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The situation was less than ideal for the St. Mary’s High baseball team going into Tuesday’s first-round North Coast Section playoff game. Seeded No. 8, the Panthers were paired with none other than Alameda-Contra Costa Athletic League champion Encinal – a team that had already defeated the Panthers in two previous meetings, including one just days earlier in the ACCAL tournament.  

Though St. Mary’s put up its best fight of the season against the top-seeded Jets, it could not quite overcome an early deficit, and fell to its league rival for the third time in 2000, 6-5, at the College of Alameda. 

“Our approach was we had nothing to lose – they beat us twice this year,” said Panthers coach Andy Shimabukuro, whose squad fell to Encinal, 13-3, just last week in the ACCAL finals. “If we can take consolation in a loss, we played real well, didn’t go out and embarrass ourselves.” 

Anticipating a tough second-round matchup, the Jets withheld league co-Most Valuable Player Dontrelle Willis from the starting assignment, allowing Jason Rivera instead to take the mound. Though Rivera kept St. Mary’s off the scoreboard long enough to build a 5-0 fourth-inning lead, the Panther bats heated up in the later innings, bringing them within one run. Shaken by the unexpected challenge, Encinal looked to Willis to close out the final two innings, thus compromising the original plan to rest the ace for Thursday’s second round. 

“They played well. I guess you could say they took a gamble (initially), playing without Dontrelle. So I guess we gave them a little scare,” said Shimabukuro, who hopes the Jets will go on to represent the ACCAL as NCS champions. “If they can get by (potential second-round opponent) Dublin or Acalanes, they have a good shot to win. They’re in the ACCAL, and our league doesn’t get much respect.” 

Anthony Miyawaki pitched a complete game for St. Mary’s in the losing effort, holding the Jets to their lowest run total in three matchups this season. The pitcher also helped his own cause, ripping one of three Panther RBI doubles, while Chris Alfert and Joe Starkey pitched in with a two-bagger apiece. The dangerous Encinal offense did most of its damage in the second and third innings, tallying five runs in that stretch. Willis rounded out the Jets scoring with a fifth-inning home-run blast that would stand as the winning run. 

“I’m happy with the way we finished out the season,” the St. Mary’s coach said. “They held their heads up, and had a shot to take that game in the sixth. We took our best shot.” 

The narrow loss ended the 2000 series for St. Mary’s, which loses just four seniors and figures to be even more successful in a different league next year. Pitcher Jeremiah Fielder and outfielder Justin Kelley garnered first-team All-League honors for their contributions, while Miyawaki and outfielder Omar Young picked up honorable mentions.