Teams open Sonoma County League play this week
The familiar sounds of dugout chatter and a bat meeting ball will echo throughout the county this week as local high school teams open league play with a full slate of games.
The varsity baseball Tigers (7-4) will take a full head of steam into SCL campaign following a great showing in the Rancho Cucomonga Tournament in Southern California on March 21-24, winning three of five games played. Analy scored wins over Pioneer (7-2), Sherwood (10-4), Woodcrest Christian (8-6), but fell to Rancho Cucomonga (6-3) and Montclair (8-2).
The Tigers will open the SCL schedule on March 29 (after press time) at Elsie Allen and come home to host Healdsburg this Friday, April 1. The Tigers will entertain league powerhouse Petaluma next Tuesday, April 5. All games start at 4 p.m.
Meanwhile the Lions dropped their final pair of pre-league games last week, falling at St. Helena (9-1) and Windsor (13-8).
El Molino will take a 3-5 record into the March 29 SCL opener at Sonoma Valley, followed by a Friday, April 1 visit to Elsie Allen (4 p.m.). The Lions will take on Healdsburg at Recreation Park next Tuesday in a 7 p.m. start.
Tigers rounding
into form
Analy opened the Rancho Cucomonga tourney on March 21 against Pioneer, riding strong pitching efforts from Jack Newman (5 IP, 2 ERs, 1 BB, 6 Ks) and Mason Snodgrass (2 IP, 0 runs, 3 Ks) in a 7-2 win. Top hitters were Nolan Alvarez (2 for 3, 2 3Bs, run, 3 RBIs) and a hit apiece from Carter Merlaud (2B, RBI), Keaton Bates (2B, RBI), Jacob Beeler, Johnny Gomes, Ryan Calderon, Devon Ogston and Taylor Cullen.
The Tigers fell in game two to host Rancho Cucomonga, but bounced back the following day in a 10-4 win over Sherwood (OR). Pitchers Evan Peelen (4.2 IP, 5 hits, 2 ERs, 5 Ks) and Snodgrass (2.1 IP, 1 hit, 0 ERs, 3 Ks) combined forces in a strong collective mound effort, while leading hitters were Newman (3 for 4, 2 2Bs, 5 RBIs), Alvarez (2 for 3, 2 runs) and Merlaud (2 for 4, 2B, 2 runs, RBI).
The Tigers made it two straight in an 8-6 victory over Woodcrest Christian, combining a solid pitching effort from Gabe Werthimer (6.1 IP, 9 hits, 4 ERs, K) with a 12-hit attack. Top hitters were Tayler Cullen (2 for 3, run, 2 RBIs), Ogston (2 for 3, 2B, 2 runs, RBI) and Alvarez (2 for 3, run, RBI).
Analy closed out the tournament with an 8-2 loss to Montclair.
Lions drop a pair
El Molino hit the road for a rematch with St. Helena on March 24, hoping to avenge a 14-0 rout at the hands of the Saints earlier in the month. It wasn’t in the cards, as the Saints pushed across a combined seven runs in the third and fourth innings en route to a 9-1 win.
Sharing mound duties for the Lions were Kyle Kaasch (1.2 IP, 7 hits, 5 ERs, 3 BBs, 2 Ks) and Austin Cassidy (2.1 IP, 3 hits, 0 ERs, K). Senior ace Mitchell Fricker (2 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 4 Ks) was stellar in his return from injury. Top El Mo hitters were Johny Barber (2 for 3), TJ Schooley (2 for 4), Ian Siegert (1 for 1) and Wes Albini (1 for 1).
The Lions paid Windsor a visit in a Friday, March 24 clash, as the Jaguars exploded for seven runs in the second and added four more in the fifth on their way to a 13-8 romp. Siegert (1.2 IP, 6 hits, 7 ERs, 5 BBs, K) took the loss, while Jake Peter (3.1 IP, 7 hits, 3 ERs, 4 Ks) and Cassidy (1 IP, 0 ERs, BB, K) also saw mound action for El Mo. Hitting safely for the Lions were Schooley (2 for 5, 2 RBIs), Justin Schaap (2 for 3, 2 runs, RBI), Wesley Hamner (1 for 3, RBI) and Kaasch (1 for 2, RBI).
