Petaluma offense goes big

For photos from Friday night’s game click here. (Photos by Emily Farmer)

By Matt Hanlon

Wine Country Baseball.com

On a night when everything seemed to go wrong for the Yountville Robins, everything seemed to go right for the Petaluma Piratas.

Petaluma struck early, and struck often as the Piratas continued their successful season atop the Sonoma South Division with a 16-2 win over the Robins at Golis Park on Friday night.

“The win was important for us because we were able to see some guys get some hits (off the bench),” said center fielder Nate Durkin. “We got guys in the game who haven’t been playing a whole lot.”

Indeed the Piratas (11-3) had help from the entirety of their lineup with two-hit games from Sammy Bruno, Durkin, Tuck Nommsen, Ryan Check, Dave Hunt, Dan Mulderick and Aaron Wilgus.

Wilgus pitched four solid innings, allowing one earned run, on one hit with eight strikeouts. Michael Miller earned the win, shutting down Yountville (1-10) through the first five innings, allowing only two hits and striking out eight Robins.

Most of the damage came in the first two innings. Petaluma scored five runs in the first inning and eight more in the second to take a 13-0 lead after two innings.

Ziggy Gutierrez was one of the few bright spots for the Robins. Gutierrez made several nice plays throughout the game, including a pair of sliding, run-saving catches in the fourth.

Angels win big over Yountville

Top: St. Helena’s Justin Wade and Yountville’s Nik Gutierrez collide on a stolen base by Wade in the first inning. Bottom: Steve O’ Dell fields a bouncing grounder in the second inning.

By Matt Hanlon

Wine Country Baseball.com

ROHNERT PARK—Yountville’s Billy Hamilton may have received a loss on Friday night. But not for lack of effort.

Hamilton threw 167 pitches in a complete game start, but was unable to quiet a hot St. Helena offense. St.Helena came up big at the plate as they handily defeated the Yountville Robins with a 12-3 victory at Golis Park.

The Angels (6-7) scored often early. They reached the board first off of RBI singles by Josh McIntosh and Dave Bryant.

St.Helena went on to score a run in the second, three in the third and three more in the fourth. John Hays, Dave Bryant, John Ahlers, Ted Kearns and Kory Langwell all had two hit games in the win while Justin Wade contributed with three runs.

Josh McIntosh pitched six innings to earn the win, allowing one earned run and striking out nine.

Yountville (1-10) struggled both at the plate and in the field. The Robins had just four hits and committed six errors.

Healdsburgh wins three in a row

Cloverdale second baseman Kwame Clark shows the umpire the ball as the runner is called safe. Photo by Emily Farmer

By Matt Hanlon

Wine Country Baseball.com

Three games ago the Healdsburgh Owls were a team struggling to get their feet moving. Winless, and struggling defensively and offensively, each game was a slow improvement.

But Healdsburgh has won its last three games and appears to have emerged as the team it was supposed to be long ago. The Owls minimized the defensive mistakes and certainly had no offensive problems as they defeated the Cloverdale Bandits 12-4.

“It’s pretty sweet, starting out 0-9 and not thinking we were ever going to win a game to winning (three in a row),” manager Joe Stewart said. “Losing becomes contagious, but winning is too. It’s been great I think we’ve been pretty well as a team, our hitting and defense has definitely improved. I think (this game) was our best game so far and the score reflected it.”

The Owls (3-9) took an early lead when they scored four times in the second inning off four hits and an error from the Bandits.

Cloverdale (3-7) answered with two runs in the third inning on an RBI double by Albert Higgs to score Kwame Clark and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Tony Corkhill. But Healdsburgh broke it wide open in the bottom half of the inning, scoring eight runs on seven hits to take a 12-2 lead.

Ryan Surina was a big part of the win yet again, throwing seven innings and allowing two earned runs on six hits, striking out four to earn the win. Surina kept the Bandits off balance throughout the night with a big curveball that Cloverdale struggled to hit cleanly.

Manny Delao finished 4-for-6 with a pair of runs scored and two RBIs, Tyler Ketteman was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs and Jared Lunardi, Surina, Matt Archer, Rob Tosti and Beau Govig all had two hits.

Both Rigo Jacinto and Kwame Clark compiled two-hit games and scored a run for the Bandits.

Petaluma scraps another close win

Top: Mike Miller scores the game winning run for Petaluma in the top of the ninth as his teammates look on. Bottom: St. Helena starting pitcher Mike Cassady pitched 8 2/3 innings Saturday and was branded with the loss.

By Matt Hanlon

Wine Country Baseball.com

Some how, some way, the Piratas got it done again. With two outs, a runner on first, and trailing by two runs in the top of the ninth, Petaluma was in need of baserunners and runs.

But the Petaluma magic started and they got plenty of both as the Piratas scored four times in the ninth.

That lead was in jeopardy a few minutes later when the Angels loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth. But like the true escape artists that they are, the Piratas were able to dance their way out of the jam, deftly defeating St. Helena 8-6 at Cardinal Newman High School on Saturday.

“We made some errors, we missed some easy plays,” said pitcher Mike Miller. “We’ve had some close games…But as long as we win I don’t care how we win.”

Miller was the all around hero on Saturday as he pitched 2 2/3 innings in relief of Tuck Nommsen and allowed only one hit, striking out six and walking one. He came up big in the ninth striking out two batters and, amid shouts of “Miller time” from the Petaluma bench, getting a bases loaded groundout to end the game, stranding the tying run on second.

Petaluma (8-3) led for most of the game until St. Helena took the lead in the seventh. Steve O’Dell doubled to drive home Cam Cook and then John Hays singled home O’Dell and Dave Bryant.

The three-run inning gave the Angels a 6-4 lead. The Angels (5-7) held that lead and were only one out away from victory before the Piratas rallied in the ninth.

Miller did it with the bat too. he was 2-for-3 with a pair of triples and an RBI. TJ Drotliff was 3-for-5 with a double and Sammy Bruno and Vince Ambroselli each batted 2-for-5, Bruno with three RBIs and Ambroselli with one.

For St. Helena Dave Bryant was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Hays batted in the eighth spot but provided plenty of offense as he was 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

Mike Cassady started, throwing 8 2/3 innings allowing four earned runs, ten hits and striking out 12 in the loss for the Angels.

Petaluma holds off Sebastopol, 7-1

Mike Miller did it all for Petaluma on his birthday. He came up big on the mound, striking out 15 through nine innings, and at the plate, with an RBI triple and a run scored.

By Matt Hanlon

Wine Country Baseball.com

In what could very well be a playoff preview, the top two teams of the Sonoma South Division squared off at Golis Park. Coming off a big loss and a two week break, the Piratas had plenty to prove, while Sebastopol had hopes to of a win after a tie in their last game.

The bottom line of the game turned out to be pitching, as Mike Miller was able to silence the Sebastopol bats. The Apples did threaten in the ninth however, but after loading the bases they were held to just one run, stranding two baserunners and Petaluma prevailed with a 7-1 win over the Apples (6-4).

Getting the start on his birthday, Miller was nothing short of outstanding for the Piratas. He went the distance, allowing only one run on seven hits and a walk, striking out 14.

The win was a definite confident boost for the Piratas (8-3) who suffered a lopsided loss in their last game, against Santa Rosa at Cardinal Newman High School. It also didn’t hurt that the team had two weeks rest to prepare for Thursday night’s game.

“Last game was pretty bad,” said Petaluma coach Nate Wall. “Tonight we knew it was going to be a big game. They’re the second place team in the division… We had a great effort by Miller on his birthday, throwing (so many) strikeouts.

The eventual game-winning run came off the bat of Ryan Check early in the game, when his infield single in the second scored Tuck Nommsen. Two runs was all Miller would need to get the win over a powerful Apples’ offense.

Vince Ambroselli was an offensive catalyst yet again for Petaluma. He was 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs and a run scored. Nate Durkin, who was all over the basepaths, contributed with three walks, three stolen bases, three runs scored, and a sacrifice bunt

Miller seemed to do it all on his birthday, as he helped his own cause in the fourth with an RBI triple and a run scored.

Sebastopol was kept off the base paths for only two innings but could not score until the ninth when Travis Menke scored on a groundout by Alex Bell. Both Menke and Mario Ausiello had two-hit games for the Apples, but Menke was the only Apple who did not strikeout.

The sun sets over Golis Park on Thursday night.

Bats come alive for Cloverdale

J.J. Jamerson came on in relief in the Bandits 13-3 win over Sonoma on Saturday at Cardinal Newman High School.

By Matt Hanlon

Wine Country Baseball.com

With all the offensive struggles the Cloverdale Bandits have had this season, a one-run lead less than comforting. But when the Bandits entered the bottom of the sixth with a 4-3 lead over Sonoma they aimed to change that habit.

Cloverdale (3-6) erupted for six runs in the sixth inning in a blistering 13-3 win over the Sonoma Crushers on Saturday at Cardinal Newman.

The Bandits put themselves on the board first with an RBI single by Jason Russell that scored Dan Grimes. Sonoma tied the game up at 1-1 in the top of the fourth when Jason Buhagiar doubled, bringing home Jesse Asher.

Cloverdale countered with three more runs in the bottom half of the fourth, including two runs off a triple by Nick Lupien. One batter later Grimes grounded out for the first out of the inning, scoring Lupien.

The Crushers (4-7) scored in the fifth inning, off a single by Scott Hernandez and again in the sixth after Asher tripled and scored on a single by Buhagiar.

But the six run sixth and then a three-run eighth inning for the Bandits squashed any thoughts of a comeback.

Russell was the man with the muscle for Cloverdale on Saturday. He finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs, two runs scored and an inside-the-park homerun. Lupien and Jordan Malcolm each had two hits and two runs scored, Lupien with three RBIs and Malcolm with two.

Lupien started, throwing five innings, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out five. Ned Betts and J.J. Jamerson combined for the final four innings.

For Sonoma, Jody Ray finished 2-for-5 and Buhagiar finished 2-for-4. Asher was 1-for-3 with two runs scored and was branded with the loss.

Oakville shocks Giants with tie

Top: The Aces’ bench erupts as Manny Hernandez ties the game at 8-8 in Oakville’s tie with league leading Santa Rosa on Saturday at CNHS. Bottom: Nick Green beats the throw on a close play at first.

By Matt Hanlon

Wine Country Baseball

In baseball, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. And apparently, sometimes you tie, with the game to be continued at a later date.

File this one in the latter of the categories, as the Aces stunned Santa Rosa with a game that ended, at least temporarily, in an 8-8 tie at Cardinal Newman High School in Santa Rosa.The game, which will most likely have playoff implications, was halted due to the two hour, 45 minute time limit, to be resumed on another day.

Oakville tied the game in the top of the final inning and was able to hold off Santa Rosa in the bottom half. Santa Rosa stranded the winning run on third in the final inning.

Full story will be posted soon.

Windsor back on track after win over Angels

Ryan Payne grimaces after hurting himself on a play in the seventh inning. Because the injury left the Angels with only eight available players, they were forced to forfeit the remainder of the game.

By Matt Hanlon

Wine Country Baseball.com

Too few and stretched a little to thin. That pretty much sums up St. Helena’s struggles in Saturday afternoon’s game against the Windsor Wonders.

With only nine players at the game St. Helena wasn’t able to put up much of a fight to the Wonders, ultimately losing 9-3 in a seven inning game at Cardinal Newman High School. The Angels, who slipped under .500 by a game with the loss, were forced to forfeit the remaining innings after relief pitcher Ryan Payne got hurt fielding an infield single in the bottom of the seventh.

St. Helena (5-6) kept it close but the deal breaker came in the sixth inning. Windsor had back-to-back triples by Johnny Harmyk and Justin Kuhn to score two runs in the inning and then an inside-the-park homerun by Nick Borowicz scored two more.

That was all Windsor (8-3) would need for the victory.

Stuart Alexander was perfect threw three innings without allowing a base runner, and pitched five innings with two runs allowed on three hits and a pair of walks, striking out eight. Johnny Harmyk and Kyle Thomas each threw an inning plus.

The win was a big one for the Wonders who had two consecutive losses last week.

“We definitely are back on the right track,” Alexander said. “The playoff picture is looking good for us. I don’t know if we’re in for sure yet but I think we’re pretty much in. We’re just going to keep going out there and doing our thing.”

The Angels were not without opportunity in the loss. Trailing 9-2, they loaded the bases in the seventh but only scored one run, when Kory Langwell walked on four pitches to score Ryan Payne. The only other earned run for St. Helena came in the fifth inning when John Ahlers scored on a single by John Hays.