Dragons walk their way to win

After dropping their first two games of the year, the Sonoma Valley High baseball Dragons spotted San Rafael a four-run lead Friday, and then literally walked their way to their first win.

The final was 11-6.

It wasn’t as though the Dragons were pounding the ball all over the park. They managed but four hits – three singles and a double.

But they were patient as four San Rafael pitchers couldn’t find the plate. Sonoma combined their four hits with 11 walks, two errors and one catcher interference to push their 11 runs across.

It didn’t look good as first for the Dragons as the Bulldogs pushed a run across in the top of the first and added three more in the second to take a 4-0 lead. Meanwhile, the Bulldog pitcher struck out five Dragons in the first two innings.

But that changed in the bottom of the third.

Junior Carsten Cuda, leading off the inning, reached on an error. Senior Ethan Vitale walked and both advanced on a passed ball. Sophomore Max Handron hit a come-backer to the pitcher who threw Cuda out trying to score. Senior Carson Snyder reached first on catcher’s interference loading the bases. Senior Colton Mertens hit a single that drove in Vitale and Handron. Snyder scored on a wild pitch and Mertens came home when senior Noah Cess singled. And the game was knotted at 4.

Starting pitcher, junior Jeremy Mackling set the Bulldogs down in order in the top of the fourth.

In their half of the fourth, the Dragons pushed three runs across without the benefit of a hit. Sonoma used five walks, three wild pitches and a sacrifice fly to score three times as San Rafael used two pitchers. One of the Bulldog pitchers threw 13 pitches – 12 of which were balls. Senior Shane O’Malley even went from first to third on one of the wild pitches.

And the Dragon lead was 7-4.

Sonoma pushed four more runs across in the bottom of the fifth as senior Dylan Samaniego reached on an error, Cuda walked, Vitale walked, Handron walked driving in Samaniego, Snyder walked driving in Cuda before Mertens doubled, driving in Vitale and Handron, making it an 11-4 game.

San Rafael managed to score twice in the top of the seventh, but it was too little, too late, and the Dragons had an 11-6 victory.

The win gives the Dragons a 1-2 record. Sonoma was scheduled to face Pinole Valley Saturday night, but that was rained out.

The Dragons host Vintage High today (Tuesday). Game time is 6:30 p.m. Thursday, the Dragons travel to San Anselmo to face Drake, and Saturday, they travel to Cloverdale.