4/21:  The Varsity Giants put another notch in the win column with a 11-1 victory against the Novato Hornets.  Blake Cusick earned his firs win of the season, pitching 4 2/3 innings, giving up the lone Hornet run in the first inning.

In usual fashion, the Giants came out swinging and scored two runs to start the game, highlighted by a one-out single by Josh Cohen that was followed by two consecutive walks to Nicolas Belgum and Anthony Pomilia to load the bases.  Luke Zlatunich knocked Cohen home on a sacrifice fly to center.  Belgum scored two pitches later on a passed ball and after Novato scored their lone run in the bottom of the inning, the Giants were up 2-1, the closest the game would ever be.

After a quiet second inning, Dane Goodman led off the top of the third with a single to right.  Josh Cohen would bang his second hit of the day, putting runners on first and second with no outs.  Belgum advanced the runners on a deep drive to center.  Anthony Pomilia and Luke Zlatunich belted back-to-back doubles clearing the bases, and Zlatunich would score on a sacrifice fly by Genki LeClair.  Aubrey Sine reached base on a fielders choice and scored after Mackie Skall reached base on an error.  The inning was punctuated with a single by Pascal Brassey but ended on a line drive to center with the Giants up 7-1.  Cusick sent the Hornets down in the bottom of the third, and duplicated the feat in the bottom of the fourth.

Zlatunich led off the top of the fifth with a walk.  After a strike out, Genki LeClair walked putting runners on first and second.  Both would advance on a  wild pitch and advance again on a passed ball.  Mackie Skall then ripped a line drive right at the shortstop, a ball that probably should have been caught but was hit so hard it bounded off of his glove and was scored as an error, scoring LeClair, putting the Giants up 9-1.  Brassey and Goodman would follow with back-to-back singles, scoring Riley Marsh who relieved Skall as a pinch runner.  Brassey scored on an unfortunate balk and the half inning would end with the Giants up 11-1.  After getting two quick outs in the bottom of the inning, Cusick gave up a walk and was lifted for Trevor Foehr.  Foehr gave up a single but ended the inning with a strike out.

The Giants didn’t threaten in the top of the sixth and Foehr faced just four batters in the bottom of the inning, sending the game to the top of the seventh with the Giants up 11-1.

Gregory Block led off the top of the seventh with a hard ground out to first and Josh Katz smoked the first pitch he saw to left for a single.  Andreas Gleckman sent Katz to second on a hard hit grounder to second and the Giants threat ended when Drew Jack roped a ground out to short.

Michael Benz came in to close out the game and stuck out all three batters he faced, needing just thirteen pitches to end the game.

Anthony Pomilia, Luke Zlatunich, and Josh Katz had hits, with Dane Goodman, Josh Cohen, and Pascal Brassey adding two hits each to the Giants nine-hit assault.

The Giants are on the road on Tuesday night, under the lights at Albert Park against San Rafael.  San Rafael is riding a three game winning streak and is fighting for a play-off spot with a 5-5 MCAL conference record.