Young Hawks Fall in MCAL Softball Final, Eye NCS

The  softball team heads to the North Coast Section tournament this week with two reasons to feel pretty good about itself.

First off, the Red-tailed Hawks advanced to the NCS finals last year and got a no-hitter from  once they got there.

And secondly, they won’t have to deal with Redwood anymore.

The senior-laden Giants captured the Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) championship Saturday at Albert Park by doing just about everything right in a 4-1 victory over Tam.

Both teams will advance to NCS, but Tam will be in Division III while Redwood must battle stiffer competition in Division II.

Thank goodness, Hawks coach  says.

“I love their seniors to death. I know them very well,” he said of the rival Giants. “But I’m glad they’re gone. I’m sick of seeing them and losing to them.”

Four Redwood seniors in particular combined to doom the Hawks in the playoff finals.

Centerfielder Maddie Rubin made a nice running catch on a ball hit by  to deny Tam a run in the first inning; shortstop Lindsey Matteo snagged an  shot to short-circuit a Hawks rally in the seventh; Megan Atkinson provided the big hit of the game, a two-run double in the fifth; and pitcher Annie Boyer knocked in two runs while only allowing one.

“They’re good,” Wills admitted. “They’ve been the best for four years.”

Tam, meanwhile, has only three seniors on its entire roster. One was involved in arguably the Hawks’ two biggest offensive plays of the game.

With runners on first and third in the top of the first,  laced a sure double down the right-field line. But the ball was ruled foul by inches and the Hawks were unable to drive in a run.

Two innings later, following an RBI single by  that got Tam within 2-1, Lee singled to left field. But a perfect throw from yet another of Redwood's seniors, Jackie Kokka, to Atkinson at the plate got a sliding Pogni by a whisker.

“That play alone,” Wills lamented of the play at the plate. “That had to be a perfect play by them and she made a perfect throw. I’d send her again.”

The Hawks had only four hits off Boyer, but it easily could have been double that if not for the stellar Redwood defense.

“Today we were hitting Annie pretty hard,” Lee boasted. “Their defense played well.”

Tam will learn its first-round NCS opponent Sunday. Lee can’t wait.

“It’s nice to know this isn’t our last game of the season,” she said on her way off the field Saturday. “We made the (NCS) finals last year. Maybe we can win it this year.”

Added Wills, “They’re already talking about NCS.”