By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com

Napa Valley College was held to one hit and was shut out as the Storm lost the first game of a Bay Valley Conference baseball series to College of Marin on Tuesday, March 26, in Kentfield, 9-0.

It was the second loss in a row for Napa Valley (6-17 overall, 5-2 Bay Valley Conference), which committed three errors and left three runners on base.

Amari Sawhney had the Storm's only hit of the game. Napa Valley struck out eight times and walked once against College of Marin pitching. It was the opener of a three-game series.

Erik Kvidahl started and got the win for College of Marin. Kvidahl gave up just one hit in eight scoreless innings, walked only one batter and struck out six. Kvidahl faced 27 batters.

Jeremy Maldonado pitched in relief, throwing one inning and striking out two. Maldonado faced three batters.

College of Marin (17-9 overall, 6-1 Bay Valley Conference) scored seven runs in the fifth inning and added two runs in the seventh inning.

College of Marin's fifth inning was keyed by Matteo Bellisimo's three-run home run and Benny Nazario's two-run single.

Jacob Anteneh hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning for College of Marin.

College of Marin scored two runs in the fifth inning on Napa Valley infield errors.

Kyle Worden started for Napa Valley and took the loss. Worden went five innings, facing 28 batters, allowing five hits and seven runs (one earned), walking four and striking out four.

Khyler Cabebe pitched in relief, going three innings and facing 15 batters, giving up four hits and two runs (both earned), and striking out two.

Nazario was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.

Anteneh was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

College of Marin also had six stolen bases.

Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Thursday, March 28 at NVC's Storm Field at 2:30 p.m.

Game 3 of the series is scheduled for Friday, March 29 at College of Marin at 1 p.m.

* Marty James is a freelance writer who makes his home in Napa. He retired on June 4, 2019 after spending 40 years as a sports writer, sports editor and executive sports editor for the Napa Valley Register, a daily newspaper in Napa County. He is a 1979 graduate of Sacramento State and a member of the California Golf Writers & Broadcasters Association. He was inducted into the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Hall of Fame in 2016, the Vintage High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019, and the Napa High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022.