Mendrin Powers Sonora’s Victory

Jacob Mendrin flexed his muscles and sixth-ranked Sonora held its grip on first place in the Freeway League Wednesday with a 9-2 victory over host Sunny Hills.

Mendrin hit three home runs and a double, driving in five runs, as Sonora (12-1, 6-0) maintained its two-game lead over Fullerton.

“Jacob has struggled a little this year and it was good to see him do something like this,” Sonora Coach Pat Tellers said. “To come out swinging like that . . . It’s what kids dream about.”

Mendrin helped get the Raiders off to a fast start, hitting a two-run home run in the first inning to go with a run-scoring single by Blake Shaw and a run-scoring double by Aaron Milano. Mendrin drove in another run in the second inning when he doubled home Shaw.

Sonora scored two more runs in the third, one coming on Aaron Milano’s home run and the other on a sacrifice fly by Jon Muramoto.

Mendrin, a senior first baseman, added home runs in the fourth and sixth innings to complete his memorable day.

“It’s awesome.” Mendrin said. “I don’t think it’s hit me yet. I’ve never been much of a home-run hitter. I shortened and quickened my swing and I was just trying to hit the ball hard.”

Sonora’s Brett Smith turned in a solid performance of his own, pitching six strong innings with 11 strikeouts, most of them coming in the later innings.

“Brett was a little distracted at first,” Tellers said, “but once he settles down he can be nasty.”

“I’m a little uncomfortable with the mound here and I was slipping on it a little bit,” Smith said. “I started to get the curve over and I can get a lot of strikeouts when I do that.”

Sunny Hills (5-8, 1-5) scored in the second inning on a run-scoring double by Mitch Martindale, and in the third on a passed ball after Ryan Mansfield tripled.