Justin-Siena scores early, adds on key runs to beat Sonoma Valley in final tune-up before section playoffs
By Kyle Foster
Twitter: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews
You always need a lot of production from your cleanup hitter. This usually is a batter who can drive in a lot of runs and possess a good amount of power.
On Wednesday afternoon at Braves Ballpark, it was sophomore Henry Meyers who powered Justin-Siena past Sonoma Valley, 5-2, in a Vine Valley Athletic League finale for both squads.
In the bottom of the first, Meyers put his stamp on the game with a long two-run homer over the fence in left field. Everet Johnson walked and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt before Meyers hit his second homer of the season on a hanging curveball.
“So a big thing is I know that that pitcher has a really good off-speed and we’ve practiced a lot,” Meyers said of his second homer of the year in the first. “The coaches have prepared us for this and right as I saw the spin, I knew that I had to wait on and I got a hold of it. I knew it was gonna go.”
In that at-bat, Meyers said he was looking for the nasty 12-6 bender.
“I was sitting on it because the first fastball I was so far ahead,” Meyers pointed out. “I knew the curveball is gonna be even slower. So I knew that he was gonna try and throw that and saw it coming.”
As the season has gone on, Meyers has gone from merely a bench guy that gets to pinch-hit opportunities here or there to an everyday shoo-in in the lineup. In the game, Meyers was 1-for-3 with the dinger a run scored, and 2 RBIs.
“He really continues to respond, and grow and mature,” Justin-Siena skipper and head coach Jeremy Tayson said of the emergence of Meyers. “Everything that the program has asked of him he’s done it, which is a great sentiment to who he is as a person and player. Obviously, yeah, he can hit the heck out of the baseball.”
The Braves (12-9 overall, 6-6 VVAL) went up 3-0 when they scored another run in the fifth. Cesar Evina was hit by a pitch and then ran for by Braeden Butler who then advanced to second on a passed ball. Butler got to third on a groundout by Johnson and then scored on an infield single by Luke Giusto.
In the sixth, Justin-Siena gained a 5-0 lead after scoring twice more. Sam Denkin sent a double into the left-center gap and then moved to third on a groundout before scoring on an infield single by Emrys Davies. A single by Butler sent Davies to third before he came in on a single by Trevor L’Esperence.
Leading the Braves offensive attack in the game was Denkin (1-for-2 double, walk, run scored), Giusto (1-for-2 RBI), Davies (1-for-3 run, RBI), L’Esperence (1-for-4 RBI), and Butler (1-for-1 run).
Sonoma Valley (9-15, 1-11 VVAL) scored their only runs of the game in the seventh inning. Nick Sebastiani doubled into the right-center gap and Beau Jurasek walked to begin the inning. A single by Max Harrison brought in Sebastiani and put runners at first and second. Nicolas Scevola walked to load the bases. A Hudson Giarritta groundout brought in Jurasek.
Getting the win in the game was Giusto. The junior right-hander hurled 3 shutout innings where he struck out 2 and walked 1. He allowed 2 hits as well while throwing 46 pitches.
“I saw him really for the first time get tested in a way, and he responded,” Tayson said of Giusto who earned his third winning decision of the season. “Pitching isn’t about having your best stuff and mowing guys down. It’s about gutting it out and competing and that’s what he did today in putting three zeros up on the board.”
Drew Sangiacomo worked the next 1 ⅓ innings in the game. He walked 1 and gave up a hit while throwing 17 pitches.
Johnson worked the final 2 ⅔ innings where he struck out 4 and walked 2. He gave up a pair of earned runs and 5 hits as well.
Before the game got underway, Justin-Siena honored their five seniors as part of the Senior Day festivities. Those honored were Dalen Tinsley, Aidan Phinney, L’Esperence, Evina, and Davies.
With the regular season now complete, the CIF North Coast Section Division 4 playoffs are next for Justin-Siena. The win gives them some momentum as they head into those playoffs that are scheduled to begin next Wednesday afternoon.
You can view the playoff predictions here. When the brackets are released sometime on Sunday, you can view those here.
