Washington celebrates fifth SFS title in 17 years.
Photo by Brad Kupper
They've been playing organized baseball, basketball and football in San Francisco since 1924, but never had a school won Section titles in all three during the same year.
That is until
Washington (San Francisco) completed the triple crown on Thursday at AT&T Park, home of the defending World Series champions San Francisco Giants.
"Winning it there made it extra special," said Washington coach Rob Fung following a 4-1 win over
Balboa (San Francisco).
Dane Vande Guchte and
Chris Hau combined on a four-hitter as the Eagles (19-6-1) won their 16th straight Academic Athletic Association game overall.
Dane Vande Guchte was the winning
pitcher and had key RBI single.
Photo by Brad Kupper
Vande Guchte (7-1) pitched the first six innings before giving way to Hau and the Eagles manufactured four runs on an RBI single from Vande Guchte, a double steal, fielder's choice by
Alex Kozakiewicz and bases-loaded walk to Hau.
It was the fifth title in 17 seasons under coach Rob Fung who has reached the Section final 16 times. Washington's football and basketball also won section crowns during the 2010-11 school year.
Balboa (12-14), which had a 1-0 lead, lost previous games to Washington 12-2 and 10-2. The game was played after the Giants' 3-2 win over the Diamondbacks.
"I can't say I saw this coming before the season," Fung said. "We lost all our pitching from last season. We caught the ball well all season but our pitching really emerged, especial (Hau). He turned into a real mainstay."
The Eagles managed just five hits themselves off of tough-luck 6-foot-1, 180-pound junior loser
Alex Arnold.
"(Arnold) pitched a very good game," Fung said. "He was tough."
Balboa took the lead in the third on an RBI single by
Michael Li, the only player in the game with two hits. That scored
Eduardo Herrera, who had also singled.
Washington came back with two runs in the bottom half on Vande Guchte's RBI single that went over the head of the right fielder and a double steal with
Jordan Wilson crossing home safe.
That put Washington up for good.
The Eagles added two more insurance runs in the sixth on Kozakiewicz and a bases loaded walk to Hau.
"Those runs were huge," Fung said.
Washington manager Rob Fung won his
fifth SFS title in 17 seasons.
File photo by David Stephenson
Hau worked a 1-2-3 seventh and the Eagles stormed the mound.
"It was a pretty good dog pile," Fung said. "It was a very emotional scene."
Washington now gets ready for the Transbay Series, which starts Wednesday at San Francisco State. The Eagles will play the Oakland Section champions in a best-of-three series.
Washington hopes to repeat 2006 when it also went undefeated in league and captured the Transbay Series.
As far as winning the Trifecta in all three major sports, Fung said the entire Washington community was thrilled.
"There were lots of alumni out and that's all they kept talking about," Fung said. "I'm glad we were able to make everyone happy."
Everyone but Balboa, that is.
