Preps of the week: San Marin, Redwood split softball, baseball titles

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14 May 2024 00:09

Leah Cronin (24) of San Marin scores during their MCAL softball game against San Rafael in San Rafael, Calif. on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. San Rafael defeated San Marin 5-4 in extra innings. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Redwood's Gianna Flores is tagged out at home in the third inning by San Marin's catcher Savannah Reynolds in the MCAL softball final on Friday, May 10, 2024 in Novato, Calif. San Marin won 6-4. (Frankie Frost/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Redwood starting pitcher Rex Solle (6) throws against San Marin at the MCAL baseball final at Albert Park in San Rafael, Calif. on Friday, May 10, 2024. No. 1 Redwood defeated No. 2 San Marin 6-5 for the title. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Gavin Soper (9) of Redwood is chased by his teammates on the field as they celebrate after Soper delivered a base hit in extra innings with a man on base to give Redwood a 6-5 win over San Marin at the MCAL baseball final at Albert Park in San Rafael, Calif. on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Abigail Bartholo (21) of San Marin spins away from a Campolindo defender before scoring at the North Coast Section girls Division II lacrosse final in Novato, Calif. on Thursday, May 8, 2024. San Marin defeated Campolindo 12-7 for the title. Bartholo scored five goals for the Mustangs. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Abigail Brackett (4) of San Marin runs down the field with the ball clear of any Campolindo defenders at the North Coast Section girls Division II lacrosse final in Novato, Calif. on Thursday, May 8, 2024. San Marin defeated Campolindo 12-7 for the title. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Theo Anderson of Marin Catholic tees off on the second hole during the MCAL boys golf championship at Stonetree Golf Club in Novato, Calif. on April 29, 2024. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Mason Sylvester of Marin Catholic hits a chip shot out of the bunker during the MCAL boys golf championship at Stonetree Golf Club in Novato, Calif. on April 29, 2024. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Antonio Bayon (center) of Redwood races in from of Kiernan Connolly (left) of Tamalpais and Nick Ferguson of Archie Williams (right) in the boys 110 meter hurdles during the MCAL Track & Field Championship at San Rafael High School in San Rafael, Calif. on May 4, 2024. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
William Ghalam of Redwood crosses the finish line first as the last leg of the 4x100m race during the MCAL Track Tri-meet between Archie Williams, Tam, and Redwood at Redwood High School in Larkspur, Calif. on April 18, 2024. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Ethan Werner of Redwood crosses the finish line in the boys Stinson Beach Relay at Stinson Beach, Calif. on Sept. 6, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
William Mulliken of Archie Williams celebrates finishing in first place in the boys 800 meter race during the MCAL Track Tri-meet between Archie Williams, Tam, and Redwood at Redwood High School in Larkspur, Calif. on April 18, 2024. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Annalise Horn of Redwood (center) races in front of Indeya Sanders of Tamalpais and Sabine Szylko of Tamalpais in the girls 100 meter dash during the MCAL Track Tri-meet between Archie Williams, Tam, and Redwood at Redwood High School in Larkspur, Calif. on April 18, 2024. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Sicily Grasso of San Marin takes off from the start line during the first leg in the girls 4x100 meter race during the MCALs Track & Field Championship at San Rafael High School in San Rafael, Calif. on May 4, 2024. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Molly Stewart of Marin Catholic runs the the finish line of the girls 800 meter race during the MCALs Track & Field Championship at San Rafael High School in San Rafael, Calif. on May 4, 2024. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Ellie McCuskey-Hay of St. Ignatius beats Hannah Rutherford of Mountain View in the 200 meter race at the Central Coast Section track and field championships, Saturday, May 20, 2023, in Gilroy, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Omar Williams (1) of San Domenico takes a shot as Marin Academy's Luke Aspatore (15) guards him during their game at San Domenico School in San Anselmo, Calif. on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal)

San Marin and Redwood battled on two fronts on Friday night, meeting in both the MCAL baseball and softball championship games.

The league campaigns culminated with a pair of thrilling games that saw the San Marin softball team rally in the seventh inning to claim that title as a No. 4 seed. A while later, Redwood walked off with an eighth-inning victory in the baseball championship.

In other action, a pair of lacrosse teams claimed section titles, the golf tournament had to be decided by a tiebreaker between two Marin schools, and a slew of track athletes turned in big performances at various track meets.

Leah Cronin and Savannah Reynolds, San Marin softball

The Mustangs got key contributions up and down the roster over the course of upset wins against San Rafael and Redwood to claim the program’s first MCAL title since 2018. Cronin had a pair of hits and scored twice in the championship game but her biggest contribution came in the form of a double play to get San Marin out of the third inning. Cronin made a catch in center field for one out then fired home and got the runner at the plate as well, saving a run while the Mustangs were already trailing 4-3. Reynolds, the catcher, applied the tag on that play and also had two RBIs in the game, including the game winner to put the Mustangs ahead 5-4.

Rex Solle and Gavin Soper, Redwood baseball

Solle was one of Redwood’s key players at the plate and on the mound last week, piling up four hits, scoring five runs and pitching 7.1 innings with 11 strikeouts over two games as Redwood defeated Marin Catholic and San Marin en route to the title. Soper delivered the biggest moment of the postseason, a walk-off single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning against San Marin to finally secure the championship for the Giants.

Abigail Brackett and Abby Bartholo, San Marin girls lacrosse

The Mustangs’ top two scorers came through in the biggest moments, combined to score 15 goals across two games as San Marin won its first section title in program history following wins against Acalanes and Campolindo in the NCS D-II playoffs. Brackett scored a team-high five goals and Bartholo added four in the semifinals as the Mustangs avenged a regular-season loss to the Dons. Bartholo scored five times in the final, including three in a crucial three quarter, and Brackett added one as the Mustangs took down Campolindo on Thursday.

Colin Puckett and Harrison Tyler, Marin Catholic boys lacrosse

Puckett, who is committed to play lacrosse for Ohio State University next season, tied for team-high honors with three goals and added three assists as MC dismantled three-time defending NCS D-I champion De La Salle 14-3 on Thursday. Tyler also produced three goals for the Wildcats, who won their last eight games in a row including a semifinal victory against Monte Vista.

Mason Sylvester and Theo Anderson, Marin Catholic boys golf

Sylvester carded a 69 at Peacock Gap last Monday and Anderson was close behind with a 71 as they led the Wildcats to a team win at the NCS D-II qualifier. Sylvester finished in a tie for sixth place and Anderson finished eighth for MC, which claimed the team honors over Marin Academy in a tiebreaker after they both shot 301s.

Charlie Wilhelm and Charlie Hansen, Marin Academy boys golf

Wilhelm matched Sylvester for the best score from a Marin golfer at last week’s D-II qualifier with a 69 at Peacock Gap while Hansen placed 11th with a 72.

William Ghalam, Ethan Werner, and Antonio Bayon, Redwood boys track

The Redwood trio combined for five event wins at the NCS Redwood Empire meet on Saturday with Ghalam and Bayon winning two apiece. Ghalam won the 200 in 21.91 seconds and took the 400 with a personal record of 48.51. Werner bested the field in the 3,200, crossing the finish line in 9:41.43. Bayon won the 110 hurdles with a PR of 15.29 — just ahead of Tam’s Shea Sorcher in second — and won the pole vault with a mark of 14 feet, 2 inches. Redwood scored 84 points to comfortably win the team competition.

Will Mulliken, Archie Williams boys track

The other Marin winner on the boys side was Mulliken, who finished first in the 1,600 with a PR of 4:15.58. He also finished second in the 800 with a PR of 1:57.13.

Shea Sorcher, Tam boys track

Sorcher turned in a pair of PRs on Saturday, finishing the 110 hurdles in 15.88 to finish second behind Redwood’s Bayon and finishing in 40.16 in the 300 hurdles to place third. Sorcher was .01 seconds behind second-place finisher Airik Parker of Montgomery.

Joaquin Foster and Omar Williams, San Domenico boys track

Foster registered a PR in the 1,600 in Saturday’s NCS Class A meet to take second place in 4:21.64 and also placed second in the 800 in 1:58.30. Williams also had two podium finishes, coming second in the 300 hurdles (41.98) and third in the 110 hurdles (16.04) — both PRs.

Ellie McCuskey-Hay, St. Ignatius girls track

The Marin Waves standout and San Rafael resident qualified for the Central Coast Section championships in four different events. McCuskey-Hay won the 100 in 12.03, won her heat in the 200 (24.75), anchored the second-place 4×100 relay team, and jumped 17 feet, 4 inches in the long jump.

Trinity Chancellor and Annalise Horn, Redwood girls track

Chancellor continued to dominate in the pole vault, adding an NCS Redwood Empire title to the MCAL title she won the week before. Chancellor vaulted 9 feet, 11 inches to take first place. Horn was Redwood’s other individual winner, taking the long jump with a distance of 17 feet, 5.75 inches. Horn also finished second in the 100 with a PR of 12.73.

Sicily Grasso, San Marin girls track

Grasso, fresh off sweeping the sprints at the MCAL Championships a week prior, almost replicated the feat at the NCS Redwood Empire meet. Grasso won the 100 with a PR of 12.42 seconds and placed second in the 200 with a PR of 25.44.

Molly Stewart, Marin Catholic girls track

Stewart turned in a personal-best time of 2:14.40 in the 800 at Redwood Empire, finishing .14 of a second behind Maria Carrillo’s Ashlin Mallon but more than five seconds faster than the rest of the field.