HAWKS SQUEEZE PAST WARRIORS
GALT — Both Galt and Liberty Ranch combined to leave more than a dozen runners on the basepaths in Tuesday’s Sierra Valley Conference baseball game.
But the most important number at the Warriors’ field was the one that won Tuesday’s game. Liberty Ranch, the defending SVC champions, made one count in a 1-0 win over Galt. This was the ninth straight victory for Liberty Ranch (2-0 in the SVC, 2-2) over Galt (1-1 in the SVC, 3-1) in their cross-town rivalry. The last time Galt beat Liberty Ranch was March 31, 2016, with a 3-2 victory.
Liberty Ranch scored the only run of the game in the top of the sixth inning. First baseman Max Adversalo led off the frame with a single to left-center. After he stole second base, Adversalo moved to third on a grounder that gave the Warriors one out.
Then Hawk winning pitcher Kenny Morgan singled, this time to left field, which drove Adversalo home. Morgan was hoping to add one more run for the Hawks. He stole second base but was tagged out when trying to steal third. A strikeout ended the frame for the Hawks, who finished the game with two hits.
“Since scrimmages, we’ve had trouble swinging the bat,” said Liberty Ranch coach Doug Hughes, who is in first season running the program.
Galt had its chances to score in the bottom of the inning. Logan Mayfield led off with a single to left field with one out. Then Ethan Reece reached first base on a Liberty Ranch infielder’s throwing error, moving Mayfield to second. But the next two Warrior batters struck out swinging to end their chances.
“We had to score and couldn’t do it,” said Galt coach Jason Evans. “We played our game today, outside of getting the big hit when it mattered. That’s the only part of our game that we couldn’t accomplish was the big hit.”
In the top of the seventh, Liberty Ranch put runners on the base paths again — but couldn’t push any runs toward home plate. Ty Popoff walked that was followed by Cameron Hooper and Adversalo earning free passes. But Galt got out of the jam with an unassisted play at first base and fly ball to center field.
Morgan pitched in relief for the Hawks in the bottom of the seventh. That led to the Warriors grounding out, struck out and another ground out that ended their chances.
“We’ve hit the ball well,” said Evans of the Warriors’ first three games of the season. “We ran into a good pitcher. I tip my hat off Louis Manning. I take my hat off to their pitching.”
Hughes, who ran the Cordova High baseball coach prior, was also impressed with the performance of Morgan, a senior.
“In my opinion, those are the two top guys in the SVC,” said Hughes of Manning and Morgan. “Kenny is a senior with senior experience. He’s the leader on this team.”
Galt pitchers Sebastian Soto, a sophomore who started the game, and Tyler Little, a freshman, combined to throw a two
Wednesday, which impacts the San Jose Sharks of the NHL and, potentially, events such as the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Stanford.
Also Monday, the NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball and MLS announced that teams would close locker rooms to cut down access from people due to coronavirus threat.
On Tuesday, the Ivy League announced its men and women’s basketball tournaments on the East Coast have been canceled.
Also Tuesday, the Sheldon High School boys basketball team, topranked in Northern California the past three seasons, was cleared by the Elk Grove Unified School District to continue its season.
The EGUSD on Saturday announced that all student-related events in the district would be canceled and all schools would close this week.
In Placer County on Monday, Sierra College declared a state of emergency and announced it would limit access to campus. Sporting events are allowed to continue on campus, but without fans.
JC finals without fans
Late Tuesday afternoon, the California Community College Athletic Association, based in Sacramento, announced that this week’s state men and women’s basketball tournaments at West Hills College in Lemoore will be contested without fans. Only “teams and essential staff ” will be allowed in attendance, according to a statement form the CCCAA.
The association is doing so “with the health and well-being of its student-athletes at the forefront of decision-making and out of an abundance of caution for fans and other due to the COVID19 concerns...”