Sonoma Valley is 2-8 against Petaluma since April of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Dragons will head out on the road to square off against the Trojans at 4:00 p.m. Sonoma Valley will aim to continue their four-game streak of scoring more runs each match than the last.
Sonoma Valley took a ten-run defeat the last time they faced off against Encinal, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Dragons skirted past the Jets 9-8. That's two games straight that the Dragons have won by just one run.
Riley Rhodd made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched 4.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
In other batting news, Ellie Llanos was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. Those two stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Delilah Olivier, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and four RBI.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Petaluma, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. Everything went their way against American Canyon on Wednesday as they made off with an 11-1 victory. The result was nothing new for the Trojans, who have now won ten games by eight runs or more so far this season.
Lily Pardini spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on four hits.
At the plate, Bella Hudson was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Lauren Wilson was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI.
Petaluma always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .571. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as American Canyon only posted an OBP of .292.
Petaluma is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-6 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.7 runs over those games. As for Sonoma Valley, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 7-13.
Sonoma Valley might still be hurting after the 12-1 loss they got from Petaluma in their previous matchup back in April. Can the Dragons avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
