Woodside reliever shines against rival Sequoia

That’s when Giovannetti climbed up the pitcher’s mound, where he settled in to whirl a gem, firing a career-best six innings to lead Woodside to a 4-1 victory over its crosstown rival.

“He was on a short hook today every inning just because I haven’t stretched him out yet,” Woodside manager Dan Rogers said. “It was a great six innings he pitched in relief.”

Giovannetti hadn’t worked more than two innings in any of his seven previous varsity pitching appearances. But the senior right-handed took it to another level Tuesday, allowing one unearned run on two hits, striking out 11 against no walks, and setting down the last 14 batters he faced.

“I was kind of feeling it,” Giovannetti said. “The ball was kind of jumping out of the hand and I was seeing my pitches were moving more, getting some run. … So, I was feeling good. I got in a groove early.”

Sequoia (2-2-1) squandered a grand opportunity with the bases loaded in the first inning. The Ravens totaled four baserunners in the frame, but Sullivan — despite not having his best stuff — made up for a leadoff walk by having an ace pickoff move working, catching Sequoia’s leadoff hitter leaning toward second base for the first out of the game.

“That was big early in the game,” Rogers said. “We caught the guy leaning towards second base. He’s got a good pick. And we’ve talked as a pitching staff about ways hold runners and giving our catcher a chance back there. And he’s varying his tempos and mixing in that pick, and that was a big one.”

Dillon Goetz followed with a single and Jack Lanham walked, and Gavin Murphy drew a two-out walk to load the bases. Alex Klahr finished with a good swing of the bat, sending a sharp liner to center, but it hung up for a flyout to Woodside center fielder Evan Eyre to end the inning.

“We had three walks and a hit,” Sequoia manager Mike Doyle said. “Usually, you’re going to score with that. We’re a young team. So, we’re learning to take advantage of opportunities when they’re given to us, but we’re not there yet. So, still a work in progress.”

The Ravens had their ace on the mound as well in senior Cole Kenyon. The right-hander was Sequoia’s reliever extraordinaire during last season’s Central Coast Section Division II championship run — closing out all three of the Ravens’ postseasons wins — but will be relied upon as one of the stalwarts atop the starting rotation this season along with Goetz.

Kenyon, however, received little help from his defense Tuesday. After Sequoia took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on a run-scoring single by Max Stallings, the Ravens committed two costly errors during the bottom of the frame to open the door for Woodside’s three-run, go-ahead rally.

After Braiden Boswell and Chris Fancher set the table with back-to-back singles, Conor Davison lifted a flyball that was dropped by Sequoia’s left fielder to score Boswell. Then with two outs, a throwing error by Sequoia’s second baseman allowed Fancher and Davison to score.

“I thought Cole really competed well,” Doyle said. “And we didn’t help him as much as we could have on some defensive plays. Those are things we’ve got to tighten up.”

Woodside added an insurance run in the third. The Wildcats loaded the bases, and Fancher produced a sacrifice fly to left field to plate Giovannetti to make it 4-1.

Sequoia wouldn’t produce so much as a baserunner after that, much in part to Giovannetti’s ability to establish strike one to nine of the final 14 batters he set down.

“I think just getting that first-pitch curveball over for a strike was huge,” Giovannetti said. “Then I get them off balance.”

Woodside shortstop Tanner Ellis, despite committing two errors in the game, flashed some leather on a rangy assist play to start the third inning, and another one to end the fourth. And Fancher, moving to third base with Giovannetti taking over on the mound, opened the seventh inning charging a soft bounder to the left side of the infield and making a crisp throw, on the run, off his back foot.

“We’ve got some good utility guys that are sound defensively all over,” Rogers said. “So, on a day like this where you’re kind of with some adversity and you’ve got to move guys around, we’ve got a lot of options.”

With Sequoia moving up the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division this season after last year’s second-place finish in the Ocean Division, Tuesday’s win was a big one for Woodside. The Wildcats will play in the lower PAL Ocean this year after settling for fourth place in 2021. Sequoia won all three games against Woodside last season.

For Sequoia, this season’s lineup is a vastly different one than the mostly senior group of a year ago.

“Last year’s group played together a lot and they’re very good ballplayers,” Doyle said. “This year I’ve got very good ballplayers that haven’t played as much together as those kids have. … But I’ve got a lot of faith in this group. They’re going to be good.”