4/30:  The freshman Giants rode a gutty effort from starting pitcher Ben Cohen and some early offense to defeat Tamalpais by a score of 7-3 on Monday afternoon at Tam High.

The Giants jumped on Tam for three runs in the top of the first.  Tommy Quanstrom provided the big hit with a two-out single to center to score Cohen and Ethan Crawford.  After Mikey Bender followed with a single, J.T. Dyer drove in Quanstrom for the final run of the inning.

The Giants added on in the second and third innings.  In the second, Cohen drove home Bodie Jehling on a double to left.  After Cohen stole third, Sam McIntosh brought Cohen home with an RBI groundout to stake Redwood to a 5-0 lead.  In the top of the third, Dyer singled home Quanstrom, who had reached on a double, and through three innings the count was 6-0 Redwood.

Cohen, meanwhile, was pitching through a nasty blister on his pitching hand that deprived him of any feel with his curveball.  Forced to go almost entirely with a fastball/changeup combination, Cohen nevertheless battled through five innings while yielding only two runs (one earned).  After five innings, Redwood was up 6-2.

Bender relieved Cohen and picked up right where he left off, striking out three in his two innings of work.  Redwood added a big insurance run in the top of the seventh on a Jack Watson single to right to plate Bender.  Bender worked out of a jam in Tam’s last at-bat, fanning Tam’s final hitter with the bases loaded and the tying run at the plate.

Bender and Dyer led the Giants in hits on the day with three apiece, while Quanstrom and Jehling pitched in two each.

The Giants record for the season now stands at 18-1.  Next game for the frosh is Wednesday afternoon at Endriss Field against Marin Catholic.  First pitch at 4:30 PM.