5/05: Redwood stayed atop the MCAL standings with a win at home against Branson. Starting pitcher Josh Cohen held Branson in check, striking out three and leaving the game with two outs in the fifth inning with the score tied 3-3.
The Giants scored two runs in the bottom of the second after Henry Zeisler led off the inning with a walk and Aubrey Sine singled to left. After a double steal, Zach Cohen was able to knock Zeisler in from third on a grounder to short that resulted in an error. Zack Kopstein sacrificed Sine from third and the Giants were up 2-0.
After Branson scored in the top of the fourth, the Giants scored again in the bottom of the inning, after Josh Cohen led off with a walk and stole second. Nicolas Belgum singled to left advancing Cohen to third. Henry Zeisler knocked Cohen in with a single to right, putting Redwood ahead 3-1 going into the top of the fifth.
Branson tied the score 3-3 after a walk, a single and a double scored the lead off walk. The Giants couldn’t answer in the bottom of the inning. After a lead-off walk to start the top of the sixth, starting catcher Trevor Foehr gunned the runner out on an attempted steal. Josh Cohen was lifted for Zach Tonnerre with two outs in the top of the sixth, with the score tied 3-3 and the go-ahead run on first. Tonnerre induced a fly-out to Aubrey Sine in center to end the inning.
Garrett Aubert led off the bottom of the sixth with a walk. Nicolas Belgum dropped a perfect bunt advancing the runner. The hot hitting Henry Zeisler then singled to left. A wild pitch to Erik Doctor scored a run and advanced Henry to second, and Doctor launched a 2-1 fastball over the left fielders head for a RBI double, putting the Giants up 5-3. After Aubrey Sine drew a walk, Zach Cohen drove in Doctor on a single to left. Cohen would later score on an error and Nic Gillies knocked in the Giants fifth run of the inning on a single to left, scoring Zack Kopstein from second base, putting the Giants up 8-3 going into the top of the seventh. “It was nice to see a little rally today…” Assistant Coach Joel Russo said after the game, “…we haven’t had one of those in a while.”
Tonnerre shut down Branson in the top of the seventh striking out one and earning his second win of the year. The Giants tallied ten hits on the day. Aubrey Sine had a single and Erik Doctor had a RBI double. Nicolas Belgum, Henry Zeisler, Zach Cohen and Nic Gillies all had two hits with four RBI’s spread out between them.
The Giants host Marin Catholic in a rivalry game at Moody Field on Friday. Both teams are tied for first with a 13-2 league record and the winner will head into the last week of league play sitting in first place with just two games left. Senior Zack Kopstein will get the nod on the mound and he will face last years’ “MCAL Pitcher of the Year” Brandon Buckley.