The Lions and Tigers enjoyed a winning start to the Sonoma County League campaign last week, setting the tone for what should be an exciting race for the SCL pennant.
The defending champion Analy Tigers (8-4, 2-0) showed no signs of relinquishing their title with wins over Piner (6-0) and Sonoma Valley (11-5). Analy will resume league action on April 4 (after press time) at Healdsburg before returning home to host Petaluma on Friday, April 7 (4 p.m.).
Meanwhile the dark-horse El Molino Lions gained an even split in beating Elsie Allen (6-3) and falling to Piner (5-2). This week the Lions will visit Sonoma Valley on April 4 and entertain Healdsburg on April 7 (4 p.m.).
Tigers set tone
Analy sent veteran pitcher Jack Newman to the hill in the SCL home opener against Piner on March 28, and the senior hurler responded with a complete-game one-hit gem.
Newman fanned seven and allowed just a first inning single before slamming the door on the Prospectors through the next six frames en route to a 6-0 win. Leading the Tigers’ attack were Andy Noonan (2 for 3), Keaton Bates (2 for 4, 2B) and Newman (2 for 3, 2 RBIs).
The Tigers played host to perennial power Sonoma Valley in Friday’s meeting in Sebastopol, answering two first-inning runs by the Dragons with three in the bottom of the frame to take a lead they would not relinquish.
Analy exploded for seven more runs in the decisive second to give winning pitcher Mason Snodgrass all he’d need on the way to an 11-5 victory. Leading hitters included Snodgrass (3 for 4, 3B, 2 RBIs), Todd Noonan (2 for 4, 2 RBIs) and Bates (3B, 2 RBIs).
Lions gain split
El Molino had a full head of steam heading into the league opener at Elsie Allen on March 28, staking winning pitcher Andrew Tait (5 IP, 3 hits, 0 ERs) to a 4-0 lead in the first.Â
Tait gave the ball to reliever Jack Belli (2 IP, 3 hits, 2 ERs, 4 Ks) in the sixth and the Lions cruised to an eventual 6-3 win. Top hitters were Sam Wilson-Mietz (2 for 4, 2 runs, RBI), Bradley Swinney (2 for 4, RBI), Curtis Lewis (2 for 4, run), Wesley Hamner (1 for 1, run, 2 RBIs), Jake Peter (1 for 4, run, RBI) and Garrett Crane (1 for 3).
The March 31 visit to Piner didn’t go as planned for El Molino, spotting the Prospectors a pair of runs in each of the first two frames. The Lions trailed 5-0 until the sixth when they rallied for two runs, but would get no closer in a 5-2 loss.
