Story and photos by Greg Clementi
Sports Editor
The Analy softball team captured its first Sonoma County League
title in four years on Thursday, pulling out a dramatic, 3-2 win
over visiting Casa Grande in 10 innings.
The SCL title is the first for the Tigers since 2006, and
represents a remarkable turnaround following a 6-18 season of a
year ago. Analy wrapped up the SCL campaign with a 10-2 record and
16-8 overall, one game up on second-place Petaluma.
“After last year I was a little surprised at our success this
season, but we’ve got two good freshmen and no drama this year,”
said all-league shortstop Megan Winters, the Tiger’s leading hitter
with a .500 batting average and 19 runs scored. “We’ve got great
chemistry this year, everyone gets along so well.”
Dramatic win
Thursday’s electrifying victory over the defending league
champion Gauchos was a tense battle from the opening pitch. Both
teams benefited from defensive miscues early in the game, beginning
in the first inning when Winters drew a two-out walk and came home
on an overthrow on a bunt from Heather Lunardi. The Tigers repaid
the favor in the third when the Gauchos capitalized on an Analy
fielding error to knot the game at 1-1.
The game remained deadlocked at one-apiece after eight innings,
but with international rules in effect, the Gauchos took a 2-1 lead
in the top of the 9th.
Analy outfielder Sabrina Price gave the Tigers new life in the
bottom of the frame when she ripped a clutch, two-out RBI single to
score Heather Lunardi and tie it at 2-2, setting the stage for a
fantastic finish.
The Lady Tigers pushed across the winning run in the 10th when
base-runner Jessica “Red” Suiter came home after a bunt by Kaitlyn
“Buggy” Jay, sliding around the Casa Grande catcher. Suiter was
completely blocked off the plate, but executed a beautiful slide,
barely eluding the tag. “I was definitely safe,” said Suiter
following a spirited Analy post-game celebration. “She never tagged
me.”
Analy ace hurler Nicole Ochoa out-dueled Casa’s effective
pitching tandem of starter Brittany Tieken and reliever Ashley
Porter, allowing just three hits while fanning 14 in yet another
masterful performance. Pacing the Tiger offensive attack were Price
(1 for 2, RBI), Winters (1 for 3, run), Rachele Lunardi (1 for 5),
and Heather Lunardi (run, RBI).
The league title earned the Lady Tigers an automatic berth in
next week’s North Coast Section playoff tournament, where they
figure to land a high seed and a likely home game next Wednesday,
May 26. The NCS seeding committee meets this Sunday to determine
the 16-team field.
Check the NCS website at www.cifncs.org for complete tournament
bracket information next week
