Baseball: Alameda High Bests Encinal

The baseball team cruised to a 15-3 victory over crosstown rival Wednesday afternoon at Stargell Field.

Playing in front of more than 200 fans, the Hornets, a team ranked No. 1 in the East Bay by The Oakland Tribune, started off slowly but quickly picked up the pace on their way to the win.

"You never know what can happen in a rivalry game," said Alameda High coach Ken Arnerich. "We played very well today."

Alameda High's record for the season is now 15-1.

Last week, Alameda  the Hornets' methodical 19-5 win over Berkeley High. While the lopsided final score was unusual, given Berkeley's strong program, the competition between Alameda and Encinal is even more fierce.

"Going into this game, I really didn't know what to expect," said Arnerich. "There's been years we I've had good clubs and years when they've had good clubs. You just never know in this game."

Wednesday's triumph marked the eighth victory in 10 contests between the two successful programs (according to MaxPreps.com), a streak which stretches back to the 2005-06 season.

"Encinal always has their moments," said John Ruck, who, in addition to serving as Alameda's starting catcher, is also the starting quarterback on the football team. "They jumped out early," he said. "But we hit the ball hard on offense and the ball started dropping. It was an all-around team effort."

If there is one player who understands the crosstown rivalry, Ruck might be that athlete. On the football field, the Hornets' have struggled against the Jets, with  Alameda 27-12 last fall.

For the schools, separated by just 2.5 miles, victory brings bragging rights. 

"Every sport, we get extra excited to play them," said Ruck. "It's a little more fun now because we actually beat them in baseball."

"All these kids (from both teams), have played together since Little League," said Arnerich. "I know as many parents from the Encinal side as I do from the Alameda side."

STANDS HAVE THE FEVER, TOO

Some of the comments heard from the stands in the bottom of the seventh inning:

"Oh, c'mon blue!"

"That was a strike!"

"Let's go, Hornets! CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP"

"You can do it Jets!"

"The ump must have dinner reservations tonight!"

The bleachers at the Stargell diamond were filled to the top row, and even with the contest well in hand, fans on both sides were still very much into what was happening on the field. 

"Always fun," said Alameda resident and high school fan Dwayne Gutak. "These kids are out here, doing positive things, and it's great to see. This is what Alameda is all about right here."

"They've had some amazing players over the years, just as we have had," said Encinal coach Jim Saunders. "That's the fun part of facing each other."

Updated, April 29: Changed "sixth straight victory" to "8 of 10 contests."

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