2/26:  Redwood improved their winning percentage to .500 (1-1) with a win against the Petaluma Trojans on Friday, a day that started sunny and warm but ended rainy and cold.  A day that some of the best contact resulted in outs or errors, and some of the weakest contact resulted in hits.  A day when the Giants won, which is always a good day.

The Giants came out on fire, scoring two early runs in the top of the 1st.  The rally was sparked by a lead-off double by Josh Cohen.  Henry Zeilser followed with a hard single sending Cohen to third.  After Zeisler stole 2nd,  Aubrey Sine singled, knocking in both runners.

Pitcher Zach Kopstien looked sharp, holding the Trojans scoreless until the bottom of the 4th.  But it would be lead-off walks that would haunt Zach, as a lead-off walk scored in the bottom of the 4th after a couple of Giant errors.  A lead-off walk would score again in the bottom of the 5th tying the score 2-2 with just 2 innings to play.

Parker Laret led of the top of the 6th with his first homer of the year, ripping the first pitch he saw over the left field foul pole.  Eric Doctor singled with one out, stole 2nd and scored on a hard hit ball by Nicolas Belgum that the Petaluma shortstop airmailed over the 1st baseman’s head, putting the Giants up 4-2.  Kopstien held Petaluma scoreless in the bottom of the 6th, pitching to contact and using his defense to close out his outing as he induced a Bartlett to Avins to Zeilser double-play to end the inning.

The Giants added on in the top of the 7th, scoring four runs on just one hit (a single by Aubrey Sine) putting the Giants up 8-2.  Parker Laret came in to close the game in the bottom of the 7th, striking out the first batter he faced on four pitches.  The four runs the Giants scored in the top of the inning proved necessary as the Trojans threatened, scoring 3 runs in the frame.  Final score: Giants 8, Trojans 5.

Kopstien earned his first win of the season, pitching 6 innings while striking out 3 and yielding 2 runs on 3 hits.  Aubrey Sine and Henry Zeisler had 2 hits each with Danny Avins, Josh Cohen, Laret, and Doctor each adding a hit each.  Nicolas Belgum pounded the ball all day, reaching base 3 times with a hit in all of four of his at-bats.

The Giants have a scrimmage game on Saturday and play their 3rd non-conference game against Cardinal Newman on the road on Tuesday.  With a win-loss record of 1-1, Redwood is in the same place they were at this time last year.