Baseball Game Highlights 2008

Overall Record: 33 - 14

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Game 2

Sierra 6, Skyline 7 (10 innings)

Batteries: Pointer, March(7), and Walter
Graham, Garcia(7), and Olson
WP:
SAVE:
LP:
Top Performers: Skyline: McCarthy 2x4; Heon 2x3 3B;
Sierra: Dewitt 2x3 HR 3 RBI

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Game 1

Sierra 6, Skyline 7 (10 innings)

Batteries: Cole, Garber(6), Crockett(9), and Olson
Contreras, Jurad(9), March(9), and Walter
WP:
SAVE:
LP:
Top Performers: Sierra: Richardson 2B, Lotti 3x4 ; Dewitt HR 2 RBI
Skyline: Parque 2x4 2B 2 RBI

Friday, May 9, 2008

Sierra 8, Skyline 3

Batteries: Maggiolo, Pointer(6), Juraoo(7), March(8), and Walter
Ray, and Olson
WP: Ray
SAVE:
LP: Maggiolo
Top Performers: Skyline: Taylor 2B;
Sierra: Saukko 3x5; Richardson 2x4 2B 2RBI; Stevens 2B 2RBI; Lotti HR; Olson 3x4

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Sierra 20, Delta 5

Sierra looked to bounce back after a very tough defeat on Tuesday to these same Mustangs from Delta College.

2008 Big 8 Conference Pitcher of the Year candidate Cameron Ray took the mound for Sierra and found himself in an unusual spot. He was trailing 4-0 after two innings. But this experienced Sierra team does not let a lead bother them and scored 20 unanswered runs after the second inning. Sierra had back to back 6 run innings and put the game out of reach in the 4th inning. Like his last outing, the Wolverine offense scored enough runs to allow Sierra to replace starting pitcher Cameron Ray after 6 innings of work.

The hitting leaders for Sierra were the entire line up! Coming off the bench to hit a grand slam was freshman Tyler Dewitt. Dustin Stoddard pitched a scoreless 7th inning. McKenzie White held Delta to one run in the top of the 8th inning and Chris Johnson pitched a scoreless 9th inning for Sierra.

The victory pushed Sierra to a 2nd place finish, one game out of 1st, in the extremely touch Big 8 Conference. Their overall record stands at 31-13 and in conference they were 12-9.

The victory also insured Sierra of hosting the first round of the state playoffs on May 9-10, 2008 in Rocklin. The first round is a best of 3 series vs. one opponent. The winner advances to a Super Regional the following weekend with 4 teams. That winner advances to the State Championship in Fresno on Memorial Day weekend.
Final Score: Sierra 20 Delta 5

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Sierra 3, Delta 4

Batteries: Cole, Garber(7), Crockett(9), and Olson
DeValle, Truitt(8), and Rowley
WP: Truitt
SAVE:
LP: Garber
Top Performers: Sierra: Lotti 2x3 HR 2RBI; Olson 3x4
Delta: Peters 2x3 2B; Burnett 3x4 HR 2RBI

The Wolverines put themselves in a position that if they win their remaining two games, the worst they could finish would be co-champions.

On another windy day, this time in Stockton, Jeremy Cole earned the start on the mound for Sierra and he carried a shutout into the bottom of the 7th inning. Sierra scored first on a solo HR by Logan Lotti in the top of the 4th inning, his 12 of the season which tied him for a school record with 2007 graduate Andy Launier who hit 12 in 2006, on a state Final Four team. The Wolverines increased their lead in the top of the 6th inning to 2-0 on a RBI single by Lotti. Cole pitched extremely well and made no mistakes until the bottom of the 7th.

With two outs and a runner on first base, and a 2-2 count, the coaches debated which pitch to throw and called for a fastball down and away rather than a changeup. The pitch was left over the middle of the plate and up and the Mustang hitter hit a fly ball to left center field which cut through a strong wind for a shocking 2-run HR. The coaching staff was extremely upset at themselves for not calling a change-up. Cole has one of the best changeups in California.

With the score tied at 2, Sierra battle right back and scored a single run on a clutch 2 out single by Alex Anicich. In the bottom of the 8th inning, Delta hit a wind aided HR down the right field line to tie the game again, this time at 3 apiece. The game would remain tied at 3 until the bottom of the 9th inning when Delta scored the winning run to leave Sierra on the field and really jeopardize the Wolverines chances for a Big 8 conference championship.

The hitting leaders were Logan Lotti 2x3 HR and 2 RBI and Jesse Olson 3x4.
Final Score: Delta 4 Sierra 3

Friday, April 25, 2008

Sierra 12, Modesto 8

Batteries: Graham, Garcia(1), Garber(5), Crockett(9), and Olson
Mass, Price(4), Duran(6), Arnold (8), and Brayton
WP: Garcia
SAVE:
LP: Mass
Top Performers: Modesto: Nixon HR; Bryant 2x5 HR 2B; Blakely HR; Whiteside 2x5, Brayton 5x5 2B; Suarez 2x4
Sierra: Saukko 2x5; Richardson 3x6 HR 2RBI; Lotti 3x5 HR 3RBI; Wright 3x5 ; Eid 2x4 2B; Olson 2x4 2B 2RBI; Jennette 3x5 2B 2RBI

Sierra and Modesto met in Rocklin to play each other the day after Sierra pounded the Pirates in Modesto. This day started much different than the previous day as Modesto hit back-to-back-to back HR’s to begin the game. The Pirates scored 5 times before Sierra could record an out. Jesse Garcia relieved starter Tyler Graham in the top of the 1st inning and prevented Modesto from scoring any more runs in the inning. Garcia pitched 5 1/3 impressive innings in relief to earn the victory.

The Wolverines scored twice in the second to cut Modesto’s lead to 5-2 entering the 3rd inning. They scored two more in the bottom of the 3rd and three times in the 4th to take a 7-6 lead. The Wolverines got much needed insurance runs in the bottom of the 7th inning on a 3-run HR to left field by Logan Lotti, his 11th on the season. Brian Garber and Josh Crockett pitched the final three innings for Sierra to preserve the 12-8 victory.

The win pushed the Wolverines record to 30-12 overall and 11-8 in conference. Modesto dropped to 20-17 overall and 9-10 in conference. The offensive leaders for Sierra were Kyle Saukko 2x5, Kyle Richardson 3x6 HR and 2 RBI, Logan Lotti 3x5 HR and 3 RBI, Brian Wright 3x5, Derek Eid 2x4, Jesse Olson 2x4 2 RBI and Keith Jennette 3x5 2B and 2 RBI.
Final Score: Sierra 12 Modesto 8

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Sierra 15, Modesto 9

Batteries: Ray, White(6), Johnson(7), Tully(8),Miller(9),and Olson
Marin, Swilley(4), Vancas(5), Eddings(9), and Brayton
WP: Ray
SAVE:
LP: Marin
Top Performers: Sierra: Saukko 2x5; Richardson 4x5 3RBI; Stevens 2x5 2B 4RBI; Olson 2x4; Jennette 2x2
Modesto: Blakely 2x5 2B 2RBI; Whiteside 2x5; Moscato 2x2 2B

The Wolverines traveled to Modesto for the first time in 2008 and took on the red-hot Modesto Pirates. Modesto was fresh off a two-game sweep of conference leader Sacramento City College. Cameron Ray started for Sierra and as usual, was outstanding. Ray pitched 5 strong innings allowing the potent Pirate offense only one run.

The wind was blowing in at a high rate, so the Hitters had to keep the ball on the ground in order to be successful. The Sierra hitters did keep the ball on the ground, or even better for them, they hit many line drives. The Wolverines scored once in the first, four times in the second, seven runs in the 4th and three more times in the 5th inning to take a commanding 15-0 lead after 5. Ray was replaced after 5 innings to preserve his arm and the Wolverines threw some pitchers who haven’t been used much this season. McKenzie White pitched a scoreless 6th as did Chris Johnson in the 7th, but the final two innings, Modesto scored 8 runs.

The hitting leaders on the day were Kyle Saukko 2x5, Kyle Richardson 4x5 3 RBI, Ryan Stevens 2x5 4 RBI, Jesse Olson 2x4 and Keith Jennette 2x2. The victory improves the Wolverines record to 29-12 overall and 10-8 in the Big 8 Conference.
Final Score: Sierra 15 Modesto 9

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Sierra 4, American River 0

Batteries: DeWeese, LeDuc(8), and Cook
Cole, Garber(7), and Olson
WP: Cole
SAVE:
LP: DeWeese
Top Performers: ARC: Cook 2x4
Sierra: Richardson 2x4; Lotti 2x4 3B; Stevens 2x3 2RBI; Valenzuela 2x4

The Wolverines looked to avenge a loss to the Beavers on the previous Saturday and sent Freshman Jeremy Cole to the mound. Cole carried a no-hitter into the 5th inning and pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings. Sierra scored first on a triple to left centerfield by Logan Lotti and a RBI single by Ryan Stevens.

The Wolverines extended their lead with 2 RBI hits by Sky Valenzuela and another by Stevens. Cole limited the Beavers to 4 hits in his stint and Brian Garber entered the game with the bases loaded and two outs with a 3-0 lead. He struck out the Beavers #3 hitter to end the threat. Garber pitched two more scoreless innings to earn the save. The victory gave Cole his 6th win of the season. The win also improves Sierra’s record to 28-12 overall and 9-8 in conference, two games out of first place.
Final Score: Sierra 4 American River 0

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Sierra 4, American River 10

Batteries: Graham, Stoddard(6),Johnson(8), and Olson, Kirkman
Leese, LeDuc(8), Lincoln(9), and Cook
WP: Leese
SAVE:
LP: Graham
Top Performers: Sierra: Anicich 2B
ARC: McKinney 2x3 2B HR 3RBI, Napoleon 2x5: Vierra 2x4 HR; Cook 3x3 2 2B 2RBI

Sierra traveled to American River College to take on the last place Beavers. On this day however, ARC looked like champs and ended Sierra’s 4 game winning streak. The Wolverines were dominated at the plate and fell well short on the scoreboard. Starter Tyler Graham returning from a back injury threw the ball ok, but surrendered 7 runs in five plus innings. Dustin Stoddard and Chris Johnson held ARC to only three runs for the remainder of the game, but it was not enough as the Wolverine offense was held to only 4 runs on the day. The loss dropped Sierra 2 games out of first place with five games remaining. Final Score: American River 10 Sierra 4

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Sierra 8, Diablo Valley 2

Batteries: Stanton, Short(7), Guglielmo(7), Henneman(7),Cavalli(9), and Stanley
Ray, Garber(9), and Olson
WP: Ray
SAVE:
LP: Stanton
Top Performers: DVC: Olanrewaju 2x4; Greenberg 2x4; Conflenti 2x4; Englehart 2x4
Sierra: Saukko 3x5; Richardson 2x4 3B 2RBI; Wright 2B 5RBI; Jennette2x4

Sierra hosted Diablo Valley College just two days after beating them by the score of 5-1. Cameron Ray started and like Jeremy Cole on Tuesday, pitched 8 very strong innings and allowed the Vikings no earned runs. Ray only walked one batter and earned his 6th victory of the season. DVC took a 2-0 lead in the top of the 3rd inning, but Sierra immediately answered back with three runs of their own. In the inning, DVC intentionally walked clean-up hitter Logan Lotti and pitched to Brian Wright with the bases loaded and two outs. Wright came through big time with a 3-run double to right center field. Sierra tacked on 5 more runs to take the final game of the series by the score of 8-2 and sweep the series 3-0. Kyle Saukko 3x5 and Wright 5 RBI led the Wolverine offense. The win improves the Sierra record to 27-11 overall and 8-7 in conference. They are now one game out of first place in conference.
Final Score: Sierra 8 DVC 2

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Sierra 5, Diablo Valley 1

Batteries: Cole, Garber (8), and Olson
Murray, Hill (8), and Stanley
WP: Cole
SAVE:
LP: Murray
Top Performers: Sierra: Lotti (2) HR 3 RBI; Valenzuela 2B; Jennette 3x3
DVC: Lemone 3B; Olaurewaju 2B; Kruger 2x4 HR

Sierra traveled to Pleasant Hill to battle the 1st place Vikings of Diablo Valley College. Jeremy Cole started on the mound for Sierra College and pitched one of his best games of the 2008 season. The offense was led by sophomore Logan Lotti who hit a 2-run HR in the top of the 4th inning and a solo shot in the top of the 7th inning. That was all the offense Cole would need as he walked none and pitched 8 very strong innings allowing only one run. Brian Garber pitched a scoreless 9th inning for Sierra and preserved the victory. Keith Jennette was 3x3 on the day. The victory improves the Wolverines record to 26-11 overall and 7-7 in the Big 8 Conference.
Final Score: Sierra 5 DVC 1

Friday, April 11, 2008

Sierra 15, Cosumnes River 14

Batteries: Buban, Deleo (2), Garcia (2), Stoddard (4), Garber (6), Crockett (8), and Olson
Harlan, Heinig (2), Schnaitmann (5), Richardson (8), Niley (9), Richardson (9), and Freitas
WP: Stoddard
SAVE: Crockett
LP: Heinig
Top Performers: Sierra: Saukko 4x5; Richardson 4x4; Stevens 5x6 (2) 2B 7 RBI; Lotti 2B; Wright 2x5 HR 3 RBI; Valenzuela 2x5; Olson 2x5; Jennette 2x5
CRC: Niley 2x5 HR 5 RBI; Miraldi 3x5 2 RBI; Rutledge 3x5 3B 2 RBI

The Wolverines and the Hawks would play the last game of their 4 game series this season. Scheduled starter Tyler Graham injured his back on Thursday and woke up in so much pain on Friday that he had be hospitalized. Emergency starter Justin Buban (returning from arm surgery) pitched 1 1/3 innings for Sierra. The numbers don’t look good, but Buban performed ok on this day. He had not worked in a game in nearly a month and the coaching staff was pleased with his effort. Brandon DeLeo relieved Buban and sustained a leg injury that forced him to exit the game. Jesse Garcia followed and pitched two decent innings. Dustin Stoddard working for the second consecutive day relieved Garcia and was very good. Stoddard held the hot bats of CRC quiet and earned the victory for Sierra.

This was a very wild game as the score was 9-7 in favor of CRC after only two innings. Both head coaches had a feeling there would be many runs scored on this day and it would probably come down to who scores last. The Wolverine offense again scored in double digit runs and outlasted the Hawks in a back and fourth game. Each team had the lead 3 different times, but Sierra got more timely hits. Brian Garber held the lead for Sierra in the 7th and 2 outs in the 8th innings. Their very reliable closer Josh Crockett got #4 hitter Dave Freitas to pop out with the bases loaded to end the threat in the bottom of the 8th with the score 15-14. Crockett earned the save. The hitting leader on the day were Kyle Saukko who had 4 hits, Kyle Richardson 4x4, Ryan Stevens for the second consecutive day had 5 hits, Brian Wright hit a 3-run HR and had a bunt single and Sky Valenzuela added 2 hits. The victory improves the Sierra record to 25-11 overall and 6-7 in conference. They are now 3 games out of 1st Place in the very balanced Big 8 Conference.
Final Score: Sierra 15 Cosumnes River 14

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Sierra 14, Cosumnes River 3

Batteries: Hacker, Thomson(5), Bartlett(6), Hummel(7), Ward(7), and Freitas
Ray, Stoddard(8), White(9), and Olson,Kirkman
WP: Ray
SAVE:
LP: Hacker
Top Performers: CRC: Niley 2x4 HR; Freitas HR 2RBI; Nunez2x4
Sierra: Saukko 3x5; Richardson 5x6 2B HR: Stevens 5x5 2B 5RBI: Lotti HR 3RBI: Valenzuela 2x3 2B 2RBI

The Wolverines hosted the first place Hawks of Cosumnes River College on a windy April day in Rocklin. CRC sent the 2005 Pitcher of the Year, Mike Hacker to the mound. Hacker signed a letter of intent with Cal State Fullerton two years ago. He has missed two years due to arm surgery, but is now healthy and pitching well again. Cameron Ray earned the start for Sierra and like always, he was very good. The Sierra offense Broke out for 13 runs the previous Saturday and on this day looked to again regain their offensive stroke which led them to a 22-3 record to start the season.

CRC scored first on a HR to left field, but Sierra answered back and took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the 3rd inning. CRC again homered to tie the game at 3 apiece, but the Sierra offense erupted for 11 runs in a 3 inning span to crush the Hawks. Dustin Stoddard and McKenzie White each pitched a scoreless inning to finish the game for the Wolverines. The hitting stars on the day were Ryan Stevens 5x5 2B 5 RBI, Kyle Richardson 5x6 2B and HR, Kyle Sauko 3x5, Logan Lotti hit his 9th HR of the season and had 3 RBI and Sky Valenzuela went 2x3 with a double and 2 RBI.
Final Score: Sierra 14 Cosumnes River 3

April 8, 2008

Sierra 3, Sacramento City 4

Batteries: Cole, Garber(7), Garcia (7), and Olson
Torrence, LeClair(9), and Hoime
WP: Torrence
SAVE:
LP: Cole
Top Performers: Sierra: Saukko 2x4; Mezzanares 3x3 2HR 3RBI
Sac City: Hoime 3x4 2B; Elder 2 RBI; Baligod 3x4 HR 2RBI

The Wolverines and Panthers battled for the last time in 2008 at Sacramento’s Union Stadium. Jeremy Cole started on the mound for Sierra and again was solid. He again was the victim of limited offensive support by the once potent bats of Sierra.

Sierra took a 2-0 lead in the top of the 5th inning on two towering homeruns to left field by Justin Mezzanares. Sacramento scored three times in the bottom of the 5th to take a 3-2 lead. Cole continuously jammed the Panther hitters and kept them off balance with the exception of one pitch to #5 hitter Nick Baligod who homered to right field for the lead. Sacramento added one insurance run in the bottom of the 7th inning and the Wolverines rallied to get the tying run to second in the top of the 9th, but could only manage to plate one run. Kyle Saukko was 2x4 on the day and Justin Mezzanares was 3x3 with 2 HR’s and 3 RBI’s. The loss dropped the Wolverines record to 23-11 overall.
Final Score: Sacramento 4 Sierra 3

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Sierra 13, Sacramento City 19

Batteries: Isham, Leclair(4), Sparlin(7), Denico(7), Trout(9), Wichmann(11),and Hoime
Graham, Garcia(4), Garber(6), Crockett(8), Miller(11), Cole(11), and Olson
WP: Trout
SAVE:
LP: Miller
Top Performers: Sac City: Hoime 4x5 3B: Higley 3B HR 4RBI: Baligod 3x5: Engell 3x5: : Given 2B 2RBI
Sierra: Richardson 2x5 2B: Stevens 2B 2RBI: Lotti 2x5 2B: Wright 4x6 3B 2RBI: Valenzuela 3x5: Jennette 3RBI

The Panthers visited Sierra and were trying to avoid being swept this week. Sierra was attempting to win 2 of 3 games on the week and improve to .500 in conference. Tyler Graham started on the mound for Sierra and he only lasted 3 1/3 innings before being relieved by Jesse Garcia. Garcia kept Sierra in the game as they were trailing 8-2 after four innings. The Wolverine bats returned to early season form as they pounded the ball and took an 11-8 lead entering the top of the 8th inning. Unfortunately for the Wolverines, Sac scored three times in that frame and tied the game at 11. In the bottom of the 8th inning, Sierra had a chance to take the lead on a single by Brian Wright and two stolen bases, but were unsuccessful on a squeeze bunt attempt which Wright was tagged out. Neither team scored for the next two innings and Sacramento broke the game open in the top of the 11th inning as they scored 7 runs. Sierra scored one time in the bottom of the inning. The loss dropped Sierra’s record to 23-10 overall and 4-6 in conference. The Panthers improved to 6-4 in conference. Final Score: Sacramento 19 Sierra 13

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Sierra 3, Santa Rosa Jr College 1

Batteries: Ray, Crockett (8) and Olson
Goodline, Ausiello (7), Slate (8) and Rogers
WP: Ray
SAVE: Crockett
LP: Goodline
Top Performers: Sierra: Saukko 2x4; Lotti 2x3

Sierra and Santa Rosa ended their season series in Santa Rosa on a windy, cold day. Cameron Ray started on the mound for Sierra and he was OUTSTANDING! Ray pitched 7 strong innings as he mixed his fastball with his curve and slider to keep the Bear Cub hitters off balance all day. Ray earned the victory and closer Josh Crocket earned the save as he pitched two scoreless innings for Sierra. The Wolverine offense took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 7th inning on an RBI single up the middle by Kyle Saukko. Sierra added an insurance run and went on to defeat the Bear Cubs in a must win game. The win pushed the Sierra record to 23-9 overall and 4-5 in conference. Final Score: Sierra 3 Santa Rosa 1

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Sierra 1, Santa Rosa Jr College 4

Batteries: Candu, Sunday(7), and Rogers
Cole, Garcia(7),Garber(9), and Olson
WP: Candu
SAVE:
LP: Cole
Top Performers: Santa Rosa: Sequeira 2x4 2B HR; Rogers 2x4

The Wolverines and the Bear Cubs both looked to end their slumps. The Bear Cubs sent their ace to the mound who entered the game with a 1.69 ERA. Sierra started freshman Jeremy Cole who has pitched very well all season long. Cole was solid again as he allowed four runs in 7 innings. Unfortunately for him, the Sierra offense could only muster up one run on the day. No Sierra hitter had multiple hits. Santa Rosa played great defense and scored four times to win the game by the score of 4-1. The loss dropped the Wolverines record to 22-9 overall. Final Score: Santa Rosa 4 Sierra 1

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Sierra 4, San Joaquin Delta 12

Batteries: Devalle, Truitt(9), and Rowley
Graham, Garber(8), Deleo(9), Crockett(9), and Olson
WP: Devalle
SAVE:
LP: Graham
Top Performers: Delta: Cornu 2x4 2B 3B; Peters 2x5 2B; Jacob 2x3 2B
Sierra: Richardson 2x4; Wright 2x4, Knox HR

The rain forced the cancellation of the Saturday game and created a Sunday game between Sierra and Delta College. Tyler Graham put his perfect conference record on the line vs. the 1-5 Mustangs. On this day, it was all Delta. The Wolverines took a 4-3 lead into the top of the 7th inning, but allowed Delta to score twice to take a 5-4 advantage. Graham was relieved after 7 1/3 innings allowing 7 earned runs while striking out none. The bullpen was unable to keep the score close and allowed Delta to take an 8 run lead into the 9th inning and Sierra was held scoreless for the last 4 innings. Kyle Richardson and Brian Wright each had two hits for Sierra and Ryan Knox hit his second HR of the season. Final Score: Delta 12 Sierra 4

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Sierra 5, Modesto 6

Batteries: Marin, Daniel(8),Parker(9), and Brayton
Ray, Miller(7), Crockett(8), Garber(9), and Olson
WP: Marin
SAVE: Parker
LP: Ray
Top Performers: Modesto: Nixon 3x6; Blakely 2x5; Jaques 2x4; Whiteside 2x4 2RBI;
Sierra: Saukko 2x5; Stevens 2x4: Wright 2x4: Eid 2x4: Olson 4x4

The Wolverines entered today’s game on a 3 game losing streak. They have lost the three games by a total of 4 runs. Cameron Ray started on the mound and was very good again. He held a very good hitting team to only 4 runs (1 earned) in 6 innings. The Wolverine offense did improve over recent games, but on this day made too many mistakes on the offensive side and the defensive side to overcome the Pirates. Three defensive errors allowed 3 unearned runs to score and on the basepaths, Sierra made three baserunning mistakes which hampered their comeback bid. Sierra made it close late and got the tying run to second base in the 9th inning but couldn’t deliver the game tying hit. Jesse Olson led Sierra with 4 hits. Kyle Saukko, Derek Eid, Ryan Stevens and Brian Wright all had 2 hits for the Wolverines. Final Score: Modesto 6 Sierra 5

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Sierra 3, American River 4

Batteries: DeWeese, LeDuc(7), Hughes(8), Lincoln(8) and Cook
Cole, Garcia(8),Crockett(9), and Olson
WP: DeWeese
SAVE:
LP: Cole
Top Performers: ARC: Ban 2x5; Ziadeh 2x3; Cook HR; Gadow 2x4 2B
Sierra: Saukko 4x5 2B

Today Sierra resumed Big 8 Conference play by hosting the Beavers of American River College. Freshman Jeremy Cole was the starting pitcher for the Wolverines and he had another quality start. Cole pitched 7 strong innings only allowing two hard hit balls over that span while only walking one. He allowed four runs on the day. The Wolverine offense didn’t score until the bottom of the 7th inning as they scored a single run on a basehit by Alex Anicich and an RBI sacrifice fly by Kyle Richardson. The Wolverines scored two more times in the bottom of the 8th inning to get within one run at 4-3. They did not score in the bottom of the 9th and lost to drop their record to 22-6 on the season. Final Score: American River 4 Sierra 3

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Sierra 6, Riverside 7

Batteries: Graham, Garber(6) and Olson
Carillo,Hoover(3),Bender(5),Greer(6),Morban(8) and Neff
WP: Morban
SAVE:
LP: Garber
Top Performers: Sierra: Lotti 2x4 2B HR;
Riverside: Madison 3x4; Adkins HR 3RBI;

The Wolverines ended the Southern California trip with a game vs. the 4 time state champion in the 2000’s, Riverside Community College. Tyler Graham was working on short rest after his stellar outing the previous Saturday. Graham cruised the first three innings and the Wolverine offense staked him to a 4-0 lead entering the bottom of the 4th inning. With 2 runners on and Nick Akins at the plate, Graham threw a good 0-1 slider but Akins golfed it over the left field fence for a 3 run homerun to close the gap to 1 run. After both teams traded leads, Sierra scored a single run in the top of the 8th inning to tie the game at 6 apiece. Brian Garber relieved Graham after 5 innings and was on the mound when a pinch-hit 2 out bloop single fell in right field to score the go ahead run for Riverside. Sierra got a runner on in the top of the 9th inning, but couldn’t score him. Final Score: Riverside 7 Sierra 6

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Sierra 2, Fullerton 4

Batteries: Ray, Garcia(6) and Olson
Aase, Chantland(7), Haney(8), Reyes(9), and Robinson
WP: Aase
SAVE:
LP: Ray
Top Performers: Sierra: Lotti 2RBI
Fullerton: Ornelas 3x3; Vichary 2x3 2B

The Wolverines took on the Hornets of Fullerton JC who entered the game ranked #1 in Southern California. Cameron Ray was the starting pitcher for Sierra and performed very well. The 3 mistakes he made in 5 1/3 innings did cost him 3 runs. Two walks in the first inning both scored and a hit batsman in the 4th inning also scored. Sierra took a 2-0 lead in the top of the 1st on a Logan Lotti 2 run single. Fullerton answered right back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the 1st inning. That was all the scoring Sierra would do on this day and lost 4-2. Jesse Garcia relieved Ray and worked out of a bases loaded jam with one out and did not let Fullerton score in the bottom of the 6th inning. Final Score: Fullerton 4 Sierra 2

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Sierra 9, Mt. San Antonio 5

Batteries: Cole, Garber(6), Crockett(8) and Olson
Martin, Oeser, Galaviz, chavarria, Vargas and Smith
WP: Garber
SAVE: Crockett
LP: Martin
Top Performers: Sierra: Richardson 2x5 2B, Wright 2RBI; Anicich 2RBI; Jennette 2x3; Mezzanares 3B
Mt Sac; Oda 3x4 2B; Nicholson 3B; Smith 2x4 2B; Figaro 2x4

The Wolverines traveled to Southern California and played in the 26th annual Fullerton JC Hornet Baseball Classic. Their first opponent was Mt. Sac of Walnut California. Jeremy Cole started on the mound for Sierra and he was his usual self; solid. He pitched 5 innings and was relieved by Brian Garber. Sierra trailed 4-1 entering the top of the 7th inning and scored twice on triples by Justin Mezzanares and Brian Wright. Sierra added 4 runs in the 8th and two more in the top of the 9th for a 9-5 victory. Garber pitched 2 1/3 innings to earn the victory, before being relieved by closer Josh Crockett, who earned the save. Final Score: Sierra 9 Mt. Sac. 5

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Sierra 11, Diablo Valley 5

Batteries: Stanton,Short(5),Cavalli(7),Guglielmo(8),and Stanley
Graham, Crockett,(8), and Olson
WP: Graham
SAVE:
LP: Stanton
Top Performers: DVC: Kruger 2B, Stanley 3B, Cvanvewaju 2B
Sierra: Saukko 2B, Stevens 3B, Lotti 4x5 (2)2B (2)HR 2RBI, Wright 3x5 2B, Valenzuela 3x3 2B 2RBI

The Wolverines battled the 1st place and undefeated Vikings of Diablo Valley College. Both teams started their aces on the mound. Sierra’s Tyler Graham was the more effective pitcher on this day and dominated the Viking batters. Graham pitched 8 strong innings and was the recipient of early run support as Sierra jumped out to a 5-0 lead. The Wolverines took the 5 run lead and added to it as the game progressed. Logan Lotti homered twice and led the Sierra offense which totaled 11 runs on the day. DVC scored 4 runs in the top of the 9th inning to make the final score look closer than it was. Final Score: Sierra 11 Diablo Valley 5

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Sierra 16, Cosumnes River 9

Batteries: Garcia, Ray(1),Garber(7),Miller(9) and Olson
Niley,Richardson(3),Ward(4),Rutlege(6),Thomson(7),Hummel(9) and Freitas, Hudson
WP: Ray
SAVE:
LP: Niley
Top Performers: Sierra: Saukko 2x5 2 2B, Lotti 4x4 HR 5RBI, Richardson 2x4, Wright 4x5 2B HR 5RBI, Valenzuela 2x5, Olson 2x4
CRC: Windall 2x3, Cole 2x5 2RBI, Gibson 2B, Powers 2x5 HR, Heinig 2x5 2B, Gilbert 2B,

This windy Thursday was the third game of 2008 Big 8 Conference play. Sierra entered the game with a 1-1 record and CRC was 2-0. The pitchers were tested with all the wind which was blowing out to right field. Sierra scored two runs in the top of the 1st and the Hawks answered back with 6 of their own. Wolverine starter Jesse Garcia could not make it out of the first inning and was relieved by Cameron Ray. Ray was outstanding! He pitched 6 scoreless innings and gave Sierra a great chance to chip away at the 4 run lead. The Wolverines scored three runs in the top of the 3rd inning and three more times in the forth. They scored once in the 5th and three in the 6th, one in the 7th and three more runs in the 9th for a 16-9 victory. Ray earned the win on the mound and the offense was led by Logan Lotti who homered and had 4 hits and 4 RBI. Brian Wright hit the second HR after Lotti for back to back HR’s and he too had 4 hits. Jesse Olson, Kyle Saukko, Kyle Richardson and Sky Valenzuela all had 2 hits for the Wolverines. Final Score: Sierra 16 Cosumnes River 9

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Sierra 0, Sacramento City 11

Batteries: Cole, Deleo(6), Stoddard(7),Tully(8), and Olson, Kirkman
Torrence, and Hoime
WP: Torrence
SAVE:
LP: Cole
Top Performers: Sierra: Saukko 2x4
Sac: Hoime 2x4 2RBI; Raulinaitis 2RBI; Cox 3x4 4RBI; Elder 2x4

The Wolverines took their 13 game win streak into a match up with the Panthers of Sacramento City College. Jeremy Cole was the starting pitcher for Sierra and he pitched well enough to win. Sierra got 4 hits in their first 5 at bats, but three runners were picked off at 1B. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the 3rd inning when Sacramento took a 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the 3rd inning, Cole was hit in the hand by a line drive and he sustained a bad bone bruise and hopefully there will be no break. He was in obvious pain as he tried to catch the ball from the catcher for the following 2 1/3 innings. He was forced to leave the game by the Sierra College coaching staff after 5 innings and allowing 3 runs. Brandon DeLeo relieved Cole and after getting the leadoff hitter on 2 pitches, he proceeded to walk the following 3 hitters to load the bases. Dustin Stoddard relieved DeLeo and he kept the damage to a minimum as the Panthers only scored 3 runs. Unfortunately for Sierra, their potent bats were totally silenced on this day by the Sacramento Lefty. The loss dropped the Wolverines record to 19-3 on the season.

March 8, 2008

Sierra 9, Santa Rosa 3

Batteries: Slate, O'Meara(2), Leisten(3), Sunday(5), Goodline(7),and Rogers
Graham, Miller(9),and Olson
WP: Graham
SAVE:
LP: Slate
Top Performers: Sierra: Saukko 3x5; Stevens 2x4 2RBI; Lotti 3RBI; Olson 2x4
SR: Sequeira 2x4

2008 Big 8 Conference play began for Sierra in Santa Rosa. The Bear Cubs entered this game as the #1 ranked RPI team in Northern California. Sierra was #3. Tyler Graham earned the start for Sierra and he was GREAT! Sierra began the game with a bang as leadoff hitter Kyle Saukko lined the first pitch of the game up the middle for a single which was followed by a hit to left center by Kyle Richardson. Ryan Stevens was hit by a pitch and Logan Lotti doubled down the left field line to score two runs. This was the start of more to come for the Wolverine offense as they jumped out to a 9-0 lead through the first five innings. Graham held Santa Rosa scoreless until the bottom of the 8th inning when they scored a single run in the 8th and two more in the 9th. He earned the victory, his 3rd of the season. Leading the Sierra offense was Kyle Saukko 3x5, Ryan Stevens 2x4, Jesse Olson 2x4 and Logan Lotti with a 2B and 3RBI.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Sierra 20, Butte 14

Batteries: Cole, Stoddard(5), Deleo(8), and Kirkman, Olson (5)
Rodrigues, Hughs(4), Tate(6), Wasworth(7), Thompson(9), and Garcia
WP: Stoddard
SAVE:
LP: Rodriguez
Top Performers: Sierra: Wright HR 3RBI, Knox 3x4 HR, Lotti HR, Dewitt 3x4 (2)2B HR,Stevens HR 2 RBI, White 2x3
Butte: Gill 2x4, Brundage 3x4 2B, Mason 3x5, Neal HR, Ross 2x4

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Sierra 10, Modesto 9

Batteries: Swilley, Alexander(4), Arnold(5) ,Vancas(7), and Moscato
Garcia, Ray(5), Crockett(8), and Olson
WP: Crockett
SAVE:
LP: Vancas
Top Performers: Modesto: Nixon 2B; Duran HR; Blakely 2x3 2B; Jaques 3x5 2B 2RBI; Whiteside 2x4
Sierra: Saukko 2x5 3B 2RBI; Richardson 2x5; Lotti 2B 3RBI; Jennette 3x5; Olson 3x4

Today’s game was a rematch of last year’s first round of the state playoffs. It was also the last Big 8 pre-season game of 2008. Sierra sent Jesse Garcia to the mound and he struggled each inning he pitched. In spite of struggling, he kept the Wolverines in the lead until he was lifted in the top of the 5th inning with an 8-6 lead. Sierra scored one in the bottom of the 1st and 3 more times in the second. The Wolverines added 4 runs in the bottom of the 4th on a 3-run double by Logan Lotti. Cameron Ray relieved Garcia and was very good for two innings. In Ray’s third inning and the top of the 8th, Ray walked the leadoff hitter which triggered a 5 run rally for Modesto. Brian Garber relieved Ray and pitched 2/3 of an inning allowing 2 earned runs. Josh Crockett relieved Garber and got a bases loaded strike out to end the inning. Sierra faced a one run deficit entering the bottom of the 9th inning. Ryan Stevens lined the first pitch of the 9th inning to right field for a single. Lotti was hit in the back and Brian Wright sacrificed both runners with a good bunt. Sky Valenzuela then grounded to third and scored Lorenzo White who was pinch-running. After an out by Alex Anicich, Keith Jennette lined a 1-2 pitch up the middle for a game-winning RBI single. The victory improves the Wolverines record to 17-2 on the season and dropped Modesto to 10-6 on the season.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Sierra 11, American River College 7

Batteries: Graham, Ray(7), Miller(8), Deleo(9) and Olson
Lease, Constance(7), Deweese(7), Hughes(8), Leduc(9), and Cook
WP: Graham
SAVE:
LP: Lease
Top Performers: Sierra: Saukko 3x5: Richardson 2x5 2B: Stevens 2B: Lotti 3x5 2B: Wright 2x5:
ARC: Mckinney 2x5: Camalucci 2x5: Gray 2x4 2B

American River hosted Sierra on a windy Saturday afternoon. The Beavers entered the game with an 8-7 record and Sierra entered play with a 15-2 mark which tied the school record for best start ever. Tyler Graham started on the mound for the Wolverines and his control was off all day. Sierra scored early and took a 3-1 lead entering the 5th inning when ARC scored a single run. The Wolverines answered with two runs of their own to take a 5-2 lead. ARC again answered with three runs to tie the game at 5. Sierra would score 6 more times in the 7th and 8th innings and took an 11-7 lead into the 8th inning. Seth Miller and Brandon DeLeo pitched scoreless single innings to end the game. The hitting leaders on the day were Kyle Saukko 3x6, Brian Wright 2x5, Logan Lotti 3x5 2 2B. The victory pushed Sierra’s record to 17-2 on the season and dropped the Beavers to 9-8.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Sierra 6, Cosumnes River 4

Batteries: Cole, Garber(6), Miller(8), Crockett(9) and Olson
Hernandez, Hacker(7) and Freitas
WP: Garber
SAVE:
LP: Hacker
Top Performers: Sierra: Saukko 4x5: Wright 2B; Olson 2B
CRC: Nunez 3x4 HR: Niley HR:

Big 8 Conference play started on this day, but did not count in the conference standings. The Big 8 coaches decided to play 21 conference games and build in 3 “practice” games against each other. Sierra traveled to Cosumnes River for the opener. Freshman Jeremy Cole was the starting pitcher for Sierra and he did not have his best stuff; but did battle and kept the Wolverines in the game. Cole yielded 4 runs in 5 innings to a good hitting team. After 5 innings, the game was tied at 4 apiece. The score stayed that way until the top of the 8th inning.

Cosumnes was using their bullpen and Mike Hacker. Hacker was the “pitcher of the year” in 2005 before having season ending surgery to his elbow which sidelined him for two years. Sierra scored a single run in the top of the 8th and another in the top of the 9th. The Sierra bullpen did an outstanding job of holding the Hawks to no runs for the remainder of the game. Brian Garber pitched a scoreless 6th and 7th innings and earned the win. Seth Miller pitched a perfect 8th for the “hold” and Josh Crockett pitched a perfect 9th for Sierra and earned the save. The offensive leaders were Kyle Saukko 4x5, Brian Wright and Jesse Olson who each doubled on the day. The victory pushed the Sierra record to 15-2 on the season.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Sierra 13, Laney 2

Batteries: Garcia, Buban(6), Tully(7), Miller (8), Crockett(9) and Olson, Kirkman
Sanchez, Bergantz (6) Detray (8) and Kondo
WP: Garcia
SAVE:
LP: Sanchez
Top Performers: Sierra: Saukko 3x4: Ewing 2B: Richardson 2x4 2B: Stevens 2x4 2B: Lotti 2x4 3B HR 2 RBI: Knox 2x2 2B:
Laney: Saus 3B

Sierra would travel to Oakland to take on the Eagles of Laney College. Laney entered the game with a 6-3 record and bringing one of the best ERA’s in northern California with them. Sierra would start freshman lefty Jesse Garcia on the mound and again he was great. He pitched five strong innings allowing only one run on 2 hits and struck out 2. Sierra scored a single run in the first inning, followed by 2 in the 2nd and one in the 3rd to take an early 4-1 lead. The Wolverines added 3 more runs in the top of the 5th inning and finished off the Eagles with 5 runs in the top of the 8th inning. Leading the Sierra offense was Kyle Saukko who went 3x4, Kyle Richardson 2x4, Ryan Stevens 3x5 2 RBI, Logan Lotti 2x4 3B, HR, Brian Wright 3x4 2 RBI, Ryan Knox 2x2 and Sky Valenzuela 2x5. Sierra totaled 20 hits on the day and didn’t make an error on defense. The victory improves the Wolverines record to 14-2 on the season.

Monday, February 25, 2008

Sierra 7, Feather River 6

Batteries: Greene, Shea(8) and Daniel
Ray, Garber(6), and Olson, Kirkman(8)
WP: Garber
SAVE:
LP: Shea
Top Performers: Feather River: Black 2x3; Wise 2x4 2RBI;Hebrard 2RBI
Sierra: Saukko 3x4 2RBI; Stevens 2x2 4RBI HR;Lotti 2B; Jennette 3x4;

The Sunday rain would not stop Sierra and Feather River from playing two games on Monday that each team needed to play. The recent rain has prevented both teams from playing their full allotment of games. Sierra would start Cameron Ray on the mound for game 1 (7 innings) of the DH. Ray was good, but Feather River did get to him for 4 runs on the day. They didn’t hit the ball hard, but they did have timely hits and hit the ball on the ground which found holes. The game was tied until the bottom of the 5th inning When Keith Jennette singled to start the inning and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Stevens. Feather River answered back in the top of the 6th inning with 4 runs of their own to take a 6-3 lead. The Eagles held that lead until the bottom of the 7th inning when Sierra was 3 outs from their 3rd loss of the season. Keith Jennette started the rally with a line drive single up the middle, Justin Mezzanares followed with a double to left center. Kyle Saukko hit a RBI line drive to leftfield. Kyle Richardson’s single scored Mezzanares and Ryan Stevens single scored Saukko to tie the game at 6. Sierra could not end it at the end of regulation, so it took 9 innings. In the bottom of the 9th inning Ryan Stevens hit a towering “walk off” homerun to rightcenter field to end the game. Brian Garber pitched a very impressive 4 innings in relief to earn the victory for Sierra.

Sierra 13, Feather River 3

Batteries: Smith, Doty, Cutler, and Anderson
Deleo, White, and Kirkman
WP: Deleo
SAVE:
LP: Smith
Top Performers: Feather River: Mannelly 2x3;
Sierra: Richardson 2x4:Stevens 2x3 3RBI 2B:Valenzuela 2B 2RBI: Kirkman 2x3: White3x3

The second game of the DH would start late and probably not get through the scheduled 7 innings. Freshman Brandon DeLeo would make his third start of the season for Sierra. DeLeo was great and got plenty of run support as the Wolverines jumped out to a 4-0 lead after 2 innings. Sierra would tack on another 7 runs in the bottom of the 4th inning for an 11-0 lead. Feather River did score three runs of their own in the top of the 5th inning off the Wolverine bullpen. The hitting leaders on the day for Sierra were Kyle Richardson 2 hits, Ryan Stevens 2 hits, Taylor Kirkman 3 hits and Lorenzo White 3 hits. DeLeo earned the victory and helped improve Sierra’s overall record to 13-2 on the season.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Sierra 10, Lassen 2

Batteries: Graham, Crockett(9), and Olson, Kirkman (9)
Suarez, Rivera (3), Rasner (5), Westfall (7), Osmer (8), and Kerr
WP: Kerr
SAVE: Graham
LP: Suarez
Top Performers: Lassen: Safadago 2x4; Lee 2x3
Sierra: Richardson 2x4 2B; Stevens 2x3 2B 2RBI; Lotti 2x3; Mezzanares 2x4 3RBI

Like the previous day, the rain would prove to be a major factor. Sierra was scheduled to play DeAnza College, but the Dons decided to leave early in the morning due to the unpredictable weather. This left Lassen College as the lone opponent for the Wolverines. Sophomore Tyler Graham was assigned to start on the mound for Sierra and ran into a little trouble in the top of the 1st inning. Lassen scored two runs with no outs, but Graham improved and got much stronger as the game went along. He pitched 8 strong innings striking out 6 and walking only 1. Sierra rallied with 2 runs of their own in the bottom of the first inning. Sierra broke the game open in the bottom of the 5th inning with 5 runs. Kyle Richardson, Ryan Stevens, Logan Lotti and Justin Mezzanares all had 2 hits for Sierra. Mezzanares had 3 RBI and Lotti had 2. Josh Crockett pitched 1 scoreless inning to finish the game and improve the Wolverines record to 11-2 on the season.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Sierra 11, Monterey 0

Batteries: Ebert, Bryce(5),Hugh(7), and Kaham
Cole, Tully(8) and Olson, Kirkman(8)
WP: Cole
SAVE:
LP: Ebert
Top Performers: Sierra: Saukko 2x4; Lotti 3x5 2RBI 2B; Stevens 2x4 2B; Wright 2x3; Anicich 2RBI; Olson 3x4 2RBI

The Wolverines would battle the weather and their o