Preps of the week: Redwood ace tosses a perfect game

The MCAL softball and baseball seasons are around the midway point as we enter spring break. The softball season in particular has been filled with twists and turns but Redwood sits alone in first place following the first perfect game thrown by ace Stella Belluomini.

Marin Catholic and San Rafael had big offensive weeks while compiling 2-0 records last week.

In baseball, Redwood swept Marin Catholic in the marquee series of the week. San Rafael and Novato split a two-game series as the Bulldogs came away with a wild, walk-off win on Wednesday followed by a dominant showing by Novato on Friday.

Several of Marin’s top track athletes posted personal records in league competition then showed out at the Stanford Invitational on Saturday.

Stella Belluomini and Ava Brown, Redwood softball

Belluomini was at her best against Archie Williams on Wednesday, retiring all 15 batters she faced in a 15-0 victory between two of the top teams in the MCAL. Belluomini had nine strikeouts against the Peregrine Falcons and got plenty of help from her offense, including leadoff hitter Ava Brown who had four hits and scored four runs. Belluomini also threw 2.2 innings in relief without a giving up a hit against Novato on Tuesday. Belluomini had two hits, two RBIs, and two runs in the 12-5 victory against the Hornets. Brown also had two hits, two RBIs, and two runs against Novato.

Morgan Carlson and Anna Held, Marin Catholic softball

The top two hitters in MC’s lineup had monster games last week as the Wildcats posted a 23-1 win against Terra Linda and a 10-3 win against Tam. Carlson reached base five times against TL, with two hits and three walks. Carlson drove in four runs and scored four more. Held, batting behind Carlson in the No. 2 hole, had two hits and drove in six runs — including a bases-clearing triple in the second inning. Carlson and Held both had two hits and drove in a run against Tam.

Thomara Drummer and Sophia Everett, San Rafael softball

San Rafael’s top two players had huge weeks to break the Bulldogs out of an early-season slump. Drummer had more hits (3) than she allowed (2) in seven innings of work in a 10-0 victory against Novato. Drummer struck out 17 hitters and had two RBIs and two runs scored. Everett — playing catcher this season after moving from her usual position of shortstop — piled up four hits, including a triple and a home run, and scored four times. The duo was at it again against TL as Drummer worked all five innings, allowing three hits and one earned run against nine strikeouts in a 15-1 victory. Drummer had four more hits, driving in two and scoring two. Everett hit a two-run homer and scored twice.

Jack Moseley and Theo Trono, Redwood baseball

Moseley had a strong day on the mound and at the plate to lead the Giants to an 8-1 win against Marin Catholic on Tuesday. Moseley went the distance, allowing five hits and one unearned run while striking out nine. He also had a pair of hits, two RBIs, and scored a run. Trono set the table for the offense, collecting three hits with an RBI and a run scored. Trono reached base four times — three walks and a hit — in Friday’s rematch, which Redwood won 9-2.

Sebastian Chick, San Rafael baseball

Chick capped a huge game with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to power San Rafael to a 13-12 victory against Novato on Wednesday. Chick had four hits, drove in five runs, and scored three runs to pace the Bulldogs. Chick also hit a go-ahead RBI single to give San Rafael an 11-10 lead in the bottom of the sixth.

J.P. Harmon, Novato baseball

Harmon drove in three runs while stymieing San Rafael on the mound as Novato won the second game of the series 10-1 on Friday. Harmon reached base four times — two hits, two walks — and drove in three runs to pace Novato on offense. He also worked six innings, allowing seven hits and one earned run with six strikeouts on the mound.

Julian Zhang, Redwood boys tennis

Zhang posted a pair of wins atop the singles ladder as Redwood posted wins against Branson and Archie Williams last week. Zhang, who claimed MCAL player of the year honors last season as a freshman, posted a 6-1, 6-1 win against Chase Hoeveler of Branson followed by a 6-0, 6-0 win against Archie Williams’ Fin Donnelly.

Ben Friedman and Hayden Thill, Tam boys golf

The Red-tailed Hawks enjoyed an historic afternoon on Thursday, posting a 164-214 victory against San Marin at Mill Valley. Tam, led by Friedman and Thill who each shot 32, went under par as a team. The Red-tailed Hawks got 33s from Max Berg and Abe Willard, plus a 34 from Elliot Dasovich. Friedman also took medalists honors in a tri-meet against Novato and Archie Williams with a 34 at Marin Country Club.

Streeter Holt, Tam boys track

Holt won both sprints with personal records and competed on a winning relay team in a tri-meet against Branson and San Rafael. Holt won the 100 meters in 11.66 seconds and won the 200 in 24.24 while also helping the Red-tailed Hawks win the 4×100 relay.

Kyree Marshall, Marin Catholic boys track

Marshall set a pair of PRs en route to victories in the high jump and triple jump in a tri-meet against Redwood and Terra Linda. Marshall won the triple jump with a mark of 39 feet, 4 inches and won the high jump with a mark of 6′,6″. Marshall is the defending MCAL champion in the high jump, having won the event at 5′,10″ last year.

Marco Cleary, Redwood boys track

Cleary set a pair of personal bests while winning both sprints against MC and TL. Cleary submitted a blistering time of 11.09 to win the 100 and won the200 in 23.13.

Julia Bayon, Redwood girls track

Bayon won both sprints, including a PR in the 100, and helped the Giants emerge victorious in the 4×100 relay against both MC and TL last week. Bayon broke 12 seconds in the 100, posting a time of 11.99. She then won the 200 by more than a second with a time of 25.36. Bayon also took sixth place in the 100 at the Stanford Invitational with a time of 12.22.

Farah Allen, Imogen Brown, Maya Gidney, and Hailey Sellers, Branson girls track

The Bulls competed in the 4,000-meter distance medley relay at the Stanford Invitational, placing in fourth in the fastest heat with a time of 12 minutes, 6.87 seconds. Sellers and Brown were on the Branson 4×40 relay team that won the event at last year’s MCAL championships. All four runners — along with Audrey Spaly — comprised the fivesome that won the Division V state title in cross country for Branson in the fall.

Ellie McCuskey-Hay, St. Ignatius girls track

The San Rafael resident finished second in the long jump at the Stanford Invitational with a distance of 5.70 meters — or 18′,8.5″. McCuskey-Hay, a junior, is the defending Central Coast Section champion in both the long jump and the 100.