The Anzar High School baseball team looks to get on the winning
track today as the Hawks host Robert Louis Stevenson School at 3:30
p.m. in the opener of a three-game home stand.
The Anzar High School baseball team looks to get on the winning track today as the Hawks host Robert Louis Stevenson School at 3:30 p.m. in the opener of a three-game home stand.
Anzar is 0-2 in the Mission Trail Athletic League (1-3 overall) after a 7-3 loss to Gonzales on the road Monday and a 7-5 defeat at the hands of Greenfield in Friday’s MTAL opener. But the Hawks’ record could be reversed if they knew the finer points of the game, said coach Leroy Dozal.
“We could easily be 2-0 in the MTAL if we can play the game,” he said. “All the things that we work on in practice are not occuring during our games, and we aren’t executing, which is why I feel we gave the last two games away.”
In Monday’s loss in windy Gonzales, Dozal cited “misplayed pop-ups, not covering the proper base, (mis)communicating and base-running mistakes” as reasons for the defeat.
Anzar scored in the first inning against Spartan hurler Dave Mendoza. Jonathan Carabba walked, stole second base and scored on a single to left field by Cody Rogers. But Mendoza allowed the Hawks only four more hits while striking out 11 and walking three.
“Mendoza mixed the speeds well and kept our hitters off-balance,” Dozal said. “We need to start making more contact because we have 19 outs in our last two games made by the pitcher.”
Carabba pitched a complete game for Anzar, giving up nine hits and just two earned runs while striking out 11.
Rogers had three hits in four at-bats and Matt Wilkenson went 2-for-4.
In Friday’s league opener against Greenfield, Anzar scored four first-inning runs. Carabba started it with a leadoff single and went to second on an errant throw. Wilkenson brought Carabba home with a single to left, and Rodgers’ line-drive off the left-center field fence scored Wilkenson. Mike Palmer then blasted a two-run, two-out homer, his first as a Hawk.
Rodgers went 3 for 4 with two RBI and Wilkenson added a hit, scored Anzar’s other run and stole three bases.
Neil Ferreira, the winning pitcher in the Hawks’ only victory this season, allowed five hits, walked none and struck out six in 5 1/3 innings.
“I’m very pleased how our pitching has been,” Dozal said. “It has given us chances to win, but our offense has to start up as well as being able to play defense against the many trick plays the MTAL teams have up their sleeves.”
Today’s opponent, Stevenson, is 0-2 in the MTAL and 1-7 overall. On Tuesday, Anzar faces league powerhouse Carmel (2-0 MTAL, 13-3 overall). The Hawks wrap up the home stand Wednesday against King City (1-1 MTAL, 5-4 overall.) All games start at 3:30 p.m.
