The Willits Wolverines will venture away from home to take on the Sonoma Academy Coyotes at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
On Friday, Willits made easy work of Technology and carried off a 15-5 victory.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Sonoma Academy). They never let Roseland Collegiate Prep get on the board and left with a 35-0 win on Thursday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Coyotes with their most commanding win of the season.
Sean Stroud and Ryan Crawford made a splash no matter where they played. On the mound, Stroud pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Crawford struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances. At bat, Stroud scored five runs while getting on base in three of his six plate appearances, while Crawford went 2-for-5 with four runs, five RBI, and one double. Stroud also brought in three RBI, marking his first of the season.
In other batting news, Sonoma Academy got a massive performance out of Charlie Mutz, who got on base in four of his six plate appearances with four runs, five RBI, and one stolen base. Mutz is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. Victor Jennings was another key player, scoring five runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-5.
Sonoma Academy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits every time they've taken the field this season.
Sonoma Academy pushed their record up to 3-3 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 17.2 runs over those games. As for Willits, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 3-7.
Willits might still be hurting after the 11-1 defeat they got from Sonoma Academy in their previous matchup back in March of 2016. Can the Wolverines avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
