AROUND THE HORN: Rivalries take hold
Winning a league title and making the postseason is the goal of every local baseball and softball program.
And if it just so happens that a team's biggest rival stands in the way of accomplishing that goal, it makes a victory that much sweeter.
It's rivalry week on the softball diamond for the Mid-Valley's four largest schools.
Lindhurst faces Marysville today at Abby Field, followed by a huge matchup on Wednesday between River Valley and Yuba City.
Wednesday's tilt between the Falcons and Honkers probably has more hype surrounding it than any meeting between the two schools.
Both programs are ranked in the Sacramento Bee (R.V. is No. 15 and Y.C. is No. 19) at the same time (a first), have a great chance to make the playoffs, and are still in the hunt for the Tri-County Conference championship.
On the other side of the bridge, Marysville is hoping to make it to Wednesday's game against 10-0 Dixon unscathed. Marysville and Lindhurst split the season series last year a game a piece.
As we learned when these two schools met in boys basketball, anything can happen in a rivalry game.
WEEK 6 HEADLINES
A changing of the guard?
It took almost five years to the date exactly, but the Wheatland softball team finally has a win over Sutter.
Behind the pitching of sophomore Randi May, the Pirates picked up a huge 4-2 Butte View League victory over the Huskies last week.
In six BVL games this season, Wheatland has only allowed five runs.
There is still plenty of softball to be played and these two teams will hook up two more times before season's end.
The last time Sutter wasn't BVL champs was in 2005 — Wheatland's last league title.
Top 'Dogs
Things went a little better for Sutter's baseball team, which thoroughly dismantled Wheatland last week 10-0.
Since a league-opening loss to Orland, the Huskies are on a six-game win streak and have scored 10 runs in each of their last three games.
Today's game with local rival River Valley is one of the rare chances we get this season to see two of our ranked teams face off.
Though it doesn't count toward the league standings, a win over the Falcons would add even more legitimacy to the Huskies' resume.
Guns of the Patriots
Sutter gets to face a River Valley team currently on a two-game skid, following back-to-back losses to Pioneer.
The Falcons dropped the final two games of their TCC series with the Patriots by scores of 8-3 and 10-4. A tough setback considering River Valley picked up a huge win in the first game of the series on a walk-off.
No time to dwindle on the past though with today's matchup against Sutter and this week's series against lowly Natomas (2-9-1, 0-6) isn't necessarily a lock either.
Last season, the Nighthawks pulled off a 3-1 upset over the Falcons. The key for R.V. is flushing the memory of last week and moving on.
WEEK 6 RANKINGS
BASEBALL
1. Maxwell (14-0, 6-0) — Another week, another no-hitter for Panthers senior right-hander Steven Perry.
Perry struck out the first nine batters he faced and ended up with 12 punchouts for the no-no and a 10-0 win over U. Prep.
As has been the pattern all season, Perry had to try to outdo the performance of his lefty counterpart Tyler Wells, who pitched a complete-game shutout against Sac-Joaquin Section power Valley Christian.
Wells struck out 13 and only allowed four hits, despite dislocating his finger on his glove hand.
2. Yuba City (9-2, 6-0) — The Honkers' No. 9 ranking in the Sac Bee's latest poll says Y.C. is still gaining notoriety around the section.
Now the real test comes.
After breezing through Natomas and Inderkum with relative ease, the Honkers begin the toughest part of their schedule on Tuesday against Pioneer.
3. River Valley (6-5, 3-3) — After opening TCC play against Woodland and Pioneer, the Falcons' TCC schedule is a little lighter the next couple weeks with Natomas and Inderkum.
4. Sutter (8-2, 3-1) — League play resumes this week with a home date against Gridley and a road game Friday at Orland.
5. Marysville (7-4, 6-2) — The Indians went 2-2 last week with the toughest loss coming to Capital Christian, which took over first place in the Golden Empire League.
On deck: Wheatland (8-4, 5-1) — Figuring out a better game plan against Sutter is the main goal right now. The two teams meet again at the end of the month.
SOFTBALL
1. River Valley (8-2-1, 3-1) — When the Falcons last hooked up with the Honkers, Yuba City scored a 3-1 upset victory at the end of the 2010 season.
R.V. is on a two-game win streak and would like nothing better than to keep it rolling against its rival.
2. Yuba City (12-3, 3-1) — The Honkers found out how tough it's going to be to hang at the top of the TCC following a 5-1 loss to Pioneer at home last week.
A win over River Valley gives Yuba City sole possession of second place in league.
3. Colusa (17-2-1, 5-0) — How good is Colusa pitcher Tiffany Friel?
She outdueled Hamilton High's Emily Stokes, who is heading to the University of Kansas next season, by striking out 17 in a 4-3, extra-inning win for the Redskins on Saturday.
4. Marysville (8-5, 3-1) — Following Dixon High's doubleheader sweep of Lindhurst on Saturday, Rams coach Wes Besseghini told his players the game of the year is set for Wednesday.
That's when Marysville comes to town in a game that features the top two teams in the GEL.
The Indians can move into a tie for first place if they can get by rival Lindhurst on Monday and beat Dixon on the road.
5. Wheatland (11-6, 6-0) — The second cycle of league play begins against Winters on Tuesday.
This weekend, the Pirates will take a break from league play to try and test their skills against some of the best teams in the Sac-Joaquin Section at the Stephanie LeDoux Tournament hosted by Woodcreek.
On deck: Sutter (10-6, 2-1) — Last week's loss to Wheatland stung, but the Huskies are still only a game back with lots of softball to be played.
BASEBALL GAMES TO WATCH: River Valley at Sutter, today at 4:15 p.m.; Pioneer vs. Yuba City, Tuesday (in Yuba City), Thursday (in Woodland) at 4:15 p.m., and Friday (in Yuba City) at 7 p.m.
SOFTBALL GAME TO WATCH: River Valley at Yuba City, Wednesday at 4:15 p.m.
WHERE THE A-D WILL BE:
Today — Sutter at R.V. baseball
Tuesday — Pioneer at Y.C. baseball
Wednesday — R.V. at Yuba City softball
Friday — Pioneer at Y.C. baseball
