Trailing longtime Sonoma County League rival Analy by a 5-1 margin after four innings, after the Tigers beat them in a runaway last week, the Sonoma Valley High School varsity softball girls used a balance of experience and youth to pull off a dramatic comeback last Thursday at the high school field.
With junior pitching ace Hannah Herrick keeping Analy off the scoreboard after it built up its four-run margin, the Lady Dragons staged a four-run rally in the bottom of the fifth inning centered around clutch, back-to-back RBI triples by senior Amber Rose and freshman Hayden Pearce, which forged a tie.
After Herrick and her defense kept the visiting Tiger girls from touching home plate in the top of the seventh, Sonoma responded in the bottom of the frame with Rose beating out an infield single, reaching second base, and then scoring on junior Shawny McVeigh’s walk-off, game-winning RBI single for the 6-5 final.
Leading the Lady Dragons were Rose’s two-for-three, including a triple, two RBIs and three runs scored; Pearce’s two-for-two, including a triple, an RBI and a run; McVeigh’s two-for-four with an RBI; winning pitcher Herrick’s single and RBI; senior Samantha Richards’ single and run; and senior Lindsey Rocha’s run.
The Sonoma girls travel to Santa Rosa to play league foe Elsie Allen today, before returning home to host Piner in a 4 p.m. SCL game Thursday, April 24, at the high school field.
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