Saratoga News

Sports

Nielsen cracks three hits, but Falcons lose in 9 to Mustangs

By Kevin Sparrer

Bo knows hitting.

No, not Bo Jackson, it's Bo Nielsen of the Saratoga High School baseball team.

Nielsen went 3 for 4 with an intentional walk on March 10 when the Falcons played host to Homestead to open the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League El Camino Division season.

Nielsen smashed two line drive singles and blasted a solo home run in the bottom of the first to give Saratoga its first lead of the game, but it wasn't enough to lift the Falcons to victory.

Saratoga lost 8-4 to the Mustangs, but the final score doesn't reflect the drama of the game. Each time either team was able to score, the other fought right back and retook the lead. In fact, the game was tied 4-4 at the end of seven frames and ended up going extra innings before Homestead was able to put up four runs in the top of the ninth to take the win.

"It's a tough first league game for us," said Saratoga head coach Ray Burney.

Still, the first year Falcon coach was impressed with the way his club swung the bats, especially Nielsen.

"Nielsen is hitting the ball really well," said Burney. "He broke his fibula a few months back playing basketball and he's finally getting his timing back."

Michael Leonardi also hit the ball well for the Falcons. going 3 for 5 with a double and an RBI.

Saratoga never had a big inning in the loss, instead spread its runs out over four different innings.

Nielsen blasted his shot in the bottom of the first to give his club the 1-0 lead and both teams were quiet in the second.

In the top of the third Homestead fought back with two runs, but the Falcons answered in the bottom of the third. Nielsen led off the inning with a line single to left, then moved to second on a wild pitch. After a strikeout, Leonardi knocked a ground ball through the middle of the infield for a single to drive in Nielsen before Homestead was able to get out of the inning.

In the bottom of the fourth Saratoga took back its lead. Bredan Scolari led off the inning with a double on a hard line drive to right.

Myles Hornberger dropped down a nice sacrifice bunt to move Scolari to third, and after a strikeout, Joseph Avery slipped a ground ball through the middle of the infield to bring in Scolari for the go-ahead run.

Homestead came back and tied the game in the top of the fifth, but again Saratoga answered right back with a run in the bottom of the frame.

Nielsen led off the inning again with a hard line drive up the middle. He moved to second on a wild pitch and went to third on a ground ball back to the pitcher for the first out of the inning. Leonardi brought him home again with a single up the middle.

Sean Casserly belted a double over the right fielder's head, but Leonardi was not able to score. Scolari drew an intentional walk to load the bases with only one out, but Saratoga was not able to bring in any more runs in the inning.

Homestead came back and tied the game again in the top of the sixth and eventually forced extra innings, but it was the Mustangs in the end who took the game. They scored four runs in the top of the ninth and Saratoga was unable to come back.

Scolari was 2 for 4 in the loss with a pair of doubles and a sacrifice bunt. He also drove in a run and scored one himself.

Casserly had a double, Thomas Christian also had a double and Bennett Rothenberg had a hit in the loss.

Avery, who is the only sophomore on the team and the lead-off batter, had one hit and an RBI in the loss.

The preseason was short for the Falcons with only four games in the Wilcox Charger Classic. Saratoga won two and lost two in the tournament, but one of the victories was 3-1 decision over a Gunn team that finished second in the Central Coast Section playoffs last year.

Hornberger was the winning pitcher for Saratoga. Rothenberg ripped a double and drove in two in the win.

Saratoga fell to Archbishop Mitty 8-1 in the tournament and ended up on the bad end of a no-hitter in a 15-0 loss to host Wilcox.

In the first game of the tournament Saratoga beat Lynbrook 7-0 with Hornberger again the winning pitcher. Nielsen roped a double and a single in the win and also drove in two runs.

Saratoga stands at 2-3 so far this season and 0-1 in the El Camino Division. The Falcons will travel to Santa Clara on March 13 before hosting Fremont on March 15. Both games begin at 3:30 p.m. start.