Piedmont High School’s baseball team split a pair of showdown games with Bishop O’Dowd, then dropped a non-league contest to St. Mary’s-Albany.
The Highlanders began their week on April 24, falling to the Dragons at home, 9-5. Bishop O’Dowd got off to a strong start, taking a 9-0 lead through the first 5 ½ innings. But Piedmont rallied, scoring four in the bottom of the seventh and having the bases loaded with one out.
However, Bishop O’Dowd’s Ryan Schuh got Dimitri Papahadjopoulos into a double-play to end the game.
Earlier in the inning, Sammy Ragones singled in one run and Jordan Vo doubled in another. Diego Delventhal singled in one and Will Parker drove in another when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Schuh came on after Vo’s double with nobody out and runners on second and third. John Olsen took the loss for Piedmont, going the first three innings and allowing two runs on one hit with two strikeouts and four walks.
Bishop O’Dowd broke the game open with a five-run fourth off of Ellis Moss. Vander Cole capped the inning with a two-run single. Nikolas Haas went the first six for Bishop O’Dowd, gaining the win and allowing one run on
three hits with six strikeouts and one walk.
Delventhal went 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
Rashad Hayes went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored to lead the Dragons.
The Highlanders turned the tables on April 26, winning the rematch at Bishop O’Dowd, 4-2.
Seve Sanchez pitched a complete game to get the victory for Piedmont, allowing two unearned runs on four hits with 10 strikeouts against one walk. Markos Lagios led the offense with two home runs, finishing 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Parker went 2-for-3. Lagios led off the game with a home run to left. He came back up in the second with Vo on
base and put one out to right. Jack Meyjes singled in a run in the sixth for the Highlanders. Sanchez allowed a run in the fifth and then one in the seventh on a Cole Jones single. Sanchez then walked Hayes and a wild pitch moved the runners up to second and third. But Sanchez then struck out Ben Skiles to end the game.
On April 27, host St. Mary’s used a seven-run fifth to score a 12-2 mercy rule win over Piedmont. Mateo Morales hit a three-run home run to end the game. He also hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the third to break a 1-1 tie. Morales finished 2-for-4 with six RBIs.
The Panthers hit four home runs in the game, with Brandon Sanchez and Bryce Gilmore also going deep.
The Highlanders managed just five hits in five innings off of Damien Nolan. He struck out seven and walked three for the win. Meyjes took the loss, going three innings and allowing four runs on four hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Meyjes singled in one run for Piedmont. Papahadjopoulos hit a sacrifice fly for the other.
The Highlanders next face Berkeley on the road on May 1.