Hawks Blank El Cerrito 5-0 Behind Ballard's Masterful Debut
EL CERRITO, CA — If Wednesday’s season opener was any indication of what’s to come for Tam Baseball, the rest of the North Coast Section has officially been put on notice. Behind a masterful pitching performance from Hank Ballard, the Red-Tailed Hawks cruised to a 5-0 shutout victory over the El Cerrito Gauchos.
From the first pitch on the ECHS turf, Ballard looked every bit the ace. The right-hander dealt five innings of two-hit ball and limited the Gauchos’ lineup to two hits and no walks on the day, including a career-high nine strikeouts. Senior Henry Pearson came in to shut the door for the last two innings, allowing two hits, no walks, and no runs given up.
The Hawks' offense didn't wait long to provide support. Tam High struck early with three runs in the top of the first inning, with two out RBI’s from newcomers Ryder Weber (Junior) and Alex Radics (Sophomore).
Key contributors at the plate included:
- R. Weber: 2-4 with a team-high 3 RBIs.
- K. Heidenreich: 2-4 RBI
- A. Radics: 1-3 RBI 2B
- D. Zolfaghari: 1-3 2R 2SB
- C. Kramlich: 1-2 2SB
Defensively, the Hawks were nearly flawless, committing only one error and providing a safety net that allowed the pitching staff to attack the zone with confidence. Tam looks on to Petaluma Friday at home, and opens up MCAL play next week against Terra Linda.
