The Carlmont JV boys baseball team defeated the Hillsdale Knights 11-1 at Carlmont High School on March 25, powered by strong pitching and a consistent offense.
Carlmont took control early in the game. Sophomore pitcher Karam Kayali set the tone in the first inning, striking out three Hillsdale batters and preventing the Knights from building any momentum.
“It felt amazing,” Kayali said. “When I struck them out, I just felt energized. I felt like I was doing something.”
The Scots quickly backed up the strong pitching with offense. After a stolen base and a double, Carlmont scored two runs in the second inning to take an early 2-0 lead.
“The team’s mindset was that they wanted to play their best baseball against Hillsdale,” said head coach Michael Simon.
Carlmont continued to build momentum throughout the middle innings. In the fifth, key defensive plays kept the Knights scoreless. Sophomore Jeremy Yam tracked down a high pop fly in the outfield, and shortly after, sophomore Jack Lang secured another fly ball to end the inning.
Kayali remained dominant on the mound, recording additional strikeouts and preventing Hillsdale from finding an offensive rhythm.
The turning point of the game came when Lang hit a 3-run home run, giving Carlmont a 5-point lead.
“When Jack Lang hit a 3-run home run, that was the moment where the momentum really shifted,” Simon said.
Meanwhile, the Scots’ offense continued to produce. Yam scored during a rally that extended the lead, while sophomore Christopher Webster hit a single to left field to bring in another run, widening the gap.
“I was just trying to hit it,” Lang said. “It was a good hit.”
Carlmont’s defense and pitching remained steady in the later innings. Hillsdale managed to score once in the sixth inning, but the Scots responded immediately. By the seventh inning, Carlmont had extended the score to 11-1, closing out the game after a final defensive stand.
While the Scots finished with an impressive lead, Simon noted there is still room for growth.
“We need to work on several aspects of the game and just continue to be solid on fundamentals,” Simon said.
