The weekend was none too kind to the Alameda high school baseball and softball teams that qualified for the North Coast Section (NCS) playoffs.

All three teams that participated in NCS — Alameda High baseball and softball and Encinal baseball — will no longer need to lace up their cleats in the 2012 season, as all three lost playoff contests last week.

The Hornets' baseball team ended its regular season in an offensive dry spell that did not change in the NCS Division 2 first round match up against Petaluma. Alameda ended its regular season losing two of their last three games — losses against Casa Grande of Petaluma and San Ramon Valley of Danville, and a win against El Cerrito — while averaging just 1.66 runs per game during that stretch.

The dry spell continued against the Trojans of Petaluma. The Hornets fell to the Trojans 8-1 last Wednesday, May 23 in Petaluma. The Trojans led the entire game. After the Jets shrunk Petaluma's lead to 2-1 in the third inning, Petaluma responded with six runs in the fourth. The loss brings the Hornet's record to 17-8 overall. The Hornets had five hits in the loss.

The Encinal baseball team struggled at the end of the regular season just like their Island City rivals. The Jets lost three of their last four games including a 13-12 loss in the Bay Shore Athletic League playoff semifinal. The Encinal High School baseball team defeated Novato 5-3 in its NCS Division 3 first round contest May 23. Novato tied the game 3-3 in the fifth inning, but the Jets rebounded by scoring two runs in the sixth to put the game away. EHS shortstop had two RBIs in the game. The Jets, however, suffered their season-ending loss three days later against Miramonte of Orinda 7-5 in the second round of the NCS playoffs. The Matadors never trailed in the game and set the pace of the game with a four-run second inning. While trailing 7-2 in the seventh inning, the Jets put a bit of a scare into Miramonte with three runs to make it 7-5, but it was not enough as they went down in the Saturday afternoon game. First baseman Alex Penrose drove in two runs in the loss. The loss gives the Jets an 18-9 overall record.

AHS's softball team also won its opening-round game in the NCS Division 2 playoffs. The Jets defeated Washington of Fremont 3-0 Tuesday, May 22. The Hornets scored all three runs in the first inning. Outfielder Drew Jones' RBI single drove in a run and the two other runs came from a fielder's choice and an error. Pitcher Carrie Lee struck out eight batters and allowed just three hits in a complete- game shutout.

The softball team, however, could not duplicate their first round results in the second round against Petaluma Friday, May 25. Just as their male counterparts, the Lady Hornets lost to Petaluma 5-0, squashing their chances of a NCS Division 2 crown. With the loss, the Lady Hornets' season-ending overall record stands at 19-4.

Contact Ekene Ikeme at eikeme@ alamedasun.com.