It’s down to crunch time for local baseball teams, with just a
handful of games left on the league schedule.
The Lions and Tigers are coming off of a tough week on the
diamond, as El Mo fell to Petaluma, 11-1, while Analy dropped a
pair of decision to Sonoma, 6-3, and Casa Grande, 14-8.
At press time the Lions (2-8, 6-13) were preparing to host the
Tigers on May 11 in the second of two season meetings, and will
close out the league campaign on Friday, May 14 at Casa
Grande.Â
The Tigers (4-6, 9-11) finish up with visiting Windsor on Friday
at 4 p.m. in a game that should determine the fourth and final spot
for next week’s league playoff tournament.
All games start at 4 p.m.
Tigers torched by Dragons, Gauchos Â
The Tigers saw their losing streak reach three games last week,
bad timing for a team with post-season aspirations. Analy’s NCS
playoff hopes will likely hinge on the outcome of this week’s
games.
The Tigers sent senior right-hander Kevin Aronis to the hill
opposite Sonoma’s Sam Alton on May 4, as the Dragons jumped on top
with a four-run first inning. Analy, which managed just five hits,
pushed across two in the first and a solo run in the fifth en route
to a 6-3 loss. Leading the Analy hitting corps were Isias Alcantar
(1 for 3, RBI), and Jerry Pinola (1 for 3, RBI).
The rematch with visiting Casa Grande on Friday bore no
resemblance to the first season meeting between the teams last
month, when starter Isias Alcantar threw an 8-0 complete-game
shutout. The Gauchos returned the favor this time around, chasing
Alcantar with eight runs in the first two innings, including a
grand slam from RJ Busse. With Kyle Ball on in relief, the Tigers
would stage a four-run uprising in the fifth, but Casa powered to
an eventual, 14-8 win.Â
Lions fall to league-leading TrojansÂ
Visiting Petaluma had its hitting shoes securely fastened in the
May 7 clash in Forestville, as the Trojans exploded for eight runs
in the second inning en route to a five-inning, 11-1 win. Petaluma
hurler Justin Wambold earned the win, while El Mo starter Casey
Fiddler was saddled with the loss. Leading El Mo hitters were Ricky
Franceschi (2 for 2), Ben Rhoades (1 for 3, RBI), Jordan Nordby (1
for 3, run), and Matt Freeman (1 for 3).
