The sledding has been tough for Analy and El Molino varsity baseball teams in a challenging second half to the North Bay League baseball campaign, with both teams looking to right the ship in the final week of the regular season.
At press time the Lions (2-8, 7-11) were on a four-game losing skid in the NBL Redwood Division heading into a road and home series against Healdsburg on April 30 and May 2 (4 p.m.), while the Tigers hope to snap their four-game losing streak in the Oak Division with remaining road and home dates at Rancho Cotate (May 1 and 3), wrapping up the season on Saturday, May 4 in a 1 p.m. start against visiting Windsor.
Lions fall to Piner
El Molino ran into a red-hot Piner squad in their most recent outings, beginning with an April 24 clash with the Prospectors in Forestville. The visitors jumped out to a 2-0 first-inning lead against El Mo starter Sam Wilson-Mietz (7 IP, 10 hits, 4 ERs, K) and never relinquished the advantage on their way to a 6-4 victory. Pacing the Lion’s attack were Wyatt Stringfellow (2 for 3, run), Aaron Daniels (2 for 3, RBI), Andrew Tait (2 for 3, 3B, 2 runs) and Weston Lewis (2 RBIs).
The Prospectors jumped out to a 6-1 second inning lead two days later in Santa Rosa, never looking back in an eventual 7-1 win.
El Mo pitchers Chris Romeo (1.1 IP, 5 hits, 5 ERs, K) and Tait (4.2 IP, 4 hits, 0 ERs, 2 Ks) combined forces, while top hitters included Wilson-Mietz (1 for 3, 2B, run) and Lewis (1 for 3, 3B, RBI).
Tigers swept by Newman
Analy had the task of a two-game set with first-place Cardinal Newman, squaring off in the opener on April 23 in Sebastopol. The Cardinals busted open a tight game with a combined six runs in the fourth and fifth innings, icing it with another four-run seventh frame en route to a 12-4 win.
Tyler Stasiowski (4 IP, 5 hits, 6 ERs, 4 Ks) and Kyler Exley (3 IP, 5 hits, 5 ERs, K) logged mound duty for Analy, while leading batters were Will St. Martin (2 for 2, run, RBI), Colton Lomonto (2 for 4, RBI), Noah Rabin (2 for 4, RBI), Alex Leopard (1 for 3), Thomas O’Brien (1 for 3, RBI) and Max Voelkel (1 for 3).
The Tigers traveled to Santa Rosa for the April 26 rematch with Newman, this time victimized by a tremendous pitching performance from Cardinal hurler Gianni Cavallo. The Newman ace fired a no-run, no-hit complete-game performance, yielding just two walks on his way to an 8-0 win.
