Tigers pound Petaluma, Lions blank Healdsburg
West county high school softball teams are hitting their stride this month, with both Analy and El Molino varsity squad notching big wins in Sonoma County League play.
The defending SCL champion Tigers scored their biggest win of the season to date in an April 10 home showdown with archrival Petaluma, shocking the Trojans in a 9-3 victory.
The win, coupled with an 18-0 shellacking over Elsie Allen, lifted Analy into first place all alone at 3-0 (9-4 overall) and was a huge step in establishing league supremacy in 2018, the last season before sports league restructuring will alter many of next year’s schedules and match-ups.
“I think Petaluma came in here thinking they were going to kick our butts,” veteran Tiger’s coach Nick Houtz said. “This is one of the best teams I’ve ever had and if we play ball the way we can, we’re going to be tough to beat.”
The Tigers will resume league action on April 17 (after press time) against visiting Healdsburg and will host Drake in a non-league contest on April 18 (4 p.m.). Analy will close out the week on Thursday, April 19 against visiting Sonoma Valley and will entertain Elsie Allen in a rematch on April 23 (4 p.m.).
The April 10 date with Petaluma was arguably the game of the season for the Tigers, putting the team in position to repeat as champions.
Analy took charge from the start, staking winning pitcher Carson Rasmason (7 IP, 7 hits, 1 ER) to a 3-0 lead in the opening frame. The Tigers continued to rough up Petaluma pitcher Mandi O’Keefe, tacking on another combined five runs in the third and fourth innings for an 8-2 cushion.
Analy closed out a 9-3 win in spectacular fashion when shortstop Claire Nelson made a diving stop of a ground ball, flipped to second baseman Leah Lawrence, who stepped on second and fired to first baseman Nicole Mearns to complete a textbook 6-4-3 double play.
Swinging hot bats for the Tigers were Makayla Kraemer (3 for 4, 3 runs, 2 RBIs), Gianna Bianchi (3 for 4, 2 runs), Claire Nelson (2 for 4, 2B, 2 runs), Samantha Caughie (2 for 3 2B, run, RBI), Cameron Cordoza (2 for 3, run, 3 RBIs) and Rasmason (1 for 3, RBI).
Lions post win
The Lions (2-10, 1-3) notched their first SCL “W” of the league campaign, bouncing back from a 15-5 loss against Piner with a 13-0 shutout at Healdsburg on April 12.
El Mo pitcher Erika Olson (6 IP, 6 hits, 0 runs, 6 Ks) earned the victory against the Greyhounds, while also leading the team with her bat (3 for 4, 2 runs, 2 RBIs), Haley Sheridan (2 for 4, 2 RBIs), Lacy Alberigi (1 for 3, 2 runs, 2 RBIs), Grace St. Marie (1 for 2, RBI).
This week, the Lions have scheduled games at Sonoma Valley (April 17), home versus Lower Lake (April 18, 4 p.m.) and at Elsie Allen (April 19, 4 p.m.).
