The Acalanes Freshman baseball team swept their doubleheader versus cross-town rival Miramonte High School, winning game 1 by a score of 8-2 and game 2 by a score of 11-1. 

In game 1, the offense started out slow as Miramonte quickly mowed down the first 6 Acalanes hitters, 4 by strikeout.  All that changed in the top of the 3^rd inning.  Jake Megibow got the inning started by slapping a double to centerfield, the loudest slap I have heard since the Oscars.  Sam Bishop followed it up with a single to right field, Cruz Lopez a double to right field, Jake Colaco a sweet bunt that rolled all the way to the bag at third, David Gonzales a single to center field, David Roux a sacrifice fly, and finally Austin Wampler a single to center field. The final tally for the Acalanes offense in the inning was 5 runs on 6 hits, and an impressive 8 runs on 11 hits for the game. 

The breakout 3^rd inning provided more than enough of a cushion for starting pitcher Brendan Miles, who pitched 6 1/3 innings allowing 2 earned runs on 3 hits, 1 walk and 9 Ks despite suffering from spring allergy season.  He yielded the mound to Hank Bauer with one out in the 7^th inning.  Hank closed out the game allowing no runs on no hits, 1 walk, and 1 K in 2/3 innings of work. 

The team continued the momentum into Game 2.  Coach decided to roll with Hank again to start Game 2.  He pitched 1 inning giving up no runs on no hits, 2 walks and 2 Ks.  According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that is the first time in the Statcast era that a pitcher on the Acalanes freshman team named Hank wearing the #10 jersey has pitched in two consecutive games at Miramonte on Saturday in April when the weather was 72 degrees and sunny.  Cruz came in at the beginning of the 2^nd inning and absolutely shut down the Miramonte offense, going 6 innings while allowing no runs, 3 hits, and no walks with a season high 12 Ks. 

The offense came out strong right out of the gate in Game 2, scoring 5 runs in the first inning.  For the game, the team scored 11 runs on 7 hits, cashing in on timely hitting, 5 hit batters by the Miramonte pitchers, and 7 errors by the Miramonte defense.  David Roux provided the offensive highlight of the game, hitting a bomb to centerfield in the top of the 4^th inning that would have left the park in most stadiums, but still ended with David making it home as the triple turned into a four bagger after an errant throw.

Following the games, I intended to have my junior beat writers interview Coach JJ, but in yet another sign of the “Great Resignation”, they decided to leave early to go watch the new Batman movie.  That didn’t stop me from snagging the coveted interview.  I first asked coach what he thought of the games, to which he responded that he was pleased with the team’s performance.  He liked that the boys were aggressive, hit well, and played “lights out” on the basepaths.  I also took the opportunity to ask him some personal questions that I will reveal over the course of the rest of the season that I am calling “Get to Know Coach”.

The team next plays Miramonte again on the road on Friday, April 15th. FEAR THE BLUE!