The Analy Tigers are champions of the Sonoma County League for the second time in three years after closing out the regular season last week with wins over El Molino and Piner.
The victories gave the Tigers a final league record of 11-1, one game up on second place Petaluma (10-2) and three ahead of Sonoma Valley (8-4). Rounding out the 2016 SCL standings are Piner (5-7), El Molino (4-8), Healdsburg (4-8) and Elsie Allen (0-12).
Analy (19-5 overall) will now focus on the postseason beginning this week when they represent the top seed in the SCL playoff tournament at Arnold Field in Sonoma on May 17-19. At press time the Tigers were preparing for a first-round match-up with fourth place Piner on May 17, with the winner slated to face the survivor of the Petaluma-Sonoma Valley game on Thursday, May 19 (7 p.m.).
The Tigers are also a lock to land a high seed in the North Coast Section Division-3 playoffs, which start next week. Analy is currently seeded second in the division and should enjoy some home cooking in the first couple of rounds before having to play on the road. The NCS seeding committee will meet this Sunday, May 22 to fill out the divisional brackets. Check the NCS website at www.cifncs.org for updated tournament information as it becomes available.
Tigers turn back El Mo
Analy played host to cross-town rival El Molino in the second of two season meetings on May 10, a game dominated by outstanding pitching on both sides.
With Gabe Werthimer toeing the slab opposite Lions starter Austin Sani, the Tigers answered an early Lions run with a decisive uprising in the bottom of the first. In the rally, Analy got RBI knocks from Jacob Beeler, Nolan Alvarez, and a double from Taylor Cullen to take a 4-1 lead.
Sani settled in to stop the bleeding for the next five frames, but the damage had been done. The Lions clawed back in the sixth with a second run scoring single by Sani, but Werthimer prevented further damage before turning it over to closer Ryan Calderon in the seventh to preserve a 4-2 win.
Werthimer (6 IP, 5 hits, 2 ERs, 4 Ks) earned the win, while Sani (6 IP, 7 hits, 4 ERs, K) took a tough loss. Top Analy hitters included Cullen (1 for 3, 2B, RBI), Alvarez (1 for 2, run, RBI), Beeler (1 for 3, RBI), Devon Ogston (1 for 3, RBI), Mason Snodgrass (1 for 1), David Codoni (1 for 4, run) and Johnny Gomes (run, RBI).
Leading the El Mo bat attack were Sani (3 for 3, 2 RBIs), Justin Schaap (1 for 1), Sam Wilson (1 for 3, 2 runs) and Gus Guerne (1 for 2).
The Tigers closed out the regular season in dominant fashion on May 13 at Piner, torching the Prospectors with seven runs in the first two frames before icing it with a another six in the fourth en route to a 13-0, five-inning win.
Calderon (5 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 6 Ks) was masterful on the mound, while top hitters were Alvarez (3 for 4, 2 runs, 4 RBIs), Carter Merlaud (2 for 3, run, RBI), Codoni (2 for 3, 2 runs, RBI), Beeler (2 for 2, run), Ogston (2 for 3, 3 runs), Jack Newman (1 for 3, run, RBI), Jordan Parks (1 for 2, run, RBI), Snodgrass (1 for 1), Andy Noonan (1 for 1, RBI) and Cullen (1 for 3, run, RBI).
Lions notch win Â
In other games last week, El Molino jumped all over Lower Lake in a non-league road outing on May 12 in a 10- rout (no stats reported).
The Lions wrapped up the league season at Petaluma on May 13, as starter Kyle Kaasch (5 IP, 8 hits, 3 ERs, 2 Ks) kept it close through the first five innings. Ahead 2-0, the Trojans erupted for five runs in the sixth to bust it open on their way to a 7-0 win. The Lions managed just three hits off of Petaluma winning pitcher Cole Peterson, including; Wesley Hamner (1 for 3), Jordan Hamner (1 for 2) and Clay Serrano (1 for 1).
