Rams Overcome Six-Run Deficit to Edge Mission 10-9 in Last Home Game

BY SEAN MOORE
Staff Writer

Danny Rico (23) looks on as his team comes from behind to win a nail-biter at home. COLLEEN CUMMINS/GUARDSMAN

Despite trailing by as many as six runs, the Rams finished their final home game of the season with a dramatic 10-9 win in extra innings over Mission College on Thursday.

"The heart really shows," said head coach Jon Vanoncini. "We are more improved on not giving up when we could have easily thrown in the towel."

The game got off to a rough start with Rams' pitcher Orlando Aquilera giving up 9 runs in six innings. Mission lead 8-2 in the fourth when the Rams scored a run on base hits from Danny Rico, DJ Stacey and Mike Lawson. Zach Arthur followed with a clutch hit for two RBIs, closing the gap to 8-5.

The Rams scored another run on a Danny Rico base hit, but didn't catch up until Reed Dickert, Mission's starting pitcher, was replaced by closer Larkin Castaneda in the sixth inning.

Castaneda walked Kyle Yeend and Eliot Metzger in the bottom of the seventh before giving up a double to Rico, bringing the score to 8-7 before Stacey drove in an RBI to tie the game.

City College shut down Mission's offense after bringing in Nick Loera to pitch the rest of the game. Not a single Mission runner got past second base in Loera's five innings on the mound.

With two outs in the 10th, David Parks got on base with a hit before stealing second. The final play at home for City College this season was a rip by Mario Mendoza bringing Parks in for the win.

"It felt good because we have played them before and lost," Mendoza said. "This was payback, and we got them."

"It felt great to get that final run here," said Parker, one of the 10 sophomore players leaving the squad this year.

City College (13-21) will play its last game of the season against Ohlone College on Saturday, May 8.

Rams Recap: City College Athletics Dept. Scores an 'F'

BY ZURI BERRY
Editor

Women's softball team finished their season 1-16. ANTHONY CASTELLANO/GUARDSMAN

If the City College Athletic Department were to receive a grade for its spring semester sports teams, it would be an "F" for its 52 percent winning percentage.

The Rams have an accumulated record of 63-56 with five games remaining in baseball season.

Although both the men's and women's basketball teams had an identical 22-5 record, it could not help the woeful baseball and softball season records of 11-19 and 1-16, respectively. Women's badminton and women's tennis were not the difference makers either, recording respective records of 3-2 (58-41) and 3-7.

The Rams' basketball teams both had high aspirations and qualified for the state playoff tournament. The women's basketball team was defeated in the first round by Sierra College, while the men lost to the College of Sequoias in the second round.

Head coach John Vanoncini's baseball team began the year 6-4 through the preseason, but after early-year struggles and an eight-game losing streak, the team eliminated themselves from the postseason.

Addi-Sports ­ Where Sports are an Addiction
Forty Niners look forward to a renaissance after this year's draft

Zuri Berry

This, my friends, is the year of the renaissance for the 49ers, when the team moves backwards in search of its past glory and the fans move forward, to the next most likeable team.

In many ways it's hard to tell readers what I'm thinking, but it's going to be even harder for the fans to grapple with another losing football season.

After growing up in the quick-strike era of Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Steve Young and Terrell Owens, it's simple enough to say that Niners fans are spoiled with winning. Five Superbowls in a little more than a decade will do that to any team. But to combat the spiraling free-fall of the franchise, the front office must take responsibility for its own mistakes.

General Manager Terry Donahue was right in many ways to cut veteran players like Derrick Deese and Garrison Hearst, but he wasn't supposed to let playmakers like Jeff Garcia and Tai Streets get away. In a calculated move, the 49ers expect career backup Tim Rattay and potentially explosive receiver Brandon Lloyd to fill the gaps left in their absence. While their No. 1 draft choice, Rashaun Woods, will take the departed Owens place as No. 81 and as the starting wide receiver.

Nice to see that the unproven can get some practice on my team.

If that isn't any indication of where the 49er franchise is headed, the draft made all things evident. After Michael Clayton, the player the 49ers originally coveted, was taken before the No. 16 draft pick, the Niners kicked in their backup plan and traded to pick up more players with their picks.

WR Rashaun Woods (right) will be replacing Terrell Owens at receiver.

It seems the Niners were shooting for quantity over quality passing on the chance to take defensive tackle Vince Wilfork of Miami, defensive end Kenechi Udeze of Southern California or even Bay Area native linebacker D.J. Williams from Miami, all of whom are playmakers in positions where the 49ers desperately need to upgrade.

After releasing four players and losing five more through free agency, the Niners desperate need for bodies was justified through their conservative draft. But the lackluster decision making isn't hidden by the 49ers happiness with their selections.

Rashaun Woods might be a catch at No. 31, but only Donahue would draft a guy that resembled J.J. Stokes.

Who knows, maybe the 49er faithful have already moved on and the fans are already looking for their No. 81 Eagles jersey, or have jumped on the Atlanta boat with Jim Mora Jr. But what is certain is that the decisions this franchise has made, or rather chose not to make, will haunt this next season. Let's just hope that Coach Dennis Erickson doesn't find his job on the hot seat because of Donahue.