Lady Dragons in SCL title game

Sonoma will face Petaluma in championship game|

The Sonoma Valley High Lady Dragon softballers used three home runs Wednesday to power their way into Thursday’s Sonoma County League Tournament championship game.

The second-seed Lady Dragons will face top-seed Petaluma in the championship game, but with a 5 p.m. start, game results weren’t available at press time.

Wednesday, Sonoma got home runs from Abby Alcayaga, Ally Alcayaga and Kaliyah Hensic as the Lady Dragons needed only five innings to trounce Analy, 14-2.

The Lady Dragons scored in every inning putting four runs up in the first including a bases-loaded single by Kayla Beals that plated two runs.

In the top of the second, the Tigers threatened with a runner on third and only one out. But Sonoma pitcher Kennedy Midgley struck out the next two batters – both on 3-2 counts – to quell the threat.

Sonoma added three more in the third as Midgley led off with a single, advanced to second when Ally Alcayaga walked and they both scored when Abby Alcayaga hit a home run.

In the third, the Tigers had runners on second and third with two outs, but couldn’t score.

The Lady Dragons added a singleton in the third when Annie Neles was safe on an error, went to second on a passed ball, advanced to third on an infield out and then scored on yet another passed ball.

Analy finally got on the board in the fourth when a runner scored from first on a triple. But the Dragons held an 8-1 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, Ally Alcayaga led off the inning with a home run to make it 9-1. It was the first time this year that the twins, Ally and Abby Alcayaga, both hit a home run in the same game. Sonoma added another run when Abby Alcayaga walked and scored from first on a single by Raquel Hernandez to make it 10-1.

The Tigers got one of the runs back in the top of the fifth to make it 10-2.

In the dugout, the Lady Dragons didn’t want the game to go any longer than the fifth inning. And they got their wish.

After Jaymee Pearce grounded out and Midgley flied out to left. Hensic hit a home run to left-center to make it 11-2. Ally Alcayaga doubled, Abby Alcayaga was walked intentionally and Lee was hit by a pitch loading the bases. Hernandez smacked a long single emptying the bases and ending the game.

The final was 14-2 setting up Thursday’s championship game with Petaluma.

“We played as a team today,” said Coach Keeley Ray. “We played together.”

Ray confirmed it was the first time this year that the Alcayaga twins had hit home runs in the same game. “They’re both really great hitters,” Ray said. “And (batting) back-to-back, they’re dangerous.”

Ray also praised Midgley. “Kennedy’s been walking too many batters, but not today,” Ray said. “She had a lot of 3-2 counts, but she only walked one. I’m proud of her.”

The Dragons pounded out 11 hits including three by Midgley, two each by Abby Alcayaga, Abby Alcayaga and Hernandez, along with hits by Hensic and Beals. Hernandez and Abby Alcayaga each had four RBIs while Beals had two, Lee, Hensic and Ally Alcayaga each had one RBI.

Looking at Thursday’s match-up, Ray said the team needed to come ready to hit. “They beat us both times we played,” the coach said. “I think we play timid when we play them. We’ve got to play like we did today.”

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