4/13: The Giants tangled with their non-league opponent at Moody Field on Saturday, falling to the Mustangs, 4-2. Matt Smalbach got the start for Redwood, throwing four innings and striking out four. Smalbach wrestled with his command in the first inning, hitting two batters and walking one, but settled down thereafter. Even with the free bases, the Giants only allowed one run in the top of the first. In response, in the bottom half of the first, Genki LeClair got on base after being walked. Batting in the cleanup position, first baseman, Jack Morken, connected with a 2 – 1 curve ball, sending it over the left field fence to take the lead 2-1.
In what turned out to be “one of those days,” however, the Giants could not find an open space the rest of the day. The boys would hit the ball hard all afternoon, but always in to the glove of their east bay opponent. Defensively, the Giants committed no errors and played hard in the field. Monte Vista tallied nine hits on the day, scoring two in the second and one in the sixth – all earned.
Lucas Roy pitched three innings, striking out one. The game got a bit sporty in the top of the seventh after center fielder, Jarod Robinow, caught a line drive on the run and threw the ball to catcher, Jake Gassman, who caught the ball in front of Homeplate, securing the double play but getting run over and bloodied by the Monte Vista runner tagging up at third. Gassman would be ok and the runner would get tossed. For Redwood, Nick Welch hit a double in the fifth and Jake Gassman singled in the third. The Giant’s only offense came in the first, off the Morken two-run homer.
The Giants resume MCAL play on Tuesday, April 16th, when they take on Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley. First pitch – 4:30 p.m.