By Caleb Knudsen
Hopes are always high at the beginning of a baseball season, and when they are rewarded by a five-game winning streak midway through league play, hopes can soar.
That’s the position the Healdsburg High varsity baseball team is in this week, coming off back-to-back victories over the Montgomery Vikings to avenge its 7-1 loss on March 29. This time the Greyhounds marshalled their pitching, defense and hitting to outscore the Vikings 13-4 over two games, April 9 and April 11.
Sophomore Noah Wong started the Wednesday game on the mound and continued demonstrating great poise, but ran into trouble in the fifth inning to give up 2 earned runs on three walks and a single.
He made way for senior Eric Nielson to put out the flames, and held the Vikings scoreless going forward. Meanwhile the Greyhounds sent Montgomery’s Greyson Garris to the showers by plating 3 earned runs in the fifth and sixth, as Isaiah Robles found his swing and went 3-for-4 including a double.
“In the top of the 7th inning in a 3-3 game Johnny Wallace hit a two-out double to score 3 runs to put us out front,” reported coach Mark Domenichelli. Nova Perrill II also chipped in with a two-bagger for an RBI, and the game ended as a 6-3 win for Healdsburg.
The coach credited the shock of that 3-run double for giving the Hounds momentum going into the third game of their season series with Montgomery.
Nielson started the following game two days later and went the distance, giving up only a solitary run in the top of the seventh. He permitted just four hits and struck out eight over his 108-pitch outing.
But the bat attack made the difference. “Hayden Mariani led the way with 3 hits and Xander Harms added a 2-RBI double in the 6th to put the game away,” Domenichelli said.
The Hounds scored three times in the fourth and fifth innings, and took advantage of five errors by the Vikings to build their lead.
The score, 7-1, echoed the earlier loss Healdsburg suffered to Montgomery, and gave the Hounds bragging rights on the Vikes this season, two games to one.
Season Runout
The North Bay – Redwood schedule this year sees each team playing the six other teams three times, so the squads become familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of each. At this point Analy is sitting on top with a 7-0 league record, while Healdsburg (5-2) is in the hunt, in second place ahead of Montgomery (4-3).
“The boys are playing well,” Domenichelli said. “We have improved every week, and it’s fun to go to practice. This week will be a great test and I’m looking forward to watching the boys compete against a really good opponent.”
That would be league-leading Analy, which last year competed in the tougher Oak division and is now 7-0 in the Redwood. The games are Wednesday in Sebastopol and Friday, April 18, in Healdsburg. If Healdsburg can make a move, this is the week to do it.
The following week also sees back-to-back games, this time against St. Vincent de Paul (April 23 and 25). And later in the season, Healdsburg faces off for a two-in-a-row series against both Santa Rosa and Piner, to close the regular season out on May 9.
