Sports briefs: Free’s slam lifts San Marin to crucial victory
Ava Free hit a grand slam and the San Marin High softball team survived a late rally by Archie Williams in a 4-3 victory on Wednesday.
Free’s slam came in the top of the fifth inning and gave the Mustangs (10-8, 6-4 MCAL) a 4-1 lead. The score remained that way until the bottom of the seventh, when Lydia Battaglia and Amelia Richer drove in runs. The Peregrine Falcons () put two runners on with one out but San Marin pitcher Taylor Testa turned a double play to end the game.
San Marin likely clinched the final playoff spot with the win. The Mustangs can only be caught by Marin Catholic and have already swept the Wildcats this season. The loss drops Archie Williams (13-4, 9-3) into third — a game behind both Redwood and San Rafael, who play each other on Monday.
- Lucy Hamill drove in four runs as Redwood maintained its share of first place following a 19-0 win against Novato on Wednesday. Addy Dunn added three hits and three RBIs for the Giants (14-5, 10-2), who scored seven in the first, six in the third, and five in the fifth. Gia Meyers hit two triples and scored three times.
- Sophia Everett and Thomara Drummer had four hits apiece and Angel Amesa hit a home run as San Rafael took down Terra Linda 12-1 on Wednesday. Everett drove in two runs and score four times for the Bulldogs (18-2, 10-2), who have won 12 consecutive games. Drummer pitched 5.1 innings with 15 of the 16 outs she recorded coming via the strikeout.
- Grace Berringer had an RBI single and Marin Catholic also scored first-inning runs on a walk and a dropped third strike en route to a 4-2 win against Tam. MC (7-7-1, 5-6) added an insurance run in the sixth. Bella Ferrety, Berringer, and Vivian Partain had RBIs. Pitcher Selena Peña went the distance with five hits allowed and 11 strikeouts. Tam (3-14, 1-11) got a solid pitching performance from Eden Clark, who limited MC to four hits while striking out 10.
Boys golf
Hayden Thill shot a 34 to lead Tam to a 193-225 victory against San Marin at Indian Valley on Wednesday. The Red-tailed Hawks (16-0) head into Monday’s MCAL Championship at StoneTree Golf Club with an undefeated league record. Jordan Priolo led the Mustangs (6-10) with a 44.
College baseball
Despite giving up 10 runs in the fourth inning, College of Marin came as close as anyone could to snapping Los Medanos’ long win streak. The Mariners battled back, forced extra innings but eventually fell 13-12 in 10 as Los Medanos pushed its win streak to 16 games.
The loss leaves COM (26-12, 15-4 Bay Valley) two games back of Los Medanos (28-9, 17-2) with two head-to-head games left on the schedule — 2:30 p.m. Thursday at COM and 1 p.m. Friday at Los Medanos. COM must also hope to hold off third-place Solano, which sits one game back.
Former Tam High standout Matteo Bellisimo had a huge game against Los Medanos with four hits, two RBIs and two runs scored. Bellisimo was one of three Mariners to hit a home run, joining former Novato High standout Derek Bartram and Lucas Schaefer.
COM scored seven times in the seventh inning then three more times in the eighth to take a brief 12-11 lead. Los Medanos tied the game in the bottom of the inning.
Prep baseball
University scored early and often in a five-inning, 20-0 victory against Marin Academy on Tuesday night. The Wildcats (2-11, 1-5 BCL West) surrendered six runs in the second, fifth in the fourth, then nine more in the top of the fifth.
Boys tennis
Third-seeded San Domenico lost to No. 2 seed Lick-Wilmerding in the BCL West semifinals, 5-2, on Tuesday. Toby Sadzeck and Gavin Kennedy won at Nos. 1 and 2 singles, respectively, for the Panthers. Kennedy won his match 6-3, 6-7 (4), 14-12.