Teams will wrap up preseason; open SCL campaign next week
Local high school baseball teams will put in some final prep work before the start of the Sonoma County League season next week, as both El Molino and Analy look to continue what has been an outstanding month of March.
The Lions are coming off a great stretch in pre-league action, scoring successive wins over Lower Lake (7-4, 9 innings) and Middletown (5-2, 10-6) in running their record to 7-2.
El Mo will wrap up preseason play this week (weather permitting) with scheduled home games against Fort Bragg (March 21, after press time) and St. Helena (March 24, 4 p.m.). The Lions open the league campaign on Tuesday, March 28 at Elsie Allen (4 p.m.).
Meanwhile the Tigers (5-2) managed an even split in a pair of recent outings, bouncing back from a 6-5 loss at Miramonte with a 12-6 win over visiting Cardinal Newman. Analy will compete in the annual A.L. Rabinovitz Tournament on March 21-22, opening up at home against Windsor on March 21 at 11 a.m.
Lions in win column
El Molino continued its hot start in a March 17 visit to Lower Lake, engaging the Trojans in a see-saw battle that would need nine innings before being decided. Knotted at 4-4 after seven, the Lions pushed across three runs in the ninth to emerge with a 7-4 win.
Wesley Hamner (3 IP, 4 hits, 3 ERs, 1 K) and Bradley Swinney (WP, 6 IP, 2 hits, 0 ERs, 3 Ks) shared mound duties, while top hitters were Sam Wilson-Mietz (3 for 5, 2B, 2 runs, RBI), Jake Peter (2 for 3, run, RBI), Shane Spelman (1 for 1, 2B, run), Wyatt Stringfellow (1 for 5, 2 RBIs) and Eric Nils-Carlson (1 for 5).
El Molino played host to Middletown in a double-header on March 18, as pitchers Curtis Lewis (WP, 5.2 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 2 Ks) and Andrew Tait (1.1 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, save) turned in a pair of solid efforts in the opener en route to a 5-2 victory. Pacing the bat attack were Hamner (1 for 4, RBI), Wilson-Mietz (1 for 4, 2B, run, 2 RBIs), Spelman (1 for 3, RBI), Nils-Carlson (1 for 3, run) and Swinney (1 for 3).
Peter (3.1 IP, 8 hits, 3 ERs, 2 Ks) got the start for the Lions in the nightcap, benefiting from a 7-1 lead before giving way to relievers Wilson-Mietz (.2 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs), Garrett Crane (.1 IP, 0 hits) and Jack Belli (2.2 IP, 5 hits, 1 ER, 3 Ks) in a 10-6 win. Continuing to swing hot bats for El Mo were Hamner (3 for 3, 2 2Bs, 2 runs, 3 RBIs), Wilson-Mietz (3 for 4, 2 runs, RBI), Lewis (2 for 4, 2 runs), Spelman (1 for 3, 2 runs, 2 RBIs), Peter (1 for 4, run, RBI), Swinney (1 for 3, run) and Crane (1 for 2, RBI).
