3/21: The Giants can play with the best and will be contenders going forward. Despite a loss to MCAL rival Drake on Tuesday, Redwood’s varsity baseball team showed up ready to play against Petaluma high school Thursday night at Moody field. Head Coach Mike Firenzi shuffled his batting order and started left hand pitcher, Lucas Roy, for the first time this season. Roy sat down the Trojans in order to start the game. In the bottom half, batting in the leadoff spot, Jack Morken ripped a hard ground ball up the middle to start things off for the upbeat Giants. Roy would follow with the first of his three hits on the day, advancing Morken to third. Jackson Barry laid down a bunt to score Morken (1-0).
The Giants led off the bottom of the third inning with a single by Lucas Roy. Jackson Barry then put the ball in play and successfully reached base after an error by the Petaluma third baseman, advancing Roy to second base. Matt Birchenough entered the game to run for Barry. Second baseman, Genki LeClair, drove the ball to left field, scoring Roy (2-0). The Giants kept Petaluma off the scoreboard through four innings of play. In the fifth, the giants committed their first error in the field and threw a wild pitch, allowing Petaluma to score their first run. The Trojans scored two in the sixth to temporarily take the lead (2-3).
In the bottom of the sixth, with two outs, Jesse Gassman singled to left field. Jake Nordstrom followed with a single to left, advancing Gassman. Jared Robinow had a gutsy at bat and drove a two-strike ball to center field, scoring Gassman to tie the game 3-3. Unfortunately, the Giants could not keep Petaluma off the scoreboard in the seventh and conceded one run. Redwood would put the tying run on base but could not plate the runner. Final Score: 3-4.
Redwood out hit Petaluma 9 to 8, but costly errors proved to be the one run difference. When all the pieces come together for seven innings, the Giants should resume their winning ways next week when they go on the road against Terra Linda (Tuesday 3/26 @4:30 p.m.) and San Rafael (Friday 3/29 @ 6:30 p.m.) under the lights at Albert Field.