The defending Sonoma County League champion Analy girls softball team is heating up with the weather this week, recording preseason wins over Maria Carrillo and Ukiah.
The wins pushed Analy’s pre-league record to 3-3.
“We’re young but we’re playing pretty good ball,” Tigers coach Nick Houtz said, acknowledging Analy’s tough pre-league schedule.
The Tigers will wrap pre-season play on Tuesday, March 21 when they host perennial power Redwood in a 4 p.m. start in Sebastopol. Analy will open the SCL campaign on March 28 against Elsie Allen.
Meanwhile the El Molino Lions (3-7) continued their prep work with a pair of games, suffering home and away setbacks to Middletown (6-2) and Santa Rosa (7-2). The Lions will be idle during spring break but return to action in a March 28 visit to Lower Lake. El Mo will open the SCL schedule on March 30 at Analy.
Tigers notch wins
Analy sent sophomore hurler Carson Rasmussen to the hill in a March 14 clash with visiting Maria Carrillo, staking her to an early cushion with a five-run uprising in the first. The Pumas clawed back with three in the third but never got any closer as the Tigers cruised to a 7-3 win.
Rasmussen (7 IP, 4 hits, 0 ERs, 3 Ks) was solid in earning the victory, while top hitters included Makayla Kraemer (2 for 4, run), Claire Nelson (2 for 3, run), Emily Dryer (2 for 4, 2B, 2 runs, 2 RBIs), Nicole Mearns (1 for 3, 2 RBIs), Kahealani Lua (1 for 1, 2 RBIs), Rasmussen (1 for 3, 2 runs, RBI), Peyton Bratton (1 for 3) and Gemma Gonzalez (1 for 3).
Analy played host to Ukiah in a see-saw battle on March 16, spotting the Wildcats a 4-0 lead in the second. The Tigers clawed back with three runs in the second and two in the third to grab a brief 5-4 edge, but the ‘Cats answered with another pair in the fourth for a 6-5 lead. The score remained unchanged until the last of the seventh, as Analy mounted a two-run rally to pull out a 7-6 win.
Rasmussen (7 IP, 9 hits, 6 ERs, 7 Ks) was the player of the game, notching the win while ripping two hits in four trips, including two doubles and three runs batted in. Other leading hitters were Gonzalez (2 for 3, RBI), Dryer (2 for 3, 2B, run, RBI), Kraemer (2 for 4, run), Samantha Caughie (1 for 4, 2B, run, RBI), Payton Cords (1 for 4, run) and Nelson (1 for 4).
Lions fall to Mustangs, Panthers
El Molino entertained Middletown in a March 14 tilt in Forestville, battling back from a 2-0 deficit with a pair of third-inning runs to knot the contest at 2-2. It was all Mustangs from there, as the visitors tallied a combined four runs in the next three frames en route to a 6-2 win.
Lions’ pitcher Erika Olson (7 IP, 9 hits, 3 Ks) took the loss. Hitting safely for El Mo were Cynthia Hernandez (2 for 2), Olson (1 for 3, run), Gabby Bushgen (1 for 3) and Kristine Daniels (1 for 3).
The Lions paid Santa Rosa a visit on March 16, with the Panthers busting open a scoreless game with a five-run uprising in the third. The Lions picked up a pair of runs in the sixth but would eventually fall, 7-2 (no stats reported).
Play at the Plate – Analy base-runner Peyton Bratton attempted to score in a March 14 varsity softball clash with Maria Carrillo. Bratton was tagged out but the Lady Tigers went on to a 7-3 win. (Greg Clementi)
Throwing Heat – El Molino sophomore Erika Olson delivered a pitch in varsity softball action for the Lions. (Greg Clementi)
