Martinez Tribune
Despite coming out hot, Alhambra could not overcome a late surge by Campolindo on May 12 as the Bulldogs once again fell to the Cougars 5-1.
The Cougars piled on four runs in the fifth and sixth innings thanks to the bats of University of Chicago commit, Drew Ventrelle, and fellow senior Jack Cassidy, who had three RBIs in those last at-bats.
Alhambra continues to struggle in league play as they are six of eight since their April 19 loss to Campolindo, and .500 in league overall. Thursday’s loss to the Cougars was particularly tough for the Bulldogs as it was their largest defeat on the scoreboard since their 4-0 loss to Acalanes on April 21.
The bats continue to be a problem area for the Bulldogs as the team struggled to get three hits off Campolindo’s Brody Cooper, who dueled for all seven innings and left only four Alhambra runners on base.
San Francisco State commit Tyler Peters, and juniors Daymon Blalock and Jordan Eglite each had a hit off Cooper. Eglite singled in the first inning to drive in Matt Beck, who led off the game by being hit by a pitch for the first and only run for the Bulldogs.
Alhambra’s pitching staff also struggled as the game progressed in Moraga. Eglite struggled with control and walked five Campolindo batters. He made up for his lack of control with a solid fastball and only allowed three hits.
Campolindo’s first run came off a wild pitch in the bottom of the second inning, with Eglite on the mound.
The fifth inning proved to be tough for the Bulldogs as Eglite walked the first two batters. After he was relieved by junior Spencer Schulhauser, Ventrelle hit in Max Flower, a senior who will be playing for the University of California-Berkeley next year, with a ground ball to left field.
The Cougars’ bats didn’t stop there as they had a two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth. Ryan McNally started the rally with a line-drive single and later scored on another wild pitch. Cassidy also helped out Campo with a single that scored two runs, to add to his team-leading RBI total (21).
As league play wraps up next week with games against Acalanes and Las Lomas, the Bulldogs look to bounce back from their string of losses heading into the playoffs.
The Bulldogs are currently in fifth place in the Diablo Foothill Athletic League, behind the Miramonte Matadors.
The Matadors only have one game left on their schedule, against first-place Acalanes. The Bulldogs also take on the Dons in the final week of league play, but will also host sixth-place Las Lomas.
