NCS baseball: Alhambra, Fremont Christian win section crowns
PLEASANT HILL — Alhambra High scored single runs in the second and third innings, and pitching ace Brody Eglite fired a four-hitter to lead the Bulldogs past Bishop O’Dowd 2-0 in the North Coast Section Division III championship game Saturday at Diablo Valley College.
Eglite, a senior right-hander who is headed to San Francisco State, gave his team a scare in the fourth when he fell covering first base. But after slowly getting to his feet, he returned to the mound and went the distance, helping Alhambra finish the season 20-7.
“Our first baseman made a nice play, but as I tried to catch the ball (on the throw to first), I slipped,” Eglite said. “It was my left knee. It hurt a little, and I tried to walk it off. It bothered me for the first two batters, but after that I felt fine.”
Eglite has been the pitcher Alhambra has relied on all season en route to the Division III championship.
“He’s been our ace all year,” Alhambra coach Steve Elliott said. “Today he settled in after the first inning and got into a rhythm.”
Eglite said everything was working for him — his change, curve and fastball.
The Bulldogs, who came in as the fourth seed in the D-III bracket, scored the only run they needed with two outs in the second. Mateus Conaway was hit by a pitch and stole second. Tyler Boyce then singled to center, driving in Conaway.
Alhambra added an insurance run in the third. Dillon Elliott doubled and came home on JT Griffin’s single.
Wyatt Thompson went the distance for sixth-seeded Bishop O’Dowd (20-10), yielding four hits, walking two and striking out seven. He is a hard thrower, Bulldogs coach Elliott said.
“We played them in a scrimmage earlier this season,” Elliott said. “We knew they had pitching, that they had pitching with velocity.”
Alhambra finished the season by winning five of its last six games.
Fremont Christian rallies from behind
Sixth-seeded Fremont Christian appeared to be in trouble when it allowed Berean Christian to score three runs in the third and take a 3-2 lead.
But the Warriors (24-6) came back with three runs in the fourth, and that concluded the scoring in a 5-3 triumph in the NCS Division V championship Saturday at Concord High..
Berean Christian finished 18-9 for the season. The Eagles likely received the No. 1 seed because of strength of schedule, which included wins over Alhambra and Piedmont, both NCS tournament teams in higher divisions.
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