The Tamalpais Red Tailed Hawks will challenge the Novato Hornets at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Tamalpais 2.8, Novato 3.7) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Tamalpais is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Petaluma just ended the team's five-game winning streak on Saturday. They lost 7-0 to the Trojans. Having soared to a lofty ten runs in the game before, the Red Tailed Hawks' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Tamalpais saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Finnegan McGrane, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one double.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Novato). They put the hurt on Analy with a sharp 13-4 win on Saturday. That's two games straight that the Hornets have won by exactly nine runs.
Griffin Vorhaus made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching four innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one RBI. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Cohen Garcia, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, six RBI, and two stolen bases. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in March of 2024. Another player making a difference was Trevor Cleary, who scored two runs while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Novato pushed their record up to 7-7 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Tamalpais, their defeat dropped their record down to 12-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Tamalpais has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Novato struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Tamalpais skirted past Novato 4-3 in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Do the Red Tailed Hawks have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Hornets turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
