Teams get first taste of postseason in SCL tourney
Playoff excitement is in the air for local high school baseball teams this week, as both the Analy Tigers and El Molino Lions take the field in the Sonoma County League Playoff Tournament at Arnold Field in Sonoma.
At press time the # 4 seeded Lions (7-5, 13-8) were preparing to open the four-team tourney on Tuesday, May 15 in a 7 p.m. clash with #1 seeded Petaluma. The Tigers (8-4, 16-8) will represent the #3 seed and will take on #2 seeded Piner on Wednesday, May 16 at 7 p.m.Â
Also looming large are the North Coast Section Playoffs, which start next week. Analy and El Molino are virtual locks to land an at-large berth when the seeding committee convenes on Sunday.
Tigers retain bragging rights
Analy was out for a clean sweep in Friday’s regular season finale in Forestville, taking on host El Molino in the second of two season meetings.
The Tigers started junior hurler Tyler Stasiowski, author of a 1-0 gem over the Lions in the first meeting last month, for the second clash and this would be a continuation of the other. In another great outing, the ace right-hander kept the Lions off the board through the first five innings before Analy exploded for six runs in the fateful fourth en route to a 9-1 victory.
Stasiowski (6.1 IP, 5 hits, 1 ER, 4 Ks) claimed the win while Evan Alvarez (.2 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, K) closed it out. Sharing mound duty for the Lions were Jack Belli (3 IP, 2 hits, 3 ERs), Bradley Swinney (1.1 IP, 0 ERs) and Patrick Atkinson (2.2 IP, 3 hits, 2 ERs).
Pacing the Analy attack were Alex Leopard (1 for 3, 2 runs), Evan Alvarez (1 for 3), Jeff Pearson (1 for 3, run, 2 RBIs), Noah Rabin (1 for 4, run, 2 RBIs), Austin Alvarez (1 for 4, run), Toni Siri (1 for 1, 2 runs, 2 RBIs) and Dalton Goodrum (1 for 1, 2B). Top hitters for El Mo included Sam Wilson-Mietz (1 for 3, run), Thomas Siegert (1 for 1, RBI), Belli (1 for 1), Wes Hamner (1 for 2) and Andy Junge (1 for 2).
Lions shock Trojans Â
El Mo began the week with its biggest win of the season in a 3-2 home upset of league-leading Petaluma on May 8. The Trojans struck for two runs in the opening frame to grab an early 2-0 lead, but the Lions clawed back with one in the bottom of the frame to trail 2-1. With pitcher Sam Wilson-Mietz settling into a groove, the visitors’ bats went silent through the next six frames, allowing the Lions to mount a dramatic rally in their final at-bat. El Mo rallied for two runs in the seventh, the game-winner scoring on a bases-loaded walk to Curt Lewis to lift the Lions to a 3-2 win.
Wilson-Mietz (7 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 2 Ks) was spectacular in earning the victory, while leading hitters were Jordan Hamner (2 for 3, run, RBI), Wilson-Mietz (1 for 4, run), Shane Spelman (1 for 2) and Lewis (1 for 2, RBI).
