Petaluma tightens SCL baseball race

Petaluma used 11 hits, including two home runs to knock off previously unbeaten El Molino in Sonoma County League baseball.|

Petaluma pounded three El Molino pitchers for 11 hits as the Trojans tightened the Sonoma County League baseball chase with an 8-3 win over the visiting Lions on Friday afternoon. The win improves the Trojan record to 3-1 in league play, while the surprising Lions dropped their first SCL contest but remain tied with Piner in the top spot at 4-1.

After exchanging unearned runs in the first two frames, the Trojans took advantage of some clutch hitting to pull away to a 5-1 lead in the fourth inning. A leadoff homer over the 320-foot fence in right field by Kempton Brandis set the tone for a three-run rally in the bottom of the fourth.

Later in the inning, outfielder Danny Marzo pulled a solid line drive over first base to drive in two runs against Lion starter Jack Belli. Belli went 3? innings before being lifted by coach Justin Lewis. Marzo finished with three hits on the afternoon as the Trojans got one knock in each inning.

Designated hitter Bradley Smith scored twice for Petaluma by taking advantage of some alert base running along the way. Smith advanced to third base on an infield out in the second inning and came in to score when a return throw sailed past the Lions’ third baseman.

Brandis and Nick Andrakin chipped in with a pair of hits each for the Trojans. Andrakin had the loudest contact of the afternoon when he stroked a high drive over the left-field fence to plate two runs. He found a fastball up in the zone to his liking, and the only question was how far it would clear the fence.

While the Trojans were hitting the ball solidly, pitcher Blake Buhrer was routinely turning the league-leading Lions away for five very effective innings. Buhrer struck out six batters, and he was especially tough in key situations with the third-slot hitter for the visitors who struck out three times with runners aboard. He evened his season record at 2-2 in eight appearances on the bump.

Buhrer was replaced by Marzo in the sixth inning, and the left-hander struggled with his command and gave up two runs without a hit.

Sam Brown came in to quiet things in the final frames by facing a minimum of Lion batters in less than 10 pitches.

El Molino collected only two hits on the afternoon, but the Lions continually threatened with seven walks and a couple of hit batters. Wesley Hamner had both hits for the Lions and drove in a run.

Right fielder Aaron Daniels of the Lions turned in the defensive play of the game when he made a sprawling catch of a looping bid for base hit by Petaluma catcher Jack Gallagher near the line in right field in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Petaluma will attempt to avenge an early defeat to co-leader Piner when it hosts the Prospectors on Friday afternoon in another key SCL contest. The Trojans are now 8-4 overall with three consecutive wins.

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