Jeff Dumont pitched seven durable innings and struck out four batters as the San Quentin Giants topped the outside baseball Missions team, 6-3.
“I wish I could have struck out everybody,” said Dumont, the Giants’ starting right-hand pitcher, after the game. “Strikeouts are an ego-booster; they are not a necessity in a baseball game.”
He scattered eight hits, hit three batters and walked two men. A near errorless defense galvanized the Giants’ for the victory.
“I want us to get runs early, and maintain our lead,” said San Quentin Giants General Manager Elliot Smith before the game.

‘If we are going to win, we have to eliminate walks and not play from behind’

That was the formula as the Giants’ players jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning behind a two-run home-run blast by starting catcher Danny Schrader.
“Sean just happened to make a mistake, and I took advantage of it,” said Schrader.
In the top of second inning, Missions erased their two-run deficit to even the game at 2-2 as they responded to Dumont’s lack of pitching command when one Missions player crossed the plate on a walk, and another through an RBI single.
“If we are going to win, we have to eliminate walks and not play from behind,” said San Quentin Giants inmate head coach Frankie Smith after the Giants barely escaped their second inning defensive jam
The Missions got another run in the top of the third inning. It came off an RBI single to right field by Missions left-fielder P. Matt.
The Giants pulled away for good in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Their response came through designated Giants’ hitter Mike Tyler, who punched a two-run RBI double to right-center field, scoring Richard Zornes and S. Sandivol as the Giants jumped to a 6-3 lead.
Missions’ batters could not respond to Dumont’s sturdy pitching for the remaining four innings in the game.
Giants’ right-hand pitcher Dumont got the save with six walks, one error, and four hits.
Sean got the loss with two walks, three batters hit by wild pitches, four singles, two doubles, and one home-run.
“I started off below average; after the second inning, I loosened up a bit as I started hitting my spots,” said Sean after the game. “I think we did OK, but we have to get better because I know the A’s are a better team.”
“Our plan was to have fun this game,” said Missions head coach F. Greg. “We wanted to dedicate this game to Johnny Barlett, who was our teammate that was hit in the throat by a baseball which caused him to have a heartattack nine days later due to a clogged throat artery.”
Barlett is in the hospital recovering and is said to be fine.

On April 7, long-time runner and coach of the San Quentin 1,000 Mile Club, Frank Ruona, clocked in a time of 3:47:18 in the annual Paris Marathon. At age 67, he finished 23rd for his age category.
“Corrals are established by qualifying times and age group,” said Ruona. “I competed in the 3:03 corral, which is a 65 to 69 age group.”
While running pass some famous French landmarks like The Bastil, Cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris and the Tour Eiffel, Ruona maintained a steady pace throughout the race.
Of the 40,000 runners, Ruona finished ahead of more than 36,000 other marathoners.
In Ruona’s corral, Claude Besnard, 60 came in first place with a time of 3:15:05.
Ruona said running marathons takes practice. “I train long-distance pacing runs to get comfortable with an eight minute per mile pace for 26.2 miles.”
Ruona credits his performance to his experiences he learned while coaching San Quentin’s 1,000 Mile Club.
“If you qualify for Boston, you qualify for New York, Berlin, Austria and most other marathon races,” said Ruona. “Running is a good way to meet people,” adding “Many international runners were amazed with me advising men to run marathons inside San Quentin.”
Crossing the finish line first at Porte Dauphine near the Arc De Triomphe was a fast Kenyon runner Peter Some with a time of 2:05:38. Second place went to Ethiopian, Tadese Tola in a time of 2:06:33. Third was Kenyon, Eric Ndiema at 2:06:34.

On a cool Friday evening, Miguel Quezada finished strong and posted a record-breaking 38:48 time to win San Quentin’s 4th Annual Six Mile Race.
“I think it’s good because records are meant to be broken. He earned it because he put in the work,” said all-time San Quentin 1,000 Mile Club six-mile record-holder Eddie Herena about Quezada’s new record.
Quezada won first place in San Quentin’s 2013 1,000 Mile Club six-mile race that included 13 other runners.
His record placed him in San Quentin’s 1,000 Mile Club among elite runners such as Lorenzo Hopson and Herena.
“Lorenzo had set a new San Quentin 1,000 Mile Club marathon record of 3:26:58 in the first race of 2013,” said Quezada.
Quezada’s winning record beat Herena’s all-time record by 91 seconds.
“Eddie has maintained a 39:29 six-mile record since 2011,” said Quezada.
Quezada achieved the new six-mile record by a progressive running pace of 6:49; 6:44; 6:36; 6:25; 6:13 to 6:01.
Herena finished second with a time of 39:39. Third place was Morceli Abdul Kader’s time of 40:53.
“Eddie began the race five minutes after the six-mile race had officially started, and he had no knowledge of what exact time he was running,” said San Quentin’s 1,000 Mile Club coach and community volunteer Frank Ruona.
Herena began to fade in his second to fifth mile of the six-mile track meet. However, he finished just 10 seconds after his 2011 six-mile record.
Herena lead the first mile at 6:16, and ended his last mile at 6:37 for his second place finish to Quezada.
He described his running experience as a way to push himself to train more. “I think that runners have gotten much faster. I have to work twice as hard if I want to win next time.”
Ruona described Kader’s third-place run as a similar pace which Herena recorded.
“Morceli Abdul ran a successful third-place spot of 40:53. He started at 6:41; 6:47; 7:00l 7:01 and finished his last mile with 6:40,” said Ruona.
“In 2008, I got injured in a race, and since that day I never could get rid of my pain,” said Kader about his preparation towards his next 1,000 Mile Club track competition.
Kader expressed his personal growth as an admiration for his running coach Ruona.
“He is an older man; he tells us all to stay strong, have fun, and stay in shape. I am happy to have him as one of my running coaches,” said Kader.

As hundreds of prisoners cheered, the San Quentin Kings basketball team produced enough strategic onslaughts to defeat the outside team Bittermen’s, 57-61.
On a bright, sunny Saturday morning, the Bittermen got within one point of the Kings after point guard Ted Saltveit, drained a three-pointer from the top of the key. However, with 3:40 seconds remaining in the game, the visitors’ offense went flat.
Kings’ point guard S. “Shakur” Pierce responded by tossing center P. “Strange” Walker a no-look pass inside the key. Walker made the easy three-foot turn-around, right-hand hook-shot, giving Pierce an assist, and decreasing the Kings lead to 54-58.
“We have fouls to give,” Saltveit said to his team during a timeout with a little less than a minute to go in the game. “We need to stop turning the ball over too.”
The Kings took control of the game by changing their strategy during half time.
Coach Orlando “Duck” Harris told his team, “We got to attack more. Talk, move the ball around better, and get rebounds.”
He said his defensive switches and balanced ball control made all the difference to their second half success.
Kings forward and Captain P. “Sweet Pea” Davidson came away with 11 points as his teams’ second-highest scorer.
“We are looking to go undefeated this season because of our experiences together as a working team,” said Davidson after the game. “We also have additional help from our big men like Strange and Thad Fleeton to give us control in the paint.”
Leading his team with four blocks, eight rebounds and 16 points, Kings’ center P. Walker said, “I should have been more explosive on offense. I should have had better footwork, and my and-ones went unfinished. I’ll get better because my teammates and my son, ‘Boom-Boom,’ motivate me to do so.”
“The Kings were just nailing their shots, especially, Sweet Pea and Strange,” a Bittermen player explained after the game. “They controlled the paint.”

Unity and sportsmanship are key to athletes coming to San Quentin to compete with prisoners, said Ted Saltveit, head coach of The Bittermen basketball team.
Regarding racial harmony, Saltveit noted The Bittermen are white and Asian men, while the San Quentin Kings are mostly black with one Hispanic.
The Kings defeated the visitors 67-62, but there was obvious good feelings all around.
“We were nervous when we first came in to the prison to play,” said Saltveit about his team’s inaugural basketball experience March 9 against the Kings.
“The outside inner league basketball minority teams in the Oakland area had a good sports program, and the S.Q. Kings remind us of that same fun,” said Saltveit.
“The San Kings give us a good challenge after all, it comes down to being just a game of basketball,” said Saltveit.
“We were nervous when we first came in to the prison to play”
Saltveit described the interwoven sociality of his team’s Camaraderie with the Kings as a revolving circle of familiar racial basketball interaction. He said his teammate’s participation with the Kings is reminiscent of their basketball plays in the inner cities of Northern California.
The Bittermen point guard Sungbae expressed appreciation for the opportunity to compete with the Kings.
“We are a group of guys from various connections across Northern California,” said Sungbae. He also emphasized that “the majority of our team went to college together, and we are a prison- only team.”
Kings Head Coach Orlando “Duck” Harris said he expects his players to present themselves in a positive manner.
“Mymind set is: The Kings’ policy is to just play basketball and let me worry about any calls as a head coach,” said Harris.
“Most of the (drafted) players on the Kings are student athletes, and they attend college programs here in San Quentin,” said Harris. He also mentioned that, “Not only are they expected to set (good) examples for the younger men, but they are to do so for the general population too.”

With composure and a will to be victorious, the San Quentin Kings basketball team made critical fourth-quarter baskets in their season-opener, defeating the outside team called The Bittermen, 67-62.
With eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, the 40-and-over Kings held a narrow 43-41 lead.
With 4:20 left in the fourth quarter, Kings point guard Billy Wilson drained a three-pointer from the top corner; the key to maintaining the Kings’ lead of 57-53.
The Kings’ other point guard, Tare “Cancun” Beltranchuc, got the rebound and hit Wilson with an assist to give the Kings a 59-53 lead.
The Bittermen’s head coach Ted Saltveit called an immediate timeout. He told his players they were not playing with enough energy, and they needed to stay focused.
“The Kings are competitive and they are our rivals,” said Saltveit later about his team’s experience with the Kings under pressure.
The Bittermen capitalized on the Kings’ failed attempt at a layup, and responded with a three-pointer of their own to decrease their deficit to 62-58.

After a Bittermen’s turnover, Kings forward Thad Fleeton went down for layup to increase the Kings’ lead to 64-58.
“I think that our overall energy was good and our communication was good on the court,” Fleeton commented after the game.
The Bittermen made two free throws with only 46 seconds left in the fourth quarter. However, it was not enough to change the momentum of the game. The Kings countered with a made free throw and a steal that led to a score as they went on to win the game.
Before the start of the fourth quarter, Kings Coach Orlando Harris emphasized to his players that they were expected to make good shots, with an inside-out offensive game plan.
“Overall, I think they performed well,” said Harris.
He also said, “We’re not where we exactly want to be as a team yet. (However), I was impressed with my players’ poise and sportsmanship. I liked the ways they conducted themselves as men representing the San Quentin Kings basketball program.”
After the game, Beltranchuc commented, “It was a long time since I played basketball. I have to get back to practicing. The more I play with my teammates, I know I will get better because I will get used to them.”
Beltranchuc also said he is honored by the selection as the only King of Mexican background, and this motivates him to positively contribute to his team’s success this season.

With last season’s baseball behind them, San Quentin’s baseball rookie players feel they now have the expertise with improvements in their game. There is a sense of team leadership now with sophomore members of the team.
S.Q. A’s starting second baseman Cleo Clomen said his performance on the baseball field needs improvement this season.
“Last year I played with fundamentals. This time around my hope is to better my overall statistics and game,” said Clomen.
“I want to improve (on) my batting, and my leadership position as a center-fielder,” said last year’s S.Q. Giants baseball player John Windham. He said he wants to be more accountable for his pitching too.
Last season’s Giants pitcher and shortstop Marc Jordan said he looks to be a better teammate.
“I want to give back some positive input to the rookies this season,” said Jordan.
“My fundamentals would definitely improve by staying focused,” said last year’s A’s left-fielder Rasheed Lockheart.
Sophomores expressed hope for success this season.
Clomen said, “We as a team need to be aware that there will be no easy road to a championship.” He said that unity and team conditioning is crucial to a successful season.
Jordan said his team’s goal this year is to “just beat the A’s a lot more.”
Sophomores say they are electrified about their leadership qualities and they count on giving back to S.Q.’s baseball club this year.
Lockheart said a winning baseball organization requires “humility, patience, dedication, and professionalism” from him.
“It’s about jailing together, by me showing good sportsmanship to my teammates whether we win, lose or draw,” said Windham about his leadership role this season.
Jordan said that he understands what it takes for S.Q.’s baseball program to be successful.
“I’ve been playing baseball all of my life. Learning how to play small ball, and being able to trust your teammates,” Jordan said is a positive formula for the organization.
Sophomores said their coaches, general managers, and sponsors make their team contributions possible.
“It’s a true blessing to have people come in from the streets, spend time to teach, and for them to show us camaraderie,” said Jordan.
Lockheart credited last season’s A’s General Manager Len Zemarkowitz for his team leadership this year.
“I like his dedication. He believes in what we are doing as a team,” said Lockheart. He mentioned Zemarkowitz is also supportive because he “brings a real (balanced) IQ to this baseball program.”
Windham said he is honored to be a part of the baseball program.
“Giants’ general managers are unselfish about taking the time out of their busy lives for us,” said Windham.
Lockheart said, “I feel good about our coaching staff. Coach ‘Yahya’ (in particular) is putting his best foot forward.” He also stated “Yahya” is fair, and he makes decisions that need to be made (for the team) as a head coach.
“I understand that it’shard to be a coach in prison. You have so many different personalities and different races to deal with,” said Jordan about his head coach “Frankie,” who does a good job on and off the baseball field.
Clomen said he is grateful for the S.Q.’s baseball sponsors.
“That’s why I play hard. It’s only right for me to give them the same (positive) energy, and dedication back,” said Clomen about his grace for the sponsor’s attitude for S.Q.’s self-rehabilitating inmate baseball program.

With the baseball season on the horizon, two of San Quentin’s athletes look forward to building discipline, racial respect and integrity.
“My perspective on playing baseball is important because it offers me another way to see people,” says Adrian “Redd” Casey, was first baseman on last year’s San Quentin A’s team.
Tryouts are scheduled for February for the two San Quentin baseball teams, the A’s and Giants.
Jeff Dumont, pitcher for last year’s A’s, said if he makes one of the teams, he hopes “to shed a positive light on the program. One of my objectives is to magnify the baseball program through exercising consistent integrity,” he commented.
The game involves “dealing with different races on any baseball field requires outright discipline. Without discipline, we have nothing as a team of common people. That’s just the way of life,” Casey said.
“My main goal for the upcoming season is to tryout for and make one of the two outstanding baseball teams we have here at San Quentin,” Dumont added.
Dumont expressed appreciation to his teammates, the coaching staff who donate their time, and the outside teams who come in to play, and everyone else involved in making San Quentin baseball possible.
Casey said he enjoyed the camaraderie that the A’s had during their 8-0 season last year. “It was good unity as a team. It was no one person that created that.”