Giantsportal.com | San Francisco Giants News, giants Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>With Redwood High Baseball coach Stefan Wever in the hospital with a recurring health problem during the Giants first-round MCAL playoff game against Novato, his assistants decided against the old "win one for the Gipper" speech. </div>Instead, they went with a more simple approach. "I think it was more, 'They've beaten us twice, it's our turn to beat them,'" Redwood assistant Jack Hedrich said. Whatever was said, it worked, as the Giants pulled off an 8-2 home win over the Hornets on Tuesday to advance to a second-round matchup with Marin Catholic on Thursday. Robbie Chrisman starred for Redwood, tossing five innings and allowing just one unearned run on three hits and one walk while striking out five. Chrisman was also 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, an RBI and a run scored. It was truly a team effort, though, as every Giants starter had at least one of the team's 17 hits on the day, allowing Redwood to get its first win against Novato in three tries this season. "We felt really good coming into this game, not because we don't think highly of Novato - we have to because they beat us twice," Wever said by phone from the hospital. "It's kind of an old adage in Baseball that it's really tough to beat a team three times in a row." The Hornets (15-10) appeared poised to pull off that very feat in the top of the first inning when they struck first blood, with Jacob Davis taking home on a wild pitch. But Redwood (14-10) answered right back in the bottom half before an impressive two-out rally in the third that was the difference in the game. With a runner on third and two outs, Chrisman helped his own cause with an RBI single to right to give the Giants a 2-1 advantage. Ryan Buscemi chased Hornets starter Robby Curry with a double, Taber Watson walked and Zak Ferrando, Billy Jack Ryan, Grant Gurewitz and Corbin Wirta each had two-out hits off Phillip Van Camerick to complete the six-run rally. "That was huge. All with two outs, we had like four or five hits," said Ryan, who added a solo home run in the fifth. "It was great to see everyone hitting the ball. It was a good team effort." Meanwhile, Chrisman kept Novato's hitters off balance all game, consistently getting his curveball over for strikes no matter the count. "Coach Wever tweaked my grip on my curveball so I was holding it on adjacent seams," Chrisman said, noting that the new grip gave him better control and more bite on his off-speed pitch. Stephen Siegel closed the game for Redwood, also mixing speeds efficiently while allowing one run on one hit with a pair of strikeouts. Novato coach Bob Scheppler said the pitching duo never allowed his hitters to get into a rhythm at the plate. "They hit the fastball well and we didn't," Scheppler said. "Robbie Chrisman pitched a great game. ... They just beat us today. They played like it was a playoff game and we kind of just went through the motions." While the Hornets' MCAL season ended with the loss, they still hope to receive a North Coast Section bid when seeds are announced on Sunday. Redwood could solidify its spot in NCS with a win against Marin Catholic in the MCAL semifinals Thursday at 7 p.m. at Albert Park. The top-seeded Wildcats also beat the Giants twice during the regular season, but Wever said he would not be surprised if the same old maxim holds true once more. "We feel the same way going into Thursday. We're not intimidated by (the Wildcats)," Wever said. "We played two horrible games against them, but we feel really good going into that game. We're healthy, rested and looking forward to giving them a good battle." Justin-Siena 11, San Marin 6NAPA - Justin (17-8) jumped out to an 11-1 lead in the third inning and coasted to an easy win over the Mustangs. The Mustangs (10-13) made three errors that led to a seven-run Justin first inning. Jordan Grubbs earned the win for the Braves, while Riley Fewell took the loss for San Marin. The Mustangs scored three of their runs in the last inning. "The fact that we scored three runs in the last inning kind of typified our season," San Marin coach Mark Whitburn said. "These kids never gave up. They played hard all the way to the end." No further information was available. Justin advances to place No. 2 seed Drake at Albert Park at 7 p.m. on Friday.

With Redwood High Baseball coach Stefan Wever in the hospital with a recurring health problem during the Giants first-round MCAL playoff game against Novato, his assistants decided against the old "win one for the Gipper" speech.

Instead, they went with a more simple approach.

"I think it was more, 'They've beaten us twice, it's our turn to beat them,'" Redwood assistant Jack Hedrich said.

Whatever was said, it worked, as the Giants pulled off an 8-2 home win over the Hornets on Tuesday to advance to a second-round matchup with Marin Catholic on Thursday. Robbie Chrisman starred for Redwood, tossing five innings and allowing just one unearned run on three hits and one walk while striking out five. Chrisman was also 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, an RBI and a run scored.

It was truly a team effort, though, as every Giants starter had at least one of the team's 17 hits on the day, allowing Redwood to get its first win against Novato in three tries this season.

"We felt really good coming into this game, not because we don't think highly of Novato - we have to because they beat us twice," Wever said by phone from the hospital. "It's kind of an old adage in Baseball that it's really tough to beat a team three times in a row."

The Hornets (15-10) appeared poised to pull off that very feat in the top of the first inning when they struck first blood, with Jacob Davis taking home on a wild pitch. But Redwood (14-10) answered right back in the bottom half before an impressive two-out rally in the third that was the difference in the game.

With a runner on third and two outs, Chrisman helped his own cause with an RBI single to right to give the Giants a 2-1 advantage. Ryan Buscemi chased Hornets starter Robby Curry with a double, Taber Watson walked and Zak Ferrando, Billy Jack Ryan, Grant Gurewitz and Corbin Wirta each had two-out hits off Phillip Van Camerick to complete the six-run rally.

"That was huge. All with two outs, we had like four or five hits," said Ryan, who added a solo home run in the fifth. "It was great to see everyone hitting the ball. It was a good team effort."

Meanwhile, Chrisman kept Novato's hitters off balance all game, consistently getting his curveball over for strikes no matter the count.

"Coach Wever tweaked my grip on my curveball so I was holding it on adjacent seams," Chrisman said, noting that the new grip gave him better control and more bite on his off-speed pitch.

Stephen Siegel closed the game for Redwood, also mixing speeds efficiently while allowing one run on one hit with a pair of strikeouts. Novato coach Bob Scheppler said the pitching duo never allowed his hitters to get into a rhythm at the plate.

"They hit the fastball well and we didn't," Scheppler said. "Robbie Chrisman pitched a great game. ... They just beat us today. They played like it was a playoff game and we kind of just went through the motions."

While the Hornets' MCAL season ended with the loss, they still hope to receive a North Coast Section bid when seeds are announced on Sunday. Redwood could solidify its spot in NCS with a win against Marin Catholic in the MCAL semifinals Thursday at 7 p.m. at Albert Park.

The top-seeded Wildcats also beat the Giants twice during the regular season, but Wever said he would not be surprised if the same old maxim holds true once more.

"We feel the same way going into Thursday. We're not intimidated by (the Wildcats)," Wever said. "We played two horrible games against them, but we feel really good going into that game. We're healthy, rested and looking forward to giving them a good battle."

Justin-Siena 11, San Marin 6NAPA - Justin (17-8) jumped out to an 11-1 lead in the third inning and coasted to an easy win over the Mustangs. The Mustangs (10-13) made three errors that led to a seven-run Justin first inning. Jordan Grubbs earned the win for the Braves, while Riley Fewell took the loss for San Marin. The Mustangs scored three of their runs in the last inning.

"The fact that we scored three runs in the last inning kind of typified our season," San Marin coach Mark Whitburn said. "These kids never gave up. They played hard all the way to the end."

No further information was available. Justin advances to place No. 2 seed Drake at Albert Park at 7 p.m. on Friday.