It was feast or famine for West County high school softball teams in their return to the diamond last week, as unbeaten Analy notched three victories, while El Molino remained in hot pursuit of their first win.
The Tigers scored wins over Tamalpais (6-1), Windsor (4-0) and Redwood (6-5), but the Lions suffered a much different fate in dropping lopsided decisions to Lower Lake (16-0), Healdsburg (11-1) and Cardinal Newman (27-3).
Both teams will be back in action this week, as Analy competes in the annual Napa Tournament on March 25-26, while El Molino prepares for the Sonoma County League opener at Petaluma on March 29 (4 p.m.).
Tigers on a roll
2016 could prove to be the year of the Tiger, as Analy continues to roll over pre-league opponents.
The Tigers (4-0) claimed three victims in a four-day stretch last week, beginning with a March 15 clash with visiting Tamalpais. Analy jumped out to a 5-0 lead after four innings, giving senior pitcher Saja Spearman-Weaver (7 IP, 5 hits, ER, K) more than enough run support as she closed out a 6-1 win. Supplying most of the offensive firepower were leading hitters Mackenzie Evangelista (3 for 3, 2 2Bs, 2 runs, 2 RBIs) and Jayde Hill (1 for 3, run, HR, 3 RBIs).
Spearman-Weaver was back on the hill in a home clash with Windsor on March 17, throttling the Jaguars’ bats in an impressive, four-hit shutout. The Tigers went on the attack in the decisive opening frame, getting RBI knocks from Jayde Hill, Derika Green and Kahealani Lua to push across four runs. Spearman-Weaver was in complete control throughout en route to a 4-0 win.
Analy survived a gut-check at perennial power Redwood on March 18, spotting the Giants a 5-1 lead after four innings before staging a huge rally in the sixth. The Tigers exploded for five runs in the inning to surge ahead and held Redwood scoreless in its final two at-bats to pull out an unlikely, 6-5 win.
Spearman-Weaver (7 IP, 7 hits, 2 ERs, 4 BBs, 2 Ks) improved to 4-0, while top hitters were Payton Bratton (2 for 4, HR, run RBI), Evangelisti (2 for 4, run, RBI), Hill (1 for 4, 2B, run, 2 RBIs), Carson Rasmussen (2 for 4, 2B, run, RBI), Kaiya Ming (2 for 4, RBI and Kelsi Roman (1 for 3).
Lions stay hungry
The Lady Lions kicked off a challenging stretch of games with a March 15 home clash against Lower Lake, as the visitors pushed across eight runs in the second and five more in the fourth to force an early stoppage in a five-inning, 16-0 Trojan’s win. El Mo pitcher Jessica Vanrillear took the loss, while Risa Scott-Smith (1 for 2) collected the lone hit for the Lions.
El Molino was back in action two days later at Healdsburg, victimized by a great performance from Greyhound’s pitcher Keely Bullock (no hitter) en route to an 11-1, five-inning Healdsburg win. Vanrillear deserved a better fate, allowing just six hits on the day.
The Lions closed out the week with a March 18 meeting with visiting Cardinal Newman, as the Cardinals plated 13 runs in the first inning on their way to a 27-3 romp in five innings. Pacing the three-hit El Mo attack were Scott-Smith (1 for 3), Sierra Fiddler (1 for 2) and Jamie Noah (1 for 3).    Â
