BASEBALL / DIVISION II : Home Run Wakes Up Sonora, 9-3

With one swing Tuesday, Sonora’s Junior Rodriguez showed Temecula Temecula Valley the importance of momentum.

Rodriguez hit the first pitch by Golden Bears pitcher Jason Gauss in the fourth inning for a 340-foot home run, igniting a five-run inning that helped Sonora advance to the Division II Southern Section championship game with a 9-3 victory at Cypress College.

“That was a real momentum builder for the team. Our hits come in bunches,” Rodriguez said. “With the bats we’ve got, it’s just a matter of time for them to wake up.”

Sonora will face San Luis Obispo in the title game at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Anaheim Stadium. It is the first time the Raiders have reached the final since 1973.

“I’ve been waiting for this chance ever since I got here,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a dream come true. I can’t believe I’m going to play at Anaheim Stadium.”

Trailing, 1-0, Rodriguez’s home run to left was Sonora’s first hit of the game off Gauss, who kept the Raiders off balance in the first three innings with his curveball. But Sonora’s batters moved up in the box and started jumping on the breaking pitches in the fourth.

After David Miller drew a walk, Mark Patino doubled off the center-field wall and B.J. Baumgardner singled to right to score Miller, giving Sonora a 2-1 lead. The Raiders loaded the bases and scored again on an error by Golden Bears left fielder Joe Renteria and twice more on Dave Haller’s two-out, two-run single. Sonora led, 5-1.

Even though it took his teammates a while to get going at the plate, Rodriguez was in command from the start on the mound. Rodriguez, a senior, pitched a complete game, giving up five hits and two earned runs. He struck out eight, including the side in the third inning, to raise his record to 9-0.

“We needed [Rodriguez] to step forward today and he did,” Sonora Coach Pat Tellers said. “You’ve got to expect that from a four-year player.”