3/14: The Giants were supposed to start their season on the road on Tuesday at Terra Linda but steady rain caused the cancellation of Tuesday’s game and moved the game to Wednesday and the venue to Moody Field after Mike Firenzi and his coaching staff spent hours getting water off of the field. “We spent over six hours pumping water off of the field, ripping and rolling the infield and patching wet spots with bags of Diamond Dry so we could get the game in”, Firenzi said before the game.
Senior starter Blake Cusick earned his second win in a row, pitching five strong innings while giving up only two hits, two walks and striking out four. Sophomore Nick Welch pitched the final two innings and only gave up one hit to the Trojans. Cusick and Welch combined for a three hit shutout.
Anthony Pomilia led off the bottom of the first with a walk and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Pascal Brassey. With two outs, Jack Morkin reached first on a dropped third strike and Luke Zlatunich roped a seed to short that was miss-played scoring Pomilia and Morken, putting the Giants up 2-0.
Dane Goodman doubled down the third baseline with one out and Josh Cohen sent him home on a triple to left. Pomilia advanced Cohen to third on a grounder to the right side. With two outs, Cohen scored on a passed ball taking Redwood to the third inning leading 4-0.
After Cusick sent the Trojans down 1-2-3 in the top of the third, Mackie Skall led off the bottom of the inning with a single to center. Skall advanced to second on a passed ball and went to third on a dropped third strike to Jack Morken. Luke Zlatunich sent Skall home on a deep fly to center.
The Trojans threatened in the top of the fourth with a lead off single that was followed by a walk. Shortstop Pascal Brassey hushed the Trojan crowd by snagging a line drive and doubling the runner off of second. Brassey recorded another assist in the inning by fielding a grounder and firing across the diamond to Luke Zlatunich, ending the Trojan threat, taking the game to the bottom of the fourth with the Giants leading 5-0.
Robbie Wilson led off the bottom of the fourth with a loud double to left. Dane Goodman executed a perfect hit and run, roping a single to left, advancing Wilson to third. Josh Cohen sent Wilson home and Goodman to third on a single up the middle. Anthony Pomilia scored Goodman on a single to left, putting Redwood up 7-0.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Michael Connors singled to center. Robbie Wilson roped his second double of the day, scoring Connors, putting the Giants up for good, 8-0. Wilson would toe the rubber for the last two innings of the game, holding the shut-out for the Giants first MCAL win of the season.
Anthony Pomilia, Dio Cornet, Mackie Skall and Michael Connors all had hits for the Giants with Robbie Wilson, Dane Goodman and Josh Cohen each adding two hits for a total of ten hits by Redwood. Luke Zlatunich, Pomilia, Wilson all knocked in runs, with Cohen adding two RBI’s.
Redwood will face off against San Marin next. San Marin is the only MCAL team to have a winning record against the Giants since Firenzi took over the team in 2015.