Analy draws first-round bye, hosts quarterfinal game this week
The Analy softball team will ratchet up the intensity level this week as it takes the field as a dark-horse favorite in the North Coast Section Division-3 playoffs.
The Sonoma County League co-champion Lady Tigers are coming off a disappointing showing in the four-team SCL tournament hosted by Analy last week, dropping a first-round game to number three Sonoma Valley in the playoff opener. The Dragons went on to upset Petaluma in the tourney title game, 10-9.
All was forgiven on Sunday, when Analy was rewarded for an outstanding 20-5 record with the number three seed in the 12-team NCS tourney, drawing an opening round bye.
The Tigers may face a familiar foe in the quarterfinals, hosting the winner of the Sonoma Valley-Acalanes game on either May 27 or 28 (4 p.m.). Should the Tigers advance, they will likely travel to face number two seeded Bishop O’Dowd in the semifinals on May 31 or June 1 (TBD).
Look for updated NCS tournament bracket information at www.cifncs.org.
The full list of NCS Division-3 softball teams in order of seeding is; Pinole Valley, Bishop O’Dowd, Analy, San Marin, Moreau Catholic, Sonoma Valley, Tamalpais, El Cerrito, Terra Linda, Albany, Acalanes and DeAnza.
Tigers fall to Dragons
The Lady Tigers could be excused for some possible complacency when they took the field against number three Sonoma Valley in the SCL playoff opener on May 18, having beaten the Dragons in their prior season meetings by a combined score of 27-0.
This contest would bear no resemblance to the first two, as surprise Sonoma pitcher Hayden Pierce throttled the Tigers’ bats in a four-hit gem. The Dragons pushed across a solo run in the first, and then iced it with a three-run uprising in the fifth en route to a 4-0 win.
Analy ace Saja Spearman-Weaver took the loss, while top hitters included Makeyla Kraemer (1 for 2), Crystal Gevas (1 for 1), Mackenzie Evangelisti (1 for 3, 3B) and Kaiya Ming (1 for 3).
