Baseball Dragons let one slip away

Left 10 runners stranded|

In a game they probably should have won Friday night, the Sonoma Valley High baseball Dragons out hit Petaluma 9-5, but lost 3-1.

The Dragons loaded the bases in both the fifth and sixth innings but couldn’t find a way to score.

Starting pitcher senior Shane O’Malley had a 37-pitch first inning and had to be lifted because of the pitch count with two outs in the sixth inning. This year, the CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) instituted a pitch count that limits pitchers to 110 pitches. And this is the third time this season that Dragon Coach Don Lyons has had to lift his starter because of it.

In that first inning, the Trojans sent eight men to the plate and two scored giving Petaluma a 2-0 lead.

The Dragons threatened in the second when junior Dylan Samaniego doubled and moved to third when sophomore Tucker Pierce singled, but a strikeout killed the would-be rally.

Sonoma got on the board in the third when senior Ethan Vitale was safe on an error and came around to score when O’Malley reached on an error.

Petaluma added a third run in the fifth when O’Malley plunked a batter who scored when the next batter doubled.

Sonoma loaded the bases with only one out in the bottom of the fifth when sophomore Max Handron, senior Carson Snyder and O’Malley all singled but the Petaluma pitcher struck out the last two hitters stranding Handron, Snyder and O’Malley.

The Dragons loaded the bases again in the sixth when junior Joe Perez and sophomore Logan Mak singled and Handron walked, but the Dragons left them stranded.

Sonoma left 10 men on base in the game.

The loss leaves the Dragons with a 10-8 overall record, and a 4-3 SCL mark.

The Dragons host Analy today, Tuesday, at Arnold Field. Game time is 7 p.m. The Dragons are at El Molino on Friday and at Elsie Allen next Tuesday.

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.