Sonoma Valley remains undefeated with 1-0 win over Casa Grande

For their first-ever Vine Valley Athletic League baseball game, head coach Richard Blanchard called upon Brendan Hogan to take the mound. The big senior (he’s 6-5) reared back and made the coach seem like a genius, throwing a seven-inning shutout.

“Our pitching coach really helped me iron some things out with my motion and tempo and it really showed how much more effective I could be,” said Hogan after the game, referring to Mario Amantite – himself an SVHS graduate in his eighth year of coaching baseball.

But Casa Grande’s Koby Krnaich matched Hogan’s dominance throughout the game – both teams threatened here and there, but for the most part the pitchers were able to get out of trouble and keep the duel scoreless.

Finally, in the bottom of the fifth, the Dragons broke the tie. Austin Arrington reached base to lead off the inning when he was hit by a pitch, then Matt Norrbom drew a walk. With two on, Max Handron hit a sharp ball into right field that had RBI written all over it, but Analy was able to turn it into a force out at second, leaving runners hanging at first and third.

It took center fielder Tucker Pierce’s sacrifice fly to deep right field to score Arrington for what turned out to be the game’s only run.

Though the Gauchos threatened to tie in the top of the seventh with a man on second base and only one out, Hogan retired the remaining batters on a fly ball to right and a game-winning strikeout, keeping the Dragons undefeated so far this year.

Hogan gave up four hits and two walks while striking out seven batters over his seven-inning outing for his first win of the year. Casa’s Krnaich took a hard-luck loss even though he only gave up three hits, walked two and struck out two.

Friday’s game followed the Monday, March 11, victory at home when the Sonoma Valley Dragons defeated visiting Alhambra in the make-up of a rain-delayed game from Feb. 27 by a 7-2 score.

The Dragons are now 1-0 in VVAL play, sporting the best record in the league with their undefeated 6-0 season to this point.

Sonoma Valley will host San Rafael (1-4) on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. on Arnold Field, another non-league matchup before a rematch next Friday against VVAL rival Casa Grande on their fields in Petaluma.