The Sonoma Valley High baseball Dragons swept an unusual doubleheader Saturday. It was unusual because they played two different teams – facing Ukiah in the first game and Eureka in the second.
The Ukiah game was long scheduled, but the Eureka game was postponed earlier this month and was rescheduled to Friday. But Friday’s rains pushed the game back to Saturday.
Friday, Dragon Coach Don Lyons said the change was necessary to get another non-conference game in before the Sonoma County League starts its schedule this week.
In the Ukiah game, the Dragons got a complete-game pitching performance from junior Jeremy Mackling and beat the Wildcats, 3-1.
Not to be outdone, senior Shane O’Malley tossed a complete-game three-hitter in the nightcap as the Dragons topped the Loggers 4-1.
The early game started out as a pitcher’s duel.
Ukiah finally broke the scoring drought in the top of the fourth when, with two outs, the Wildcats got a double followed by a single to take a 1-0 lead.
The Dragons answered in the bottom of the fourth when senior Ethan Vitale singled, went to second when sophomore Max Handron sacrificed, third on an O’Malley single and scored when senior Colton Mertens hit into a fielder’s choice.
The fifth inning was punctuated by a bizarre play when Ukiah’s leadoff batter hit a pop-foul in back of third base, and Dragon third-baseman Mertens collided with Ukiah’s third-base coach as the ball fell to the ground five-feet away. The Sonoma dugout was quick to yell interference, and after the umpires conferred, the batter was ruled out.
The Dragons pushed two runs across in the bottom of the fifth when junior Dylan Samaniego was safe on an error and took second on junior Joe Perez’s single. Sophomore Tucker Pierce laid down a sacrifice bunt advancing Samaniego to third and Perez to second. They both scored moments later when senior Carson Snyder, who was pinch-hitting., connected on the first pitch singling to right and the Dragons had a 3-1 lead. Sonoma later had runners on second and third with two outs, but couldn’t push either of them home.
Mackling made quick work of the Wildcats setting down six straight batters in the sixth and seventh innings and the Dragons had a 3-1 win. Mackling scattered six hits, struck out three and didn’t walk anyone.
In the Eureka game, the Dragons pushed a run across in the first, and Eureka answered in the top of the second. But Sonoma took the lead for good with a run in the bottom of the third and then pushed two more across for good measure in the bottom of the fourth.
In addition to tossing a three-hitter, O’Malley had two hits and an RBI, Vitale had a hit and two RBIs, Snyder had a hit and an RBI while Pierce, Handron and Perez also had hits.
The twin wins, evened the Dragons’ record at 5-5.
Sonoma opens its SCL schedule today, Tuesday, at Petaluma for a 4 p.m. start, and then travel to Analy on Friday for a 4 p.m. game. The Dragons return home on Tuesday, April 4, when they host El Molino for a 4 p.m. game.
Email bill at bill.hoban@sonomanews.com
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