There are softball wins and then there are victories, the kind that represent a defining moment in a season.
The Analy Lady Tigers scored one of the latter in an annual visit to arch-rival Petaluma on March 31, pounding the three-time defending Sonoma County League champions into submission in a 12-2 rout.
It was the first league loss for Petaluma in nearly four years, snapping a record 47-game win streak.
The Analy victory, coupled with an 18-0 romp over Elsie Allen two days earlier, pushed the Tiger’s season record to 2-0 in league and 11-2 overall. More importantly, it gives Analy a huge leg up in the SCL title chase and stamps them as the clear favorites for the 2016 pennant.
“I’m pretty happy right now,” said a smiling Analy coach Nick Houtz after the game. “This is a good team and these girls can hit. That was a butt-kicking”
Meanwhile, El Molino remained in search of their first win last week with losses to Petaluma (11-1) and Sonoma Valley (10-0) in dropping them to 0-9 on the year and 0-2 in league. The Lions are a good bet to notch their first win soon when they host Piner this Thursday, April 7, followed by a home clash with Healdsburg on Tuesday, April 12. Both games start at 4 p.m.
Tigers make
a statement
The March 31 clash at Petaluma looked like a tight battle from the outset, as the Trojans drew first blood to take a 1-0 lead in the second. The Tigers took control in the top of the third, getting consecutive singles from Mackenzie Evangelisti, Payton Cords and Carson Rasmussen to plate two runs for a 2-1 edge.
With Analy pitcher Saja-Spearman-Weaver in complete command, the Tigers plated three more runs in the top of the fifth for a four-run lead, yielding one to the Trojans in the bottom of the frame to make it a 5-2 game. Analy led 7-2 after six innings when stepped to the plate in the seventh.
The Tigers administered the coup de grace with five runs in their final at-bat, getting RBI doubles from Makeyla Kraemer and Cords, with the highlight of the inning coming on a monster two-run home run blast to left from Jayde Hill en route to a 12-2 win.
Spearman-Weaver went the distance to claim the victory, tossing seven innings, scattering nine hits and yielding one earned run while fanning five in a great outing. Top hitters were Evangelisti (3 for 5, 2 runs, RBI), Kraemer (2 for 3, 2B, 3B, 2 runs, 3 RBIs), Hill (2 for 4, HR, 2 runs, 3 RBIs), Cords (2 for 4, 3 runs, RBI), Kaiya Ming (2 for 3, 2B, run), Peyton Bratton (2 for 4, 2B, 2 runs, RBI), Crystal Gevas (1 for 1), Kahealani Lua (1 for 4, 2B, run) and Rasmussen (1 for 5, 2 RBIs).
Lions fall
to Trojans, Dragons
El Mo navigated a tough stretch in the SCL schedule last week, beginning with a March 29 visit to Petaluma.
With Lions freshman Erika Olsen toeing the slab, the Trojans tallied five runs in the second, adding three more in the third and fourth innings to lead 11-0. El Molino avoided the shutout with one run in the sixth in an eventual 11-1 loss. Jaime Noah (1 for 3) drove in the lone run for the Lions.
