The Piedmont High School baseball team split a pair of games with Berkeley on March 30-31, moving to 7-4 on the season.
The Highlanders won at home on March 30, 4-2. The Yellowjackets returned the favor at home the next day, 6-0.
On March 30, Piedmont jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first two innings and got strong pitching from John Olsen, Seve Sanchez, and Ryan McConathy. Olsen went the first four to get the win, allowing one run on three hits with four strikeouts against a walk. Sanchez went the next two, allowing a run on two hits with two strikeouts against no walks. McConathy pitched the seventh for the save, walking two and striking out two, but getting out of the inning without allowing a run.
The Highlanders managed just three hits on the day, but got enough offense early to get the win.
Michael Aikawa led off the first with a walk. Two outs later, Will Parker singled him in. In the second, Olsen and Ellis Moss both drew one-out walks. Liam Campbell attempted a bunt and an error on the throw sent Olsen in for one run. Aikawa was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Markos Lagios and Peter Krumins then walked to force two more runs in.
Yellowjacket starting pitcher William Polishuk was then removed in favor of William O’Brien, who was strong the rest of the way, pitching 4 2/3 innings and allowing no runs on two hits with six strikeouts and two walks.
The next day, it was the Daniel Beadles show as the junior hurled six innings of one-hit ball for Berkeley. He struck out eight and walked two. Mohamed Mohamed pitched the seventh and struck out one.
Krumins started for Piedmont and allowed two runs on three hits in four innings. He struck out three and walked four. Jackson Ehrlich hit a two-out, two-run double in the fourth to give Beadles all the runs he needed.
Dimitri Papahadjopoulos took over in the fifth for the Highlanders. He immediately was touched for a walk and a two-run home run off the bat of Leo Asfar. Three Piedmont errors in the inning gave Berkeley another run. Another error in the sixth handed the Yellowjackets an insurance run.
On March 25, the Highlanders fell at home to St. Joseph Notre Dame as the Pilots scored four runs in the top of the seventh to steal a 4-3 victory.
An error and two walks loaded the bases with one out for St. Joseph Notre Dame. Robbie Fintland singled in two runs. With two outs, Cameron Murphy singled in the tying run and Joshua Vonnegut reached on an infield single to knock in the go-ahead run.
Aikawa had allowed just two hits entering the inning. He struck out 10 in 6 2/3 innings with four walks and four hits. Only one of the runs in the seventh was earned.
Piedmont scored all of its runs in the fifth. Lagios walked with two outs and Krumins followed with a single. Parker then singled in both. McConathy followed with a double to knock in Parker.
Daniel Velichko started for the Pilots and went six innings, allowing five hits while striking out eight and walking three. Noah Klube pitched the seventh for the save.
Photos by Mark Aikawa