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Cole deals, Sonoma nips ’Hounds on Son’s single, edges Eureka in D3 key, alum game Saturday

 

After a rocky first-inning in which Sonoma Valley High’s varsity baseball boys starting pitcher Brennan Cole walked a pair and gave up a two-run homer, the southpaw settled down, became dominant and was rewarded for his iron-man effort.

In Friday night’s Sonoma County League showdown with Healdsburg at Arnold Field, Cole shook off his top-of-the-first struggles by striking out eight of the next nine batters he faced, including fanning the side in order in the fourth. He didn’t allow another run to score.

Meanwhile, the Dragons rallied for a tie, then, after loading the bases in the bottom of seventh, pulled out a thrilling 3-2 triumph on sophomore Jonah Son’s bases-loaded single to shallow centerfield.

For Cole, it was an impressive complete-game, two-hitter with 11 strikeouts and four walks which earned him his first varsity SCL win.

Before Sonoma won the game in the bottom of the seventh on Son’s clutch RBI hit – plating senior Sean Daly, who led off with a single, reached third on a balk and intentional walks to senior Devin Deely and junior Sam Keechler – the visiting Greyhounds had their chance for a victory when they loaded the bases in the top of seventh.

But Sonoma’s junior second-baseman Will Rose made his second sparkling defensive play of the game by snaring a line-drive and beating the Healdsburg runner back to the bag for an inning-ending unassisted double play.

The Dragons – who are off to a 2-0 SCL start after their road win at Windsor last Wednesday – scored their first two runs on RBI singles by Keechler and junior Chandler Kelley.

Leading Sonoma were Son’s two singles and game-winning RBI; Daly’s two singles and two runs scored; Cole’s double and run; Keechler’s and Kelley’s single and RBI each; and Rose and junior Sam Morgan’s single apiece. 

On Saturday, the Dragons hosted nonleague Eureka in a key Division-3 game – holding postseason significance for both teams – and they got another sparkling mound effort, this one by junior Michael Hernandez, which led to a 3-2 victory.

Hernandez pitched a complete-game six-hitter, allowing one earned run, striking out three, and yielding just one earned run.

Sonoma was also led by Morgan’s two-for-three, including a double, an RBI and one run; Rose’s double, RBI, run and stolen base; Son’s and senior Kevin Deely’s single each; Swanson’s run; and junior Chandler Kelley’s RBI.

The Dragons travel to Forestville today to battle El Molino in an SCL game.

Then, Sonoma will host its inaugural Green and White Alumni Baseball Game taking place at 5 p.m. this Saturday, April 9, at Arnold Field, with a pre-game get-together and alumni batting practice session set for Friday, April 8.

Any Sonoma alumnus interested in playing can contact Sonoma varsity head coach Don Lyons at 996-7030 or dlyons@sonomavly.k12.ca.us.