over its last five games
5. Deer Valley 16-5 Sees league title hopes wither after losses to Clayton Valley and De La Salle

Don's come back from 4-0 deficit to beat Miramonte

It wasn't the typical win for the Acalanes High School baseball team, but it got the job done.

Despite giving up four first-inning runs to visiting Miramonte, the Don's cam from behind to pick-up a 7-4 win and clinch the Diablo Foothill Athletic League championship outright. 

"It was a little different being down early," Acalanes second baseman Joe Wallace said.  "We haven't had many games like that this year.  But we're a pretty calm bunch, and we're confident we can score just as many runs (as our opponent)."

That confidence has led Acalanes (19-1, 14-1 DFAL) to one of the program's best seasons.  However, the Don's roster is loaded with seniors who experienced a DFAL title last year only to be upset in the first round of the playoffs.

"We try to forget about it, but it's still in the back of our minds," Wallace said.  "We're definitely looking to do something abut that this year."

Though he admitted it was a luxury to get the league title clinched and out of the way a week ahead of time, Acalanes coach Andy Tarpley doesn't want his team to take a foot off of the gas just yet.

"It's not time for us to get too relaxed," Tarpley said.  "We want to go to the playoffs hot, and we want to continue to keep getting better."

The Don's certainly got better as the game went on Tuesday.

After the Matadors (13-7, 9-6 DFAL) grabbed a 4-0 lead by taking advantage of a pair of run-scoring infield hits ad two bases-loaded walks, the Don's tied things up with fur runs in the second and took the lead with two more in the third.

Don's starter Mike Guglielmo (5-1) recovered from his first inning control problems to pitch six innings and get the win.  Mike Stone keyed Acalanes at the plate, going 3-for-4 with an RBI double in the fourth inning.

"It was very disappointing," Miramonte coach Vince Dell'Aquila said.  "You can't get up four runs and not et anymore.  (Acalanes) is one of the best teams in the state, so on one hand it's frustrating, and on the other hnd it was nice to see we could stay close with them."

Miramonte 400 -000 -0 -- 4 3 4
Acalanes    042 -100 -x -- 7 9 2

Vaccaro and Reuvekamp. Guglielmo, Miller (7) and Stone. W: Guglielmo (5-1). L: Vaccaro (6-3). S: Miller (1). 2B: Stone (A). Records: Miramonte 13-8, 9-6 DFAL; Acalanes 19-1, 14-1. Highlights: M -- Vidal 1-for-3, RBI; St. Lezin 1-for-4, run, RBI; Reuvekamp 0-for-1, 2 walks, RBI. A -- Stone 3-for-4, run, RBI; Emery 1-for-2, 2 runs; Guglielmo 2-for-3, 2 runs, RBI.

===========================================

DFAL
W L GB
Acalanes 14 1 -- Clinched DFAL Title
Miramonte 9 6 5
Campolindo 9 6 5
Las Lomas 8 7 6
Alhambra 8 7 6
Dublin 7 8 7
College Park 7 8 7
Northgate 7 8 7
Concord 5 10 9
Mt. Diablo 1 14 13

Concord 000 -030 -0 -- 3 10 0
Acalanes 102 -050 -x -- 8 11 2

Alexander, Lidwark (5), Ruiz (6) and Rogers; Applebury, Pestal (6) and Stone. W: Applebury (2-0). L: Alexander. S: Pestal (3). 2B: Floethe (A) 2, Englehart (A), Stone (A), Emery (A), Hurlbut (C).

Records: Concord 8-14, 5-11 DFAL; Acalanes 20-1, 15-1.

Highlights: C -- Hurlbut 2-for-4, 2 RBI. A -- Englehart 4-for-4, 3 runs; Floethe 3-for-4, 3 RBI, 2 runs; Stone 2-for-4, 2 RBI, run; Applebury 5 IP, 0 ER.

==========================================

DFAL
W L GB
Acalanes 15 1 -- Clinched DFAL Title
Campolindo 10 6 5
Miramonte 10 6 5
Alhambra 9 7 6
Las Lomas 8 8 6
College Park 8 8 7
Dublin 7 9 7
Northgate 7 9 7
Concord 5 11 9
Mt. Diablo 1 15 13

Acalanes    050 -(16)1 0 -0 -- 22 21 2
Mt. Diablo 120 -  0  0  0 -0 -- 3  6 4

Guglielmo, Applebury (5) and Stone, Nixon (5); Trettenero, Reece (4), Navaro (4), Oliva (6) and Shaikh, Chavez (5). W: Guglielmo (6-1). L: Trettenero (1-1). 2B: Floethe (A), Emery (A), Montero (A), Reece.

Records: Acalanes 21-1, 16-1 DFAL; Mt. Diablo 5-18, 1-16.

Highlights: A -- Floethe 3-for-3, 3 RBI; Stone 2-for-3, 2 RBI; Guglielmo 3-for-3, 2 RBI; Montero 3-for-4, 4 RBI. MD -- Reece 3-for-3, 2 RBI.

===================================

DFAL
W L GB
Acalanes 16 1 --
Campolindo 11 6 5
Miramonte 10 7 6
Alhambra 9 8 7
College Park 9 8 7
Las Lomas 9 8 7
Dublin 8 9 8
Northgate 7 10 9
Concord 5 12 11
Mt. Diablo 1 16 15

The Dons clinched the Diablo Foothill Athletic League championship outright on May 8 after defeating league rival Miramonte 7-4 in come-from-behind fashion.

Though he admitted it was a luxury to get the league title cinched and out of the way a week ahead of time, Acalanes coach Andy Tarpley doesn't want his team to take the foot off the gas just yet.

"It's not time for us to get too relaxed," Tarpley said on May 8. "We want to go into the playoffs hot, and we want to continue to keep getting better."

The Dons certainly have not relaxed.

Since then, Acalanes has beaten Northgate 12-8 and Mt. Diablo 22-3. The Dons finished the regular season against visiting College Park on Thursday after press time. They went into the finale with a five-game lead in the league standings.

The Acalanes offense has been on fire.  Against Mt. Diablo, Jake Floethe was 3-for-3 with three RBI, Mike Guglielmo was 3-for-3 with two RBI, Dustin Montero 3-for-4 with four RBI and Mike Stone 2-for-3 with two RBI. The Dons scored a whopping 16 runs in the fourth inning.

Pitching and defense has also been a key to the Dons' success. Guglielmo and Scott Emery have combined to go 14-1 through Tuesday. The rest of the pitching staff had gone 7-0.

Along with De La Salle and Pinole Valley, Acalanes is in the running for the No. 1 seed in the North Coast Section 2A East Bay playoffs. The seeding meeting is Sunday. The playoffs begin on Tuesday.
Acalanes was No. 2 behind De La Salle in this week's East Bay poll.

Acalanes went into the regular season finale at 21-1, 16-1 in the DFAL and oozing with confidence.
That confidence has led Acalanes to one of the program's best seasons, even bettering last year's 19-6 record that included a 14-4 mark in league play.

However, the Dons' roster is loaded with seniors who experienced a DFAL title last year only to be upset in the first round of the playoffs.

"We try to forget about it, but it's still in the back of our minds," second baseman Joe Wallace said after the Miramonte win. "We're definitely looking to do something about that this year."

The Dons are well on their way.

College Park 100 -000 -0 -- 1 5 0
Acalanes       230 -100 -x -- 6 8 2

Harr and Holcomb. Emery, Applebury (6), Miller (7) and Stone. W: Emery (8-0). L: Harr (4-6). 2B: Englehart (A).

Records: Acalanes 22-1, 17-1 DFAL; College Park 11-13, 9-9.

Highlights: A -- Floethe 2-for-2, 2 RBI, run; Wallace 2-for-3, RBI, 2 runs; Emery 5 IP, 5 hits, ER. CP -- Goonan 1-for-2, run.

====================================

Final DFAL
W L GB
Acalanes 17 1 --  DFAL Champions
Campolindo 11 7 6
Miramonte 11 7 6
Alhambra 9 9 8
College Park 9 9 8
Dublin 9 9 8
Las Lomas 9 9 8
Northgate 8 10 9
Concord 6 12 11
Mt. Diablo 1 17 16

-- After knocking off No. 9 Northgate in the first round on May 22, the No. 8 Jets will look for the upset when they hit the road to take on the top-seeded Dons.

Acalanes 7, Encinal 0:

The No. 1 Dons pounded out six runs in the second inning and Mike Guglielmo kept No. 8 Encinal to just three hits through six innings as Acalanes advanced to the NCS 2A semifinals.

Acalanes (23-1) waited exactly one inning to break out the big guns but, before the Dons got the chance, Encinal pitcher Zach Boyd helped get them started by hitting both T.C. Lee and Guglielmo with one out in the second.

After an error by Encinal's Blaine Webber and a line out by Acalanes' James Matthew, the Dons let loose. Ben Englehart knocked in two with a single, and consecutive doubles by Joe Wallace, Jake Floethe and Mike Stone put the Jets (15-11) six runs down.

"These guys stick with the approach, they don't get selfish, they work the count and we found some gaps today," Acalanes coach Andy Tarpley said. "It might have been offensively a statement inning but it was a statement game with the zero (runs allowed). They can't win if they don't score."

Making that statement on the mound was Guglielmo. The right-hander pitched to contact effectively, letting his infield do most of the work for him. Of the 18 outs Guglielmo induced, 14 came via the ground ball, including two double plays.

Lee finished off the scoring in the fifth inning with a solo home run to left field. Kevin Williams went 2-for-3 to account for two of Encinal's three hits.

Encinal 000 -000 -0 -- 0 3 1
Acalanes 060 -010 -x -- 7 10 0

Boyd and Kondo. Guglielmo, Miller (7) and Stone. W: Guglielmo (7-1). L: Boyd (4-7). 2B: Floethe (A) 2, Stone (A), Wallace (A), Guglielmo. HR: Lee (A), 5th inn., none on.

Records: Encinal 15-11, Acalanes 23-1.

Highlights: E -- Kevin Williams 2-for-3. A -- Englehart 2-for-3, run, 2 RBI; Floethe 2-for-4, run, RBI; Lee 2-for-3, 2 runs, RBI; Guglielmo 1-for-3, run, HBP, 6 IP, 0 runs, 3 hits, walk.

Acalanes 7, Campolindo 5:

Dons starting pitcher Scott Emery spotted the visiting Cougars three runs in the first inning, then helped his team climb back at the plate as Acalanes rallied for the win in an NCS 2A East Bay semifinal.

Emery's triple in the third inning scored both Joe Wallace and Mike Stone to tie the game at 3-3. Emery, who went 3-for-4, hit an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth to break a 4-4 tie.

"I've said it before," Emery said. "With this team, with our lineup, we're never out of the game."  Things didn't look good for the No. 1 seed Dons (24-1) early on, as No. 5 Campolindo (16-9) jumped on Emery in the first inning.

With two on and one out, the Cougars' Dwight Tanaka blasted the second pitch he saw to deep left field. The ball appeared to be a home run, but the umpire called it a ground-rule double.

"I threw a fastball down the middle of the plate and you can't do that," Emery said.

Tanaka's blast only scored Tom Wraith, but Tanaka and Steve Gala came in on a single by Bryce Metzler for the 3-0 lead.

"We're just two good ball teams and we like to compete," said Cougars starter Nick Ousman, who pitched five innings. "They hit the ball today and we hit the ball today, but they scored more runs in the end."

Ousman left the game trailing 5-4, but the Dons tacked on two more in the bottom of the sixth on a double by Jake Floethe.

Campolindo 300 -100 -1 -- 5  7  0
Acalanes      004 -102 -X -- 7 10 0

Ousman, Wirth (6) and Campbell. Emery, Miller (5), Gugliemo (7) and Stone. W: Emery (10-0) L: Ousman (8-3) S: Gugliemo. 2B: Tanaka (C), Ousman (C), Floethe (A). 3B: Emery (A).

Records: Acalanes 24-1, Campolindo 16-9

Highlights: C -- Metzler 1-for-3, 2 RBI, run; Tanaka 1-for-3 RBI; A -- Emery 3-for-4, 3 RBI; Stone 2-for-3, RBI; Floethe 1-for-2, 2 walks, 2 RBI

MVP
Scott Emery (Acalanes), Sr.

Most Valuable Pitcher
Nick Ousman (Campolindo), Sr.

FIRST TEAM
Matt Baesa (Alhambra), Sr.; Mike Guglielmo (Aca), Sr.; Mike Payumo (Northgate), Sr.; Max Mayeri (Miramonte), Sr.; T.C. Lee (Aca), Sr.; Matt Ysunza (Alh), Sr.; John Vaccaro (Mira), So.; Joey Wallace (Aca), Sr.; Jake Floethe (Aca), Sr.; Dwight Tanaka (Cam), Sr.; Will Bourgein (Mir), Jr.; Aaron Plimmer (Dublin), Sr.; Mike Stone (Aca), Sr.; Jake Adkins (Las Lomas), Sr.; Jeremy Dorn (LL), Sr.

SECOND TEAM
Brett Schneider (Nor), Sr.; David Peterson (LL), Jr.; Chip Hayashi (Nor), Sr.; Sergio Nunez (MD), Sr.; Michael Corniola (Dub), Sr.; Taylor Lee (Mira), Sr.; Ben Englehart (Aca), Sr.; Chris Reece (MD), Jr.; Nick Ditomasso (Nor), Sr.; Joe Dell'Anno (Nor), Jr.; Kyle Adkins (LL), Sr.; Kevin Stanley (LL), Sr.; Chris Pelayo (Nor), So.; Brandon Arata (Dub), Sr.

Dominant Dons polish off Albany
Stone's grand slam is one of 17 Acalanes hits in the 2A East Bay title game

UNION CITY -- At the beginning of the season, the Acalanes High School baseball team set three goals for itself: Win the Diablo Foothill Athletic League, go undefeated and win a North Coast Section championship.

Two out of three ain't bad.

The No. 1 seeded Dons capped a dominant season with an offensive explosion on Saturday, collecting 17 hits to defeat No. 3 Albany 16-3 in the NCS 2A East Bay championship at James Logan High. It is Acalanes' first section title since 1998.

There was no doubt from the very beginning as to what Acalanes (25-1) intended on doing Saturday. Ben Englehart drew a leadoff walk before Joe Wallace, Jake Floethe, Mike Stone and Scott Emery rattled off consecutive singles to make the score 3-0 after one inning.

As confident as the Dons must have felt following that barrage, it was nothing compared to what they felt after Stone put the game away with a mammoth grand slam in the second inning.

The bomb came on a 2-1 fastball from Albany starter Graeme Agate and cleared the fence in left-center field with plenty of room to spare, running the score to 8-0.

"I was looking fastball," Stone said. "He missed on the pitch before with a curve and so I figured he was going to throw a fastball and I got my pitch."

Albany (18-6-1) never got into an offensive groove of its own, due mostly to an extremely good outing from Acalanes starter Mike Guglielmo. After allowing a pair of singles in the second inning, Guglielmo retired the last 10 batters he faced before coming out after five innings.

"They're a very good team and they're an even better team when they're playing with the lead," Albany coach Jim Giblin said. "From the very beginning it seemed like we took a step back. We're a young team. We've got four seniors, three that start, and hopefully they learned something."

The Cougars offense made its only mark in the seventh inning, as Ellis Stephney, Nana Yiadom and Zach Babitt all drove in runs to make the score 16-3.

The win brought to a close a season in which Acalanes captured its third DFAL title in the last five years. In four postseason games, Acalanes outscored its opponents 28-8 and Saturday's 17 hits represented the fifth time in sixth games that the Dons had 10 or more hits.

"This is something they've targeted all year long," Acalanes coach Andy Tarpley said. "Just to get to this game and give ourselves a chance to win an NCS championship, and we did."

To get a feel for just how dominant the Dons were on Saturday, one needn't have looked further than the line of leadoff man Ben Englehart. Englehart was 1-for-3 on the day but reached base all five times he came to the plate. He reached twice on errors, walked twice, singled, scored three runs and had an RBI.

Acalanes 353 -014 -0 -- 16 17 3
Albany 000 -000 -3 -- 3 6 5
At James Logan HS

Guglielmo, Applebury (6), Miller (7) and Stone. Agate, Shipley (2), Spence (6) and Murakawa. W: Guglielmo (8-1). L: Agate (6-3). 2B: Montero (Aca), Matthew (Aca), Wallace (Aca), Stephney (Alb). 3B: Babitt (Alb). HR: Stone (Aca), 2nd inn., 3 on.

Records: Acalanes 25-1, Albany 18-6-1.

Highlights: Aca -- Stone 3-for-5, run, 8 RBI; Matthew 2-for-3, walk, 3 runs, 2 RBI; Wallace 2-for-5, HBP, 4 runs; Guglielmo 5 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 4 strikeouts, walk. Alb -- Stephney 2-for-3, RBI; Yiadom 1-for-3, RBI; Babitt 1-for-3, walk, RBI.

ACALANES (visitor)
1. Ben Englehart, SS
2. Joe Wallace, 2B
3. Jake Floethe, 3B
4. Mike Stone, C
5. Scott Emery, DH /Matt Ross, 1B
6. T.C. Lee, LF
7. Mike Guglielmo, P
8. Dustin Montero, CF
9. James Matthew, RF

ACALANES FIRST
This season's best 2nd-Team All-League shortstop, Ben Englehart, leads off the game with a walk. Joe Wallace follows by raking a 1-1 pitch for a clean single into left field, runners now on first and second with nobody out. If you didn't know this already, Acalanes can flat hit...Jake Floethe follows with a sharp hit single that skips right under the glove of Albany third baseman Kyle Shipley. The hit parade continues with a two-run single to left by Mike Stone, and Acalanes leads 2-0. Still nobody out...Scott Emery hits a long fly ball that the wind helps turn into a single off the left field fence, another run in. It's now 3-0, nobody out...Albany gets their first out on a pop out to short by T.C. Lee. The Cougars then get a break when Mike Guglielmo's short flyball is caught by left field by Nana Yiadom, and then doubles Stone off of second base. The damage is done. 3 Runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 1 Left on base. 3-0 Acalanes.

ALBANY FIRST
Dons ace Mike Guglielmo starts his game off by getting Zach Babitt to strike out swinging. Junna Murakawa hits a high chopper to third base and is gunned down by Floethe. Graeme Agate draws a five-pitch walk Agate advanced to second on a throwing error by Guglielmo in an attempted pickoff. The pitcher bounces back by striking out Kyle Shipley to end the inning. 0 Runs, 0 hits, 1 error, 1 Left on base. Acalanes 3-0.

ACALANES SECOND
Dustin Montero opened things off with a stand-up double to straightaway left. Montero moved to third on a passed ball. Albany brought its infield in, and that moves backfires as James Matthew shoots a laser shot past a lunging Babitt at shortstop for another hit and RBI. Englehart follows with a chopper to shortstop, but the throw to first is in the dirt and everybody is safe as Matthew goes to third. Agate then hits Wallace on a 1-1 pitch and Acalanes leads 4-0 with the bases loaded and no outs...Floethe is retired on a popout to second, but Stone clears the bases with a mammoth grand slam to left field for his second hit and third, fourth, fifth and sixth RBI of the game. It's now 8-0 Acalanes, and Albany coach Jim Giblin makes a pitching change...Shipley replaces Agate on the hill and is immediately met with another Acalanes rally. Emery reached on an error and Lee singled to center. Guglielmo grounds into a force at third for the second out of the inning and Montero grounded out to second base to end the inning. The second-inning nightmare ends for the Cougars. 5 Runs, 4 Hits, 2 Errors, 2 Left on base. Acalanes 8-0.

ALBANY SECOND
Brandon Adney leads off with a ground out to short. Guglielmo gets John Hicks to strike out looking for out No. 2. Josh Spence got the Cougars first hit of the game on a high chopper to third base and moved to second when Floethe's throw soared over first base. Ellis Stephney followed with a clean single to left field that put runners on the corners. Guglielmo escapes the jam with a swinging strikeout of Nana Yiadom. 0 Runs, 2 Hits, 1 Error, 2 Left on base. Acalanes 8-0.

ACALANES THIRD
Matthew opens things up with yet another hit for the Dons, this one a rocket double to the right-center field gap. Englehart then hit a routine grounder to short, and Babitt's throwing struggles continue as he skips it past the bag and another run scores as Englehart goes to second and Acalanes leads 9-0 as the game continues to spiral out of control for the Cougars...A wild pitch followed by an RBI double by Wallace and its now 10-0...For those scoring at home, that was hit No. 10 for Acalanes...Floethe reached on an error, and Stone proved human as he grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Wallace scored his third run of the game on the play and its now 11-0...Emery strikes out to end the side. 3 Runs, 2 Hits, 2 Errors, 0 Left on base. Acalanes 11-0.

ALBANY THIRD
Babitt gronds out with a sharply hit ball to second base. Murakawa was retired on a soft liner to right field. Agate then ends the frame with a groundout to second. Guglielmo needed just nine pitches. 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 Left on base. Acalanes 11-0.

ACALANES FOURTH
T.C. Lee flied out to center to open the inning and Guglielmo followed with a groundout to second. Shipley tosses an eight-pitch perfect inning after Montero lined out to center. 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 Left on base. Acalanes 11-0.

ALBANY FOURTH
Shipley opens the inning with a flyout to left field. Brandon Adney was then retired on a ground ball to third. Englehart closed the inning with a strong play at shortstop, going to his left and making a strong throw to first to get John Hicks. Guglielmo needed just eight pitches this time around. 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 Left on base. Acalanes 11-0.

ACALANES FIFTH
Mathews is retired on a grounder to second for the first out, but Englehart takes the next pitch and shoots it up the middle for a one-out hit. Englehart has now reached base all four times. An excuse-me swing by Wallace leads to a fielders-choice at second base, denying Englehart his chance at a fourth run scored. Floethe singled to left and an infield single by Stone gets his seventh RBI with a bad-hop single off the second baseman. Emery strikes out looking to end the inning. 1 Run, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 Left on base. Acalanes 12-0.

ALBANY FIFTH
We're now officially on shutout watch for Guglielmo. He's thrown just 62 pitches over the first four innings, giving up two hits while striking out four. Spence opened the Cougars half of the inning by fouling out to third base -- Floethe made a fantastic catch sliding into the extended backstop. Stephney lined out to second and Yiadom's bunt attempt was easily handled by Guglielmo for a 1-3 putout. 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 Left on base. Acalanes 12-0.

ACALANES SIXTH
Spencer Cuiper pinch hit for Lee to open the inning and, like all every teammate before him, gets a hit. Cuiper singled to right. Will Cote pinch hit for Guglielmo and reached on the Cougars fifth error of the game. The parade of pinch hitters continues as Robbie Pestal bats and promptly bloops a single over second base. Shipley's day on the mound ends after a bases-loaded walk to
Matthew makes it 13-0 Acalanes...Spence moves from first base to the pitching rubber and, lucky him, will face the top of the Dons lineup. Englehart draws a five-pitch walk and if you 13 runs in the pool, you're extremely disappointed. It's now 14-0, bases loaded, no outs. The flood gates aren't open, they've been washed away...Spence gets Wallace on a strikeout. Floethe shoots a single to center, it's now 15 and counting. Stone steps in the box, and after his best attempt at grand slam No. 2, hits into an RBI fielders choice as Babitt makes a nice play to get Floethe at second base. The designated hitter is removed and Matt Ross hits for himself. He grounds out to third and the inning ends, mercifully. 4 Runs, 3 Hits, 1 Error, 2 Left on base. Acalanes 16-0.

ALBANY SIXTH
Andy Applebury is now pitching for the Dons, which closes the book on Guglielmo. Babitt leads off the inning with a walk. Stone's day just keeps getting better as he becomes just the third catcher this year to throw out Babitt trying to steal. Babitt entered the day with 30-for-32 in stolen base attempts. Murakawa follows with a one-out single to right field. After a wild pitch moves Murakawa to second, Agate flied out to left. The inning ends when Shipley lines out Wallace at second. 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 Left on base. Acalanes 16-0.

ACALANES SEVENTH
T.C. Lee opens the inning with the Dons 17th hit of the afternoon, a single to left. Guglielmo re-enter to hit and flies out to left. Montero walks, and Sean Nixon bats for Matthew. Nixon grounds into a 4-6-3 double play and so ends the Dons day at the plate. 0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors, 0 Left on base. Acalanes 16-0.

ALBANY SEVENTH
Donny Miller comes on to pitch the seventh for the Dons. Adney opens things off by reaching on an error. Spencer McNamara pinch hits and draws a walk as Miller is doing his best Kiko Calero impersonation: Doing everything but getting outs. Miller rebounds with a strikeout of Spence...Stephney ends the shutout with a double over Montero's head in center field. One run scored, but Stephney got hung out to dry when Spence stopped at third base and he was promptly tagged out for the second out of the inning. Yiadom beat out an infield hit for the Cougars second run and Babitt followed with a triple to right. It's now 16-3 Acalanes...Miller strikes out Murakawa for the final out. 3 Runs, 3 Hits, 1 Errors, 1 Left on base. FINAL: Acalanes 16, Albany 3

The final linescore..
Acalanes, 16 Runs, 17 Hits, 3 Errors; Albany 3 Runs, 6 Hits, 5 Errors.

Not much analysis needed for this one. Acalanes simply did what it's done all season long, and that's hit the baseball. It was the fifth time in six games that Dons compiled 10 hits or more. Albany just didn't have an answer for their relentless offensive attack. Stone clearly is the player of the game, finishing 3-for-5 with 8 RBI. Guglielmo was also impressive on the mound as he pitched two-hit ball over five innings. With just four seniors on the team, a young Albany team can hang its hat on a strong season and a promising future.

Tuesday's first round
Encinal 7, No. 9 Northgate (13-12) 4
Campolindo 3, No. 12 Las Lomas (11-13-1) 1

Wednesday's first round
Alhambra 9, No. 7 Miramonte (15-10) 7
Piedmont 5, No. 11 El Cerrito (12-12-1) 02A EAST BAY

Friday's quarterfinals
Acalanes 7, No. 8 Encinal (15-11) 0
Campolindo 5, No. 4 San Lorenzo (16-9) 3 (8 inn.)

Saturday's quarterfinals
St. Mary's 2, No. 10 Alhambra (14-12) 0
Albany 16, No. 6 Piedmont (20-6) 0

Wednesday's semifinals
Acalanes 7, No. 5 Campolindo (16-9) 5
Albany 8, No 2. St. Mary's (23-2) 6

Saturday's championship
No. 1 Acalanes (25-1) 16, No. 3 Albany (18-6-1) 3

1. De La Salle 21-7 Taylor Reid picks up three wins as the Spartans roll to sixth NCS 3A East Bay title
2. Acalanes 25-1 Offensive powerhouse scores 16 runs in 2A East Bay final, routs Albany
3. Alameda 23-5 Hornets' bid for 3A repeat comes up one win shy as they fall 4-1 to De La Salle
4. Clayton Valley 22-5 Sean Burns gives up one earned run in 14 innings, carries Eagles to semis
5. Livermore 19-8 Upstart Cowboys prove legit as they reach the 3A semifinals before falling to DLS
6. Deer Valley 19-7 May have run out of gas as team falls to Livermore in 3A quarterfinals
7. St. Mary's 23-2 Panthers are stunned 8-6 by Albany in a 2A semifinal upset
8. California 16-10 Season ends at De La Salle for the second time in three seasons; Grizzlies fall 7-5
9. James Logan 20-8 Colts push Clayton Valley to the limit before falling 5-4 in 3A quarterfinals
10. Albany 18-6-1 Strong postseason run ends in a lopsided loss to Acalanes in the 2A final
11. San Ramon Valley (14-12), 12. Salesian (19-8), 13. Pinole Valley (19-6), 14. Campolindo (16-9), 15. Berkeley (15-10).Also receiving votes: Monte Vista (15-10), Amador Valley (16-9), Bishop O'Dowd (16-9), Berean Christian (22-7), San Lorenzo (16-9), Piedmont (15-10).

The baseball poll incorporates all East Bay high schools and is compiled by the staffs of Contra Costa Newspapers and the Alameda Newspaper Group. Records are through Saturday.

NAME: Mike Stone

SCHOOL: Acalanes

SPORT: Baseball

YEAR: Senior

POSITION: Catcher

THE SKINNY: Stone hit a grand slam and had eight RBI in the Dons' 16-3 win over Albany in the NCS 2A Championship. He also went 2-for-3 with an RBI in the Dons' 7-5 semifinal win over Campolindo.

FAVORITE SUBJECT: History

FAVORITE ATHLETE: Baron Davis

FAVORITE FOOD: Mexican

FAVORITE MUSICAL ARTIST: Mac Dre

FAVORITE MOVIE: "The Departed"

Acalanes

Nick Ferrif, Water polo and Swimming:

An All-Times selection in both sports, Ferrif was named to the All-NCS and All-DFAL first teams in water polo. During the season, he recorded 75 goals, had a combined 45 steals and blocks and drew 30 kickouts. In swimming, he qualified to swim four events at the NCS championships.

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Jordan Fillmore, Basketball:

With his size and shooting touch, Fillmore beat opponents both in the paint and on the wing. He averaged 16.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, four blocks in 34 contests and was a big reason the Dons won their first NCS title since 1980. Fillmore helped Acalanes to a 26-5 record and an appearance in the CIF NorCal championship game.

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Ben Englehart, Baseball:

As the leadoff hitter for the Dons.  Englehart was the spark plug for perhaps the best offense in the East Bay.  He batted a team-leading .476 over 24 games to help lead Acalanes to the NCS 2A East Bay Championship game with a 24-1 record.  The senior shortstop also scored 32 runs, hit six doubles, two triples and had 26 RBI.  He struck out just three times in 82 at-bats.

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Joey Wallace, Basketball, Baseball:

The the winter, Wallace did a little bit of everything as a starting member of a Dons Basketball team which went 25-5 and reached the CIF NorCal final.  Though the long Basketball season meant a late arrival to the Baseball diamond, Wallace still hit .441 with eight doubles, 10 RBI, 17 stolen bases and 29 runs scored.  Wallace became one of the few Acalanes student/athletes to be part of two NCS Championship teams in the same year.

Baseball: All- Times First Team

Ben Englehart

SCHOOL: Acalanes

YEAR: Senior

POSITION: Shortstop

THE SKINNY: Englehart had the privilege of setting the table for one of the best offensive teams the NCS 2A East Bay division has seen in a long time. And he certainly knew how to set the table. He hit .471 with 40 hits and an on-base percentage of .545. He scored 35 runs, went 11-for-12 in stolen-base attempts, and struck out just three times in 85 at-bats.

WHAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW: Prior to each of his games, Englehart pumps himself up by listening to an orchestral score from the soundtrack of "Lord of the Rings:The Two Towers".

Baseball: All- Times First Team

Mike Stone

SCHOOL: Acalanes

YEAR: Senior

POSITION: Catcher

THE SKINNY: Stone was rock solid as the backstop and cleanup hitter for the Dons this season. A bit overshadowed through much of the regular season, Stone was impossible to miss in the playoffs as he went 6-for-11 with 10 RBI in three games. He finished the season batting .411 with 39 hits and a team-leading 35 RBI.

WHAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW: Stone says his favorite TV shows are "Entourage" and "The Sopranos".

2B Joe Wallace (Acalanes), Was Mr. Consistent for the Dons as he hit .444 with nine doubles and 33 runs scored

3B Jake Floethe (Acalanes), Fresno State-bound Floethe led the Dons with 13 doubles and was second with 34 RBI

UT Scott Emery (Acalanes), DFAL MVP went 9-0 with a 1.90 ERA, hit .360 and drove in 27 RBI for the Dons.

Tarpley will take on the role of hitting and outfield coach with the Vikings.

"Pretty much when I got into coaching, this is what I wanted to do," Tarpley said. "I've always wanted to get into the college level, and it felt like it's what I needed to dive into at this time."

It's no surprise that DVC coach Bob Ralston sought out Tarpley to be his hitting coach, especially after the offensive prowess his 2007 Acalanes team displayed on its way to finishing 25-1 and winning the North Coast Section 2A East Bay championship. In the title game, six of the Dons' nine starters had batting averages of .350 or higher.

"He's going to bring a lot of energy," said Ralston, whose relationship with Tarpley dates back to the early 1990s. "He's real passionate about baseball, particularly about the hitting part of the game. He's going to be a big plus for our program, and he's going to play a big part in it."

Tarpley might have picked just the right time to play a part in the DVC program. The Vikings are coming off a promising first season under Ralston, who previously coached at Clayton Valley High for eight years. DVC went 25-17 and reached the Sacramento Super Regional after a first-round playoff upset of San Mateo. The Vikings parlayed that success into a strong recruiting season.

Among the high-profile players who have committed to play for the Vikings next year are Alameda's Kenny Arnerich, Berean Christian's Mitch Petrak and as many as four players from Tarpley's championship team at Acalanes, including All-Times first-team shortstop Ben Englehart and first-team
catcher Mike Stone.

Even though he felt the time was right, Tarpley said leaving the Dons wasn't easy.

"It was very tough," Tarpley said. "I told the principal and athletic director that I would not have received this opportunity without them. I was very fortunate that they took a chance on hiring a head coach without head coaching experience."

Tarpley left Acalanes with an overall record of 62-15 and a 43-11 mark in the Diablo Foothill Athletic League. He expects to take an active role in the hiring of his replacement.

"It's like I built a very nice house," Tarpley said. "And now I'm selling that house, and I'm very proud of it."