Press Democrat Sonoma West MaxPreps
Lions win a wild one in Willits
Baseball wins don’t get any more exciting than the hardball donnybrook staged in Willits last week, as the Lions snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Down 4-2 with two outs in the seventh, El Mo scored nine times to take a seemingly comfortable, 11-4 lead. Willits didn’t flinch, pushing across six runs in the bottom of the frame before eventually falling, 11-10.
“It was a great game for the spectators, but it was a coach’s nightmare,” noted El Mo skipper Rick Tacla. “What a crazy game.”
Lions take fourth in tourney
Lefty Ian Johnson turned in his best outing of the season in the tournament opener against Fortuna, tossing a complete-game one-hitter in a 4-0 win.
El Mo took an early 1-0 lead on an RBI fielder’s choice from shortstop Michael Pierson. The Lions added insurance runs in the fifth and sixth innings on a pair of run-scoring knocks from Chaz Mathias and Ben Rhoades to provide Johnson with all the run-support needed to close out the win.
Lions blank Fortuna
After getting rained out last week, the Lions (7-4, 1-4) entered the their spring tournament ready to play against Fortuna in Monday’s opener. Lefty Ian Johnson responded with one of his best outings of the season, tossing a complete-game one-hitter in a 4-0 win over the Huskies.
Lions fall to Petaluma in heartbreaker
As league losses go, Friday’s 8-7 setback at Petaluma was about as tough as they come. The Lions took a 7-6 lead into the bottom of the seventh and were within an out of closing it out when disaster struck. The Trojans rallied for two runs, coming on an RBI knock to left-center for the improbable win.
The loss pushed the Lion’s season record to 6-4, and 1-4 in league play.
Lions notch wins
El Molino continued its best season start in years last week with two wins in three outings. The stretch began on a down note in an 8-1 loss to visiting Casa Grande, but the Lions bounced back three days later in an 8-6 come-from-behind win at Windsor. El Mo finished off the busy week with a 10-5 non-league victory over visiting St. Helena on Saturday.
The solid week gave the Lions an overall mark of 6-2 and 1-2 in the SCL.
“We’ve been doing a good job of playing small-ball and manufacturing runs, and the kids are buying into it really well this year,” said veteran Lion’s skipper Rick Tacla. ‘This is definitely the best start for the team since I’ve been here.”
Lions gain split
El Molino’s SCL opener at Healdsburg was in stark contrast to Analy’s, as senior southpaw Ian Johnson locked horns with Greyhound hurler Frankie Renteria in a great pitcher’s duel.
The Hounds pushed across the only runs of the game in the fateful first inning, when a couple of hits and an error led to a 2-0 Healdsburg lead. Johnson (6 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 5 Ks) was nails from that point on, throttling the opposition with a steady diet of fastballs on the black.
Lions making a statement in early going
El Mo is off to one of its best starts in years this week following a pair of key division-four pre-season victories.
“Everybody is stepping up for us so far,” noted veteran El Mo skipper Rick Tacla. “Our pitching is coming through, our defense has been solid, and our hitting is getting better each game.”
