- CIF Sac-Joaquin

After falling behind 2-1 in the third inning Tuesday night against Florin at James Field in Auburn, Placer was in need of offense. After the first two batters in the inning grounded out and lined out, Placer loaded the bases on two errors and a walk. Aiden Geil stepped up to the plate and sent the first pitch he saw deep into the night sky for a grand slam to sling momentum back in Placer’s favor and give the Hillmen a 5-2 lead. Geil's grand slam ignited the Placer offense, which put up crooked numbers in the fourth and sixth innings on the way to a 9-3 victory. He put the Hillmen on the board early as well, hitting a triple in the second inning and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Myrreck Farrauto. Two Placer pitchers split the work, with starter Jayson Glatt earning the win. The junior went four innings and allowed two runs and four hits while striking out three. Sophomore Garrett Brink threw the final three innings and struck out four while allowing one unearned run and three hits. Neither pitcher walked a batter. The win was the second in a row for Placer (5-3) with tough tests on the horizon. Following Friday’s home game against defending Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI champion Leroy Greene Academy, Placer will play in the Fresno Easter Classic over spring break. The Hillmen open the tournament against Stockdale (7-5) on March 26. Following the tournament, Placer opens Foothill Valley League play with a three-game series against Ponderosa. The Hillmen are scheduled to host the Bruins on April 2 and April 5. The April 4 game is in Shingle Springs.

Geil's grand slam propels Hillmen over Florin