Highlanders fall at home, win on road
Piedmont High School’s baseball team handed powerful Castro Valley its first loss of the West Alameda County Conference Foothill division season with a 3-2 road win on April 25. That earned the Highlanders a split of an important two-game series.
Pitcher Jack Meyjes helped the cause early, wiggling out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam allowing just one run. An error, a single and a walk loaded the bases. Meyjes got an infield grounder by Braden Spade, allowing a run to score but getting a key second out. David Colon was then thrown out trying to steal home to kill the threat.
The Highlanders took immediate advantage of three consecutive one-out walks from Owen Seidel in the second. An error brought home one run and a bases-loaded walk brought home another. A wild pitch by reliever Ryan Thanos with the bases loaded in the fourth brought home a third run for Piedmont. The Highlanders managed just six hits against five Trojan pitchers but nine walks proved fatal for Castro Valley.
Meyjes went six innings for the win, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits with six strikeouts and a walk. Diego Delventhal pitched the seventh for the save, allowing a walk and striking out two.
Seidel took the loss, going two innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on one hit with four walks and two strikeouts.
Seidel hit a home run leading off the fifth for Castro Valley’s other run. Colon went 2-for-3 on the day.
Piedmont’s Markos Lagios catches a fly ball in center field in an April 23 game against Castro Valley. The teams split their home-and-home two-game series. 
Piedmont’s Shafer Dando follows through on a swing and miss against Castro Valley on April 23. The Highlanders struggled against the Trojans Scott Baldwin in a 5-0 loss. 
Piedmont’s Will Parker looks back at the Highlanders dugout after hitting his second double against Castro Valley on April 23. 
Piedmont coach Eric Olson (right) fist bumps Jordan Vo at third base during the Highlanders 5-0 loss to Castro Valley on April 23. 
Castro Valley pitcher Scott Baldwin had a strong game against Piedmont on April 23, going 6 1/3 scoreless innings. The Highlanders lost, 5-0.
Two days earlier, the Trojans beat host Piedmont 5-0, getting a strong pitching performance from Scott Baldwin. He went the first 6 1/3 innings, scattering seven hits and a walk and striking out four. Braden Spade came on to get the final two outs, striking out two.
William Ferreira started and took the loss for the Highlanders, going 3 2/3 innings and allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits with two walks and a strikeout. George Bishop went the final 3 1/3, allowing two runs on two hits with three strikeouts and one walk.
Piedmont had two huge chances against Baldwin. Jordan Vo singled to lead off the bottom of the third. Two outs later, Delventhal drew a walk. Markos Lagios hit a grounder to third but Vo was caught to end the inning.
In the fourth, a Will Parker double followed by a hit by pitch and an error loaded the bases with nobody out. Meyjes and Vo then struck out and pinch-hitter Mike Martin grounded out to end the threat without a run scoring.
“I think that’s a 1-0, 2-0 game if we play defense and run the bases,” Highlanders coach Eric Olson said. “They pitched a hell of a ball game and got the hits when they needed it and beat us in all three phases. Pitching, defense and timely hitting, that’s baseball.”
In the top of the third, the Trojans loaded the bases with one out. Gilbert Seidel singled in one run and Spade followed with a sacrifice fly.
Anthony Mares doubled in a run in the fourth, making it 3-0. Spade and Owen Seidel doubled in runs in the fifth for the final margin.
Parker and Vo both went 2-for-3 for Piedmont. Owen Seidel was 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored for Castro Valley.
“All the credit to them, they’re a really good team,” Lagios said. “They have a fairly senior-heavy lineup and that matters in high school baseball. They’ve got nine seniors in their top nine hitters. They’ve got guys (who will) play in college throughout their lineup.”
After the loss, Olson said he was excited to see how his team came back in the rematch.
“We’re a good team too,” he said.
Piedmont is now 13-6 on the year, 4-2 in WACC Foothill division play. The Highlanders next play a home-and-away with Berkeley, hosting the Yellowjackets on April 30, and playing at Berkeley on May 2.
All photos by Damin Esper