Strikeouts and a Grand Slam Secure a Stompers Wildcard Win

By Stompers Staff

The Sonoma Stompers put together an impressive performance in the CCL North Wildcard game, beating the San Luis Obispo Blues, 7-2. Sonoma won their first CCL playoff game off the back of a huge five run third inning and a dominant pitching performance of Destin Allen-Fox. He threw five innings, and struck out two. The third inning was highlighted by a DJ Scott grand slam that electrified the Sonoma effort.

Max Handron was also huge at the plate, going two for five with two RBIs. Scott had two hits on the night as well. Trent Abel added two more for the Stompers, crossing the plate twice as well. Chase Taylor with two, and Tyler Holley and Jack Vanoncini both with one rounded out the Sonoma offense. Hawk Hill and Dylan Goff relieved Allen-Fox and dominated as well, holding the Blues to only one. The Sonoma pitching staff struck out a total of fifteen Blues’ batters tonight, an elite performance.

Allen-Fox was dominant early, setting the tone for the Stompers. His first two innings went scoreless, as he struck out an impressive five batters in the process. His offense bolstered the effort as well in the third, starting with Vanoncini getting one base via a catcher’s interference. Taylor and Abel then singled, loading the bases for Sonoma. Handron then stepped up and slapped a single to score the first run of the game. The next batter, DJ Scott, made it a crooked number in the third, where we launched a grand slam to make it a 5-0 game.

The Sonoma starter continued his excellence, holding the Blues hitless in the next two innings, as he struck out four more. The Blues final struck in the fifth though, after Zack Pace sent Allen-Fox out for his fifth inning. After the SLO leadoff batter got a hit, the Sonoma ace got two outs. But, Ethan Royal then smacked a ball out to center that went over Paul Contreras’ head for a triple, scoring the first for the Blues. Allen-Fox got the last out with a fly out, ending his night with his longest start of five innings, one run, three hits, and ten strikeouts.

Hill relieved Allen-Fox in the sixth. A walk and errant throw on a stolen base moved the SLO runner to third. A bloop single then scored that runner, pulling the Blues closer, making it 5-2. A double play and strikeout got Hill out of the inning. Chase Taylor started the seventh with a single, but nothing came of it after a couple sacrifices. Hill then shut the Blues down in the bottom half, fired up after two strikeouts. He was a loud voice and leader in the dugout tonight, firing up his bullpen mates after his two innings. 

DJ Scott led-off and got on base for a second time in the eighth, finally facing a new Blues arm. After advancing to second and third on two balks, Tyler Holley smacked a ball up the middle to score Scott with two outs, extending the Stompers lead to four. Dylan Goff entered in the bottom half for Sonoma and did his job, allowing only one hit and no runs. The Stompers added an insurance run in the ninth after Trent Abel singled and advanced to second via an error. Handron then delivered again, where he singled to score Abel. Goff shut the Blues down in the ninth to secure the electric win.

Sonoma now makes the lengthy trip to Walnut Creek from SLO, to face the Crawdads in the divisional round. It will take place at Monte Vista High School at 4:00, with a trip to the CCL Championship on the line. Make sure to tune in to our live radio broadcast at this link: https://sonoma-stompers.mixlr.com/!

Sonoma Caps Off the Regular Season With Win

By Stompers Staff

The Sonoma Stompers concluded their regular season with a 7-6 win over the San Francisco Seagulls. The ball was flying all over the field as the Stomps compiled thirteen hits and the Seagulls had ten. Trent Abel, Nick Sebastiani and Paul Contreras all launched home runs tonight to lead the Sonoma effort.

Abel started the scoring in the first with a solo shot that not only was first homer on the season, but it bumped his batting average back up above .300 to finish the season. After the Seagulls took the lead in the top of the second, Sebastiani stepped up in the bottom half and smacked his home run to tie it up. The Stomps added three more in that inning, with Alijah Ramos and DJ Scott both hitting a RBI double, and Paul Contreras adding a RBI single. 

In the third, Sonoma scored another off a Jack Lazark sac fly that scored Sebastiani. Contreras then launched his homer in the fourth, which made it a 7-2 game. This proved to be enough as the Stomper pitching held a Seagull comeback attempt that made it 7-6 going into the seventh. Raul Valdivia got the win as he pitched the seventh and held San Francisco scoreless. Garrett James shut them down in the eighth, going one-two-three. After an error and single in the ninth, Dylan Burke found himself in a jam. But, the reliever nicknamed “Shaq” because of his number 34 rose to the occasion and delivered, forcing a pop out and double play to end the game.

The Stompers had a successful regular season, compiling 30 wins in both league and non-league. Zack Pace said that recipe for success was “bringing that same attitude and effort every single day and being consistent with it.” He compliments his players for the “tremendous effort” they brought and attributes that to their success.

Pace’s squad will look to bring that effort and attitude as they embark on playoffs. The first postseason game will take place Tuesday, either at Walnut Creek or at San Luis Obispo. We will get you that information as soon as we know, but either way our radio broadcast will be up. So, make sure to tune into Kiran Costa and Ryan Bridges bringing you play-by-play for CCL playoffs. This can be found on our Mixlr: https://sonoma-stompers.mixlr.com/. Also, stay up to date with our social media platforms that will provide all the information available for Stompers playoffs!

Stompers Secure 20th CCL Win as Playoffs Loom

By Stompers Staff

The Sonoma Stompers continued their winning streak with a comfortable 11-3 win over the Menlo Park Legends. The Stompers had a strong nine hits for the dogs that attended “Bark in the Park” night but a lot of the runners that scored were helped by wild pitching and passed balls issued by the Legends. The Sonoma bullpen was elite tonight, with Sean McBroom earning the win in two innings of three strikeouts scoreless baseball.

Stompers’ hitting coach, Paul Maytorena, put it best saying it was “a QAB and LOB night.” These acronyms stand for the ability of Sonoma hitters to get on base with walks and hit by pitches by working favorable counts (Quality At Bats) and the impressive showings by various Stompers pitchers to get out of difficult jams (Menlo Park’s runners Left On Base).

The Legends struck first, scoring two in the top of the second. Sonoma responded in the bottom half of the inning however, where they scored three runs without getting a hit. These runs came from walks, hit by pitches, wild pitches, and errors. The Stomps added three more in the fourth, off of a Trent Abel fielder’s choice and Max Handron single. After the Legends scored another in the fifth, Handron singled again in the sixth to score Sonoma’s seventh run. Jack Vanoncini and Tyler Holley knocked in the next three for Sonoma to make it a 10-3 game. Vanoncini then scored again in the eighth off a passed ball.

Handron’s three hit, three RBI night led the way, with Holley adding two hits and two RBIs. Chase Taylor, Nick Sebastiani, Alijah Ramos and Vanoncini had the other hits on the night. Ramos’ hit by pitch in the second inning resulted in his mind boggling 33 game on base streak to continue. He has been the leadoff hitter as of late, and Zack Pace seems to have settled with the consistent production of Ramos in the one, Abel hitting second, and now Max Handron hitting third. 

After McBrooms two innings, Riley Phelan, Sean Flowers and Hawk Hill all dished out scoreless innings, combining for seven strikeouts. The bullpen has been great for Sonoma all year and will look to continue the dominance on Tuesday in the first playoff game.

The Stomps have one more regular season game though, facing the San Francisco Seagulls at home one more time. This game will be a 1:05 start back at Arnold Field, tomorrow (Sunday the 28th). Make sure to come out and support as it may be the last chance to see some Stomper baseball! Also stay up to date across all our social media platforms as the team embarks on the postseason this upcoming Tuesday! You won’t want to miss it!

Handron’s Walk Off Clinches Playoff Berth

By Stompers Staff

The Sonoma Stompers beat the Menlo Park Legends this Friday night as Sonoma native Max Handron walked it off with a line drive single. The win secured a playoff bid for the Stompers, and they will be the three seed in the CCL North, meaning they will travel to either San Luis Obispo or Walnut Creek on Monday. This will be the first postseason for the Stomps since joining the CCL. Tonight, the fifth and ninth innings were the difference as the Sonoma offense had yet another strong showing.

Tyler Looney got the start and pitched the first 4.2 innings. The four earned that came off him were identical situations in the third and fifth innings when the Legends first baseman hit a pair of two RBI doubles in the right center gap. The Stompers offense quickly turned it around however, in the bottom half of the fifth.

Tyler Holley started it with a solo bomb to left center, which got Sonoma on the board. The Stomps then loaded the bases for Trent Abel with an error, a walk and a single. Abel then doubled to score two. Two batters later, DJ Scott singled to add two more for Sonoma. Reliever Carson Glavich was unable to get out of a jam in the eighth and the Legends regained the lead with a fielder’s choice and wild pitch. 

Just like the fifth, Holley led off down in the ninth. He walked and after a Rudy Gonzalez fielder’s choice, as well as a Chase Taylor walk, Sonoma delivered with one out. Alijah Ramos singled with a ball up the middle to score Gonzalez from third to tie the game. Abel then singled to load the bases for Handron. After fouling one away, Handron then smacked a line drive into right, easily scoring Taylor to cement the win and playoff berth. The newcomer infielder was then chased into the outfield by his team.

The new additions of Handron, Taylor, Scott and Joseph Cardinale have been huge for Sonoma, and will provide Zack Pace with crucial pieces for Monday’s playoff game. Pace made comments about each of them titling the lefty Handron as “Mr. Sonoma” who is a “quality hitter from a big conference” (Handron just finished his college career at Division 1 Cal Berkeley this year). Taylor is another lefty hitter who Pace said does a lot of “the little things right” providing good speed and defense. Pace is “really excited” to have all these newcomers, also mentioning that both Scott and Cardinale are “toolsy” players that have and will contribute.

The offense led the way tonight, with the ever consistent pair of Ramos and Abel both having two hits and combining for three RBIs. Holley added an RBI with his mentioned homerun Taylor had an interesting night, getting walked three times and hit by a pitch, scoring twice for Sonoma. On the other side of the ball, Brady Carvalho got the win, shutting out the Legends in the ninth with two strikeouts.

Despite the playoff berth, Pace states that the approach does not change, mentioning that with two wins his ballclub could earn 30 wins on the season, which is quite the accomplishment. This mindset will be forefront tomorrow, as the Stompers will face the Legends again for “Bark in the Park” night! Make sure to bring out your pups at 6:05 for some Saturday night baseball. This is one of the last chances to catch the Stomps this summer, so don’t miss it! Our live broadcast will be up on our YouTube as well.

Ramos and Contreras Homer as Stompers Hold Off Crawdads

By Stompers Staff

The Sonoma Stompers dominated for 8.5 innings, and won 7-5 despite a ninth inning comeback attempt by the Walnut Creek Crawdads. The Stompers offense had another good night, with Alijah Ramos and Paul Contreras both hitting home runs. It was Contreras’ fifth homerun in league play, placing him second in all of CCL in terms of long balls. Brent Mallet got the win in his three innings of work, where he struck out three while holding the Crawdads to no runs.

Jake Tirk started for Sonoma and threw a solid three innings, giving up only one in the third. This was the only run for Walnut Creek until the ninth. After going down 1-0, the Stomper offense came alive. Contreras got the scoring started with his solo shot in the fourth. After Chase Taylor walked in the fifth, Ramos then stepped up and hit his home run, giving the Stomps a 3-1 lead. 

This held till the eighth, when Sonoma added four more runs. Darvin Scott singled, Luke Rossi forced an error, and Chase Taylor hit a sacrifice fly to earn the insurance runs. The insurance was much needed, as the Crawdads fought back in the ninth. After a single, double and hit by pitch, they loaded the bases for their first baseman. He then hit a huge grand slam to make it 7-5. Sean Flowers came in for the last out and did his job, getting a strikeout to earn a save on the night and escape the comeback attempt.

Ramos and Contreras highlighted the effort with their homers, combining for three hits and three RBIs in total. Scott, Taylor, Joseph Cardinale, Trent Abel and Nick Sebastiani compiled the other hits for Sonoma, completing another strong offensive effort. They have responded well after a tough day on Tuesday.

The win puts the Stomps 1.5 games back of the second place San Luis Obispo Blues, and 3.5 games back of the Crawdads in first. While first place is out of the picture, Sonoma is fighting for a home playoff game that will happen if they are able to catch the Blues. The San Francisco Seagulls sit behind the Stomps, and with a loss today, would put them 2.5 games back of Sonoma. They currently trail the Alameda Merchants 10-1.

This playoff picture can easily change with three more games remaining so make sure to come out to Arnold Field to watch the chaos unfold. The Stompers begin a three game homestead to finish the season with a game tomorrow, Friday, against the Menlo Park Legends. First pitch is at 6:05! If you’re unable to make it, our broadcast will be up on our YouTube channel.

Sonoma Rebounds With Twelve Run Explosion

By Stompers Staff

After a quiet offensive day yesterday, the Sonoma Stompers quickly turned it around, smacking thirteen hits to win 12-3 against the Alameda Merchants. Both sides of the ball were excellent today, namely Max Handron and Darvin Scott on offense, and a group of four reliveres that pitched the Merchants hitless. Dylan Goff got the win tonight in another strong outing, where he threw four innings of one run on five hits, with two strikeouts. 

Sonoma sealed the deal early, as they scored four runs in the second and five runs in the third to go up 9-0. They never looked back after that. After Sonoma loaded the bases, a Chase Taylor walk started the scoring party. An Alijah Ramos fielder’s choice and Handron doubled knocked in the three others in the second. 

They kept it going in the third, as Paul Contreras started with a leadoff triple. Darvin Scott then singled to score Contreras. Tyler Holley later hit into a fielder's choice to score a run and Trent Abel walked to force another in. Once again with bases loaded, Handron singled to score another two. His monster day wasn’t finished either as he doubled in Ramos in the eighth. Contreras hit a sacrifice groundout and Scott hit an RBI single to score the eleventh and twelfth runs.

Goff’s four innings set up a comfortable 9-1 game for his bullpen, and they did the rest. Riley Phelan, Zachary Boorman, Chris Albee, and Ross Goldschlang pitched the next four innings and shut the Merchants down. They combined for six strikeouts, no hits, and only one walk. Alameda scored two in the bottom of the ninth but it was meaningless at that point, and the Stomps cruised to a win.

Handron’s three hit, five RBI night led the way. Scott also broke out, as mentioned, with three hits and two RBIs. The rest of the offense was on point as well, as six other Stompers had hits. Every Sonoma batter that stepped up to the plate except one found a way to get on, an impressive figure. The Stompers look to keep this momentum tomorrow as they face the Walnut Creek Crawdads at Monte Vista High School.

You can listen to that on our live radio broadcast as always, just follow this link: https://sonoma-stompers.mixlr.com/. The Stomps’ season is coming to a close soon, and they will return to Arnold Field Friday for the last three home games, so make sure to come and support before it’s too late!

Quiet Offense Plagues Stompers in Loss

By Stompers Staff

The Sonoma Stompers returned to action with a tough 2-1 loss to the San Francisco Seagulls, in a game where hits and runs were hard to come by. Sonoma pitching was solid for most of the game, except for the sixth inning, where two Seagulls runs turned out to be enough for the win. Destin Allen-Fox continues to be a bright spot, starting this game and throwing four scoreless innings, where he struck out three and only gave up one hit.

Although the pitching staff held San Francisco to only two runs, the Stomper offense only managed to score one run on five hits. Sonoma batters struck out a total of fifteen times, and had trouble getting on base all night. Max Handron was the only Stomper to get on base twice, with a single in the fourth and a walk in the first. He ended up scoring in that fourth inning, after moving to third on some pitching miscues and getting knocked in by an Omar Gastelum single.

The Stomps did threaten in the eighth after Trent Abel’s single moved Alijah Ramos to third, but nothing came of it. Ramos and outfielder Darvin Scott were the only others to have hits on the night. Sonoma hitting has been an achilles heel at points throughout the season, as Sonoma has a CCL North low .216 team batting average. 

On the flip side, pitching has been a consistent force. This is important as playoffs approach, as if new energy can be sparked into the bats, Sonoma can be a dangerous team. The loss moves the Stomps to 5.5 games back of the Walnut Creek Crawdads in first and 1.5 games back of the San Luis Obispo Blues in second. The Seagulls sit in fourth behind the Stompers, 2.5 games back. 

Sonoma will look to get the bats going in another CCL away game tomorrow, facing the Alameda Merchants. First pitch is set for 6:00 pm at Alameda College, so make sure to tune into our live radio broadcast as the Stomps make their final push towards the postseason. The broadcast can be found at this link: https://sonoma-stompers.mixlr.com/. 

Two Run Ninth Propels Stompers to Crucial Win

By Stompers Staff

The Sonoma Stompers’ all stars led the way as they defeated the Walnut Creek Crawdads, 5-4 after a ninth inning surge. All star selections Alijah Ramos, Trent Abel and Dylan Goff all had huge nights for Sonoma, with Ramos and Abel combining for six hits and Goff with an impressive ninth to earn the save. Omar Gastelum also had the huge double to win it for the Stomps in the late innings.

Sonoma got the scoring started in the third inning, which began with a Joseph Cardinale single. After Justice Brinson moved him over to second, Ramos stepped up and slapped a double to score Cardinale. With Ramos on second, Abel then doubled, which scored Ramos and gave the Stompers a 2-0 lead. The Crawdads surged in the fifth inning to tie the game however. But, Ramos singled again in the sixth and worked his way around the bases to score via a Paul Contreras sacrifice fly.

The one run lead would not last long as Walnut Creek scored in the seventh to tie it and then added another in the eighth to take the lead. The Stomps weren’t finished though, as Cardinale and Jack Lazark got on base via Crawdad errors with one out in the ninth inning. Gastelum then stepped up and smacked a double that allowed both Cardinale and Lazark to score, which gave Sonoma the 5-4 lead. Goff then delivered in the bottom half of the inning, where he forced two fly outs and struck out one to silence the Crawdads and secure the win.

Ramos had a monster day, going 4 for 5 with an RBI. Abel added two hits and another RBI. As mentioned, Gastelum and Cardinale had a hit each as well. Max Handron contributed the ninth hit for the Stompers, with a sixth inning single. On the bump, Patrick Atkinson got the start and pitched a respectable 4 and ⅓ innings, where he gave up two earned on three hits. Connor Kinney relieved the next 2 and ⅓ innings, holding the Crawdads to only one run, striking out three in the process. Avery Thau got the win, where he pitched the next 1 and ⅓ innings and gave up only one.

The win did not affect Sonoma’s placement in the standings but since the San Luis Obispo Blues won again, it was much needed for the Stomps. It also moves Walnut Creek closer to Sonoma in the standings, as the Stompers sit 4.5 games back now. The Stomps will begin the last week of games on Tuesday with an away matchup against the San Francisco Seagulls in San Bruno. The live radio broadcast will be up so make sure to tune in at 6:05! That can be found at the following link: https://sonoma-stompers.mixlr.com/.

Sonoma Lose To Walnut Creek, Fall to Third In CCL North

By Stompers Staff

A quiet offensive day characterized the 4-0 loss for the Sonoma Stompers this Saturday night against the Walnut Creek Crawdads. With players leaving the team to prepare for their upcoming collegiate seasons, the Sonoma lineup has featured some new faces. The new energy was not enough tonight though, as the Stompers only manufactured four hits.

Stomper's pitching was solid today however, giving up only one earned run. This came from starter Jake Tirk, who despite giving up five walks contained the damage to only one in his three innings of work. Jake Verwil gave up the three other runs, but because of Sonoma’s defensive errors, all three were unearned. The rest of the bullpen tonight, Brent Mallet, Zachary Boorman and Chris Albee held the Crawdads hitless.

No run support came to the pitching staff however. The only bright spot was newcomer but familiar face around Sonoma, Max Handron going 2 for 3 and walking once. He will be a crucial contributor if he stays with the team into a hopeful playoff run. Handron has played in Sonoma his whole life, attending Sonoma Valley High School and recently finished his last year at the college level, playing infield for the Cal Berkeley Golden Bears. Luke Rossi and Jack Vanoncini added the other hits for Sonoma.

The loss moves the Stomps to 15-14 in CCL play, which results in a third place position, 0.5 games back of the San Luis Obispo Blues in second and 5.5 back of the first place Crawdads. The top three teams of each division make the postseason, but Sonoma would rather be a one or two seed so they would not have to play in the wild card. With about one more week of regular season games, the Stompers will look to make one final push, looking to secure a second place spot in the division.

This push continues tomorrow, Sunday at Monte Vista High School, where they will face the Crawdads again, this time as the away team. First pitch is set for 4:00 and the live radio broadcast can be found on our Mixlr: https://sonoma-stompers.mixlr.com/. 

Stompers Win in Homerun Filled Thriller

By Stompers Staff

The Sonoma Stompers defeated the Alameda Merchants 8-7 in a Saturday night battle that saw four total home runs, two from each side. After the first four innings, it looked like Sonoma was going to run away with, as they went up 7-0. But two massive innings for the Merchants evened the game going into the seventh inning. A wild pitch in that inning ended up being the decider, when Jack Lazark scored from third base.

The Sonoma offense was electric tonight, namely in the second and third innings. After two singles and a hit by pitch, the Stompers loaded the bases in the second. Jack Scheri stepped up and was hit by a pitch, which scored the first run. With the bases loaded again, Trent Abel stayed hot and hit a two run single.

Then in the third inning, a two out rally spurred by a walk and hit by pitch began. With two runners on, Sonoma native Nick Sebastiani launched a 373 foot home run to left center. After a pitching change, Scheri followed the freshman with another homerun, smacking a ball to left. This gave the Stomps a 7-0 lead.

However, the Merchants quickly jumped back into the game, scoring two runs in the fifth and five in the sixth. In the sixth, Alameda launched two homeruns over the right field fence. So it was tied when the Stompers were able to move Lazark to third. He then easily walked home after a wild pitch from the Merchants hurler. This ended up being the winning run, as Shawn McBroom and Mick Kelley mowed down the Alameda lineup. These two relievers gave up no hits and struck out three combined to silence the visitors. McBroom got the win, Kelley the save.

Sebastiani had two hits on the night, and he walked once and got hit by a pitch, getting one base in each of his plate appearances. He also had three RBIs and scored twice. Abel had a huge three hit night, knocking in two runs. Scheri added the two other RBIs. Alijah Ramos also added a hit tonight, extending his on base streak to a mind boggling 26 games. Catcher Jack Vanoncini also had a hit tonight.

The Stomps look to keep up the high energy from tonight’s game with another crucial matchup with division leaders, the Walnut Creek Crawdads. This is an away game, set for 4:00 first pitch. You can follow only with our radio broadcast, which will be on Mixlr: https://sonoma-stompers.mixlr.com/.

Stompers Leave Fifteen On Base in Loss to Crawdads

By Stompers Staff

The Sonoma Stompers fought hard in a Friday bout with the Walnut Creek Crawdads but fell 6-4. The Stompers played solid, but timely hits by the opposition and a struggle to get runners on base home was the story tonight. Manager Zack Pace complemented the Crawdad pitching, who got out of frequent tough spots after allowing Sonoma runners on base. Pace said “We just weren’t able to come through, and sometimes that happens, but we did do a good job getting on.”

Tyler Looney started and got the loss for Sonoma tonight, throwing three innings, where he gave up four hits and three runs, but only one earned run. Errors in the field were the reason there. Some wild pitches from Stompers pitchers and two solo homeruns for the Crawdads distanced them from Sonoma in the middle innings. But, the offense did not back down, piecing together two runs in the sixth and one in the ninth to bring it to a two run game. However, some hard hit balls found Crawdad gloves and the game ended 6-4.

Paul Contreras led the way offensively, with two hits and two walks, constantly on base for Sonoma. He had an RBI single in the sixth that scored the second run. Trent Abel was also a frequent visitor to the base paths, with an RBI single in the first and three walks. Incoming freshman Nick Sebastiani added a hit and walk as well. Omar Gastelum also added a pinch hit single in the ninth.

This unfortunate loss distances the Stomps from first place a little more, now four and a half games back of the Crawdads. Luckily, there are many conference games left, four of which are against the Crawdads, so there is a lot of opportunity ahead of them. Sonoma will return to Arnold Field for a Saturday night game against the Alameda Merchants. First pitch is set for 6:05 so come and support or follow along with our YouTube broadcast!

Ninth Inning Woes Result in Loss to Seagulls

By Stompers Staff

In a tight Thursday night game, the Sonoma Stompers lost 7-5 to the San Francisco Seagulls after a two run ninth from the visitors. The Stomps came out of the gate hot, scoring two in each of the first two innings, but they weren’t able to keep the momentum, as the Seagulls tied it up in the third inning and Sonoma never regained the lead. The Stomper offense hit the ball well, scoring five runs via seven hits, but too little containment hurt their chances.

Destin Allen-Fox started and had a down night in his three innings of work. After good pitching relatively kept the Seagulls offense quiet after Allen-Fox, it was a tie game into the ninth. But, two walks and a couple of timely hits allowed the Seagulls to score two, giving Ross Goldschlang the loss. In the bottom of the ninth, Cuyler Zukowski got things started with a single, but the next two Sonoma batters were fanned and then the third grounded out to shortstop to end the game.

Six Sonoma batters had hits tonight, two coming from ever consistent Jack Lazark, allowing him to score once. Trent Abel had a first inning hit that scored the first two runs. Paul Contreras added a two run single in the second. In the seventh inning, Tyler Holley singled and scored Contreras to tie the game. Justice Brinson and Cuyler Zukowski also had base knocks on the night.

Sonoma still sits in second in the CCL North, still looking up at the Walnut Creek Crawdads. They face said Crawdads in another home matchup tomorrow, Thursday the 12th at 6:05. Come out and support or tune in the broadcast on our YouTube!

Sonoma Survive a Legends Comeback, Contreras and Holley Lead the Way

By Stompers Staff

The Sonoma Stompers traveled to the College of San Mateo and got back in the win column against the Menlo Park Legends, with a 5-4 win. A two out ninth inning surge by the Legends almost made a comeback possible but Stomper closer Avery Thau was able to get out of it with a big strikeout. Sonoma had five hits on the night, all coming from Paul Contreras and Tyler Holley.

The Stompers started the scoring in the third inning. Jack Scheri led off and was hit by a pitch, which resulted in Nick Sebastiani coming in as a pinch runner. After Contreras singled and Alijah Ramos moved the runners over, Holley stepped up and singled to right, scoring both Sebastiani and Contreras. The Legends responded in the bottom half of the inning though, with their second baseman hitting a solo homerun. Menlo Park then tied it in the fourth inning with a RBI double.

Sonoma had a strong last four innings however, where they scored in the sixth, seventh and ninth. A hit by pitch, walk and error loaded the bases for Cuyler Zukowski in the sixth, who ended up getting a pitch that hit him as well, which scored Justice Brinson who was on third. More errors in the seventh allowed Alijah Ramos to find his way to third base. Jack Lazark then did his job as he hit a sacrifice fly, which scored the fourth Sonoma run. In the ninth, Paul Contrares unloaded for a solo homerun, an insurance run that ended up being crucial for the win.

Thau came in for the ninth, and struck out the first two batters. But after two walks, a Legends double scored both, and made it a 5-4 game. Thau rose to the occasion however and struck out the next batter to end the game. He got the save on the night. Evan Sandoval, who relieved starter Brent Mallet, earned the win in 2.1 innings of work, where he struck out four and only gave up one run.

The victory gets Sonoma back on track as the return home for a matchup with the San Francisco Seagulls at Arnold Field. First pitch is set for 6:05, so come out and support the Stomps, while enjoying some Thursday night baseball. The live broadcast will be up on our YouTube as usual!

Stompers’ Streak Snapped After Loss to Merchants

By Stompers Staff

The Sonoma Stompers returned to Arnold Field after a Monday break, losing 5-1 to the Alameda Merchants. Despite outhitting the Merchants nine to seven, Sonoma was only able to manufacture one run from it. The story of tonight revolved around the lack of timely hits and a struggle to get runners home, despite good contact.

Skipper Zack Pace mentioned that his team hit the ball well but needed to get leadoff hitters on, so those hits could move runners around and in. The one run that Sonoma did score occurred when this happened, where Jack Scheri doubled to begin the seventh. He advanced to third on a passed ball and then Alijah Ramos singled to drive him home. This is an example of Pace’s statement, by getting leadoff hitters on, good things can happen.

On the defensive side of the ball, Jake Tirk got the start, where in four innings he struck out four, allowing only one hit and one run. Walks were the reason for Tirk’s run to cross, yet he handled the jam well, and was able to limit the damage. Four different Stompers pitched the rest of the game, and gave up six hits and four runs. Tirk received the loss on the night.

Scheri was the only run on the night but several Stompers hit well tonight. Tyler Holley went 3 for 4 on the night, improving his average to .261. Jack Lazark continued his hitting prowess with two opposite field singles. Trent Abel also added two hits. As mentioned, Scheri and Ramos also had base knocks.

The Stompers now travel to College of San Mateo where they will face CCL opponent, the Menlo Park Legends. They will look to turn it around before another five matchups with CCL foes, starting with the Legends. First pitch is set for 5:00 so make sure to tune in to our radio broadcast, which will be up on our Mixlr: https://sonoma-stompers.mixlr.com/.

Eighth Inning Surge Wins it for Stompers

By Stompers Staff

Another pitcher’s duel played out at Arnold Field Sunday night, when the Sonoma Stompers beat the visiting Petaluma Athletic Edge 1-0. Sonoma pitching shut out the visitors on absolute dominant performance from Nik Kamages (5 IP), Wyatt Rolan (1 IP), Conner Kinney (1 IP) and Patrick Atkinson (1 IP). However, Sonoma bats were silenced until the eighth inning, but the one run scored in that inning was enough.

The Stompers were only able to squeak through three hits through seven innings, one coming from Ben Giovanneti and one from Paul Contrares. But when Rudy Gonzalez stepped to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning, everything changed. Gonzalez came out swinging and lined the first pitch into right field for a single. Then, first baseman Jack Vanoncini laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Gonzalez over to second. This brought up catcher Justice Brinson, who sent a line drive into the outfield to easily score Gonzalez and bring home the winning run.

Brinson said this was the exact plan, Gonzalez getting on, Vanoncini bunting him over and then it was his job to hit him home. After being quiet for seven previous innings, the catcher said the approach was “picking out one pitch” from the Athletic Edge pitcher and “[hitting] it hard.” He did such, propelling Sonoma to a victory. 

Manager Zack Pace commented on this rally to score the winning run, complementing the approach for those three batters and noting that it took awhile to figure out the pitcher but his guys got it done.

On the defensive side, everything continues to click, as the Athletic Edge only had four hits and struck out nine times. Nik Kamages started it off, throwing the majority with five innings of six strikeouts, three hits and no runs. Wyatt Rolan came in and pitched a shutout sixth inning. Then, Conner Kinney kept it going, silencing the Athletic Edge with a strikeout, earning the win. Patrick Atkinson closed it out, getting the save by striking out two.

The fifth straight win will lead Sonoma into a much needed off day. They will be back in action Tuesday, against CCL opponent Alameda Merchants. This will be another home game, with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 at Arnold Field. Make sure to come out and support! If you’re unable to make it, please check out the broadcast that we have for all games! This is on our YouTube page. Go Stomps!

Nail Biting, Low Scoring Affair Ends in Stompers Victory

By Stompers Staff

The Sonoma Stompers secured a fourth straight win after beating the Menlo Park Legends in a pitching duel, 2-1. A bloop single, an error, and electric pitching was the difference as the Sonoma defense held the Legends to only four hits, and only one run. Manager Zack Pace talked about what has been going well for the Stomps, noting “really good defense, pitchers are filling up the zone, getting a lot of outs, and hitters are doing a good job getting our quality at bats.” Despite only scoring two tonight, Sonoma was working counts and hitting the ball hard all around the field, but most of them were finding Menlo Park gloves.

Hawk Hill started tonight and continued his consistency, striking out two, walking two, giving up one hit and only one run. His ERA moves to 0.60 in conference play. After Brent Mallet and Riley Phelan relieved Hill, shutting out the Legends, Shawn McBroom came in for the seventh and eighth innings. He had two strong innings, striking out two, allowing only one hit and silencing the Legends in his winning performance. 

Then, up one in the top of ninth, Yale product Mick Kelley came in to close. After getting the first two batters out, two runners were able to get on via hits, setting up first and third for Kody Watanbe. Kelley said that going into the last hitter “I knew I had to pound the zone, I’d be getting behind in counts early…just looking to attack the zone.” Kelley beared down and struck out Watanbe to win the game, earning the save and giving a salute to the crowd. When asked about it he said there was no origin behind the salute but he “was just fired up to be out there and it was the first thing that came to mind, you know, just went with the flow.” Sonoma pitching has been going with the flow quite well recently, pitching another one run game.

While the Stompers offense had six hits, they had a lot of good contact at the plate. Namely, Jack Scheri had several hard line drives into the outfield that took unlucky paths right towards Legends fielders. Jack Lazark continues to have a presence in the batter’s box, going 2 for 4 on the night, and scoring in the fifth off of Trent Abel’s bloop RBI single. Lazark commented on his hitting approach recently saying, “I’m just trying to simplify things, having that yes yes mentality.” Abel also had a two hit game, having the only RBI for Sonoma. Scheri and AJ Carter added the two other hits for Sonoma.

The second run for Sonoma came off of Scheri’s hit, where he grounded a ball between the first and second baseman. The first baseman fielded and attempted to throw Luke Rossi out at third after he took a turn. But, the ball sailed over the head of the third baseman and Rossi easily scored, bringing in the game winning run.

This marks a four game winning streak in CCL play for the Stomps, keeping their second place spot for the moment. Sonoma has another home game tomorrow, for the last of their six straight. They play the Petaluma Athletic Edge in a non-conference game at 6:05 from Arnold Field. Come out and support or catch the broadcast on our YouTube channel!

Sonoma Pitching Outshines Crawdads in Third Straight Win

By Stompers Staff

Another solid performance for the Sonoma Stompers resulted in a 4-1 win against the division leading Walnut Creek Crawdads. Manager Zack Pace used a lot of his arsenal tonight, pitching six different players. Three of these were Modesto JC products, starter Tyler Looney, and relievers Jason DeShon and Brady Carvalho. Their strong showing combined with Crawdad pitching to be the difference, as frequent wild pitches helped Sonoma runners get on and get in.

DeShon earned the win in his two innings of work, striking out one, and giving up only two hits. Looney had a shutout start, with three strikeouts, six hits, no walks in four innings pitched. Carvalho and player-coach Ross Goldschalg also had shutout appearances tonight for Sonoma. Avery Thau closed for the Stomps and earned the save, with three Crawdad batters going down 1-2-3, all on strikeouts from Thau. 

Carson Jasa received the loss, giving up four earned runs in his 4.1 innings pitched, walking two, giving up four hits and having a whopping nine wild pitches. The University of Nebraska sophomore hit Sonoma hitters Alijah Ramos and Tyler Holley in the fifth, which were followed by several wild pitches that allowed three insurance runs to cross for Sonoma, a crucial moment in this game. Conversely, Stomper pitching was solid all night and the past three games, only giving up one run per game in these. This has helped bring about the three game winning streak.

While the Sonoma offense was aided by Jasa’s control issues, Ramos and lefty designated hitter AJ Carter still had RBIs on the night. Jack Scheri had a two hit night as well, scoring once. Rudy Gonzalez and Jack Lazark also added hits for Sonoma. Lazark also had a huge pick at first base to get a double play after a Crawdad runner was attempting to tag up. The throw came from right fielder Cuyler Zukowski, and was crucial in preventing a run and bringing some momentum to the bench.

The Stomps look to keep it rolling with another home matchup, this time against the Menlo Park Legends. First pitch is at 7:05pm, so make sure to come and bring some Saturday night energy! However, the game will be streamed if you’re unable to make it, which will be up on our YouTube as always. Go Stompers!

Stompers Defense Hold Seagulls to Only One, Win on the Fourth

By Stompers Staff

The Sonoma Stompers defeated the San Francisco Seagulls in a 4-1 affair, off the back of strong pitching that continues to excel. After celebrating Independence Day in the parade, the Stompers made their way to Arnold, where they took care of business on the field. Even after, fans and players stayed and watched the Sonoma firework show, capping off the win.

Destin Allen-Fox started it for Sonoma, throwing 4.2 innings, striking out eight and allowing no runs. Dylan Goff relieved Allen-Fox in the fifth, getting the final out in that inning and then continuing for 3 more, putting together an outing of six strikeouts, and one run on a solo home run from the Seagulls. Goff got the win on the night. The other Dylan, Dylan Burke, earned the save by closing it out in the ninth, resulting in zero runs.

Offensively, Alijah Ramos and Jack Lazark led the way once again with 2 hits respectively. Ramos scored twice while Lazark had two RBIs on the night. Luke Rossi also added an RBI double to start the scoring in the fourth, and he scored twice after his hit and walk later in the game. Tyler Holley and Culyer Zukowski singled as well for the Stompers, totaling the seven hits for the game

The win moves the Stompers to 10-9 in CCL play, and because of a Menlo Park loss, puts the Stomps in third place in the CCL North. They sit with the same record as the San Luis Obispo Blues, but the tiebreaker goes to the Blues. However, Sonoma is set up well for a chance at CCL playoffs, as the top three teams from each division advance. 

Sonoma looks to keep it going tomorrow with another home matchup against the Walnut Creek Crawdad. First pitch is set for the later time of 7:05 pm and if you’re unable to make it, our broadcast will be up on YouTube as usual! Come support!

Domination From Thornton Fuels Huge Win for Sonoma

By Stompers Staff

The Sonoma Stompers starter Bryant Thornton’s dominant six innings and home runs from Paul Contreras and Luke Rossi led the way in a massive 16-1 win against the Menlo Park Legends. Sonoma manager Zack Pace discussed Thorton’s performance saying it was “outstanding,” noting his ability to get early strikes in at bats, keeping the ball low in the zone, and getting outs for the Stomps. He threw six innings, striking out eight, allowing only three hits and one run, earning the win in the process. Chris Albee and Garrett James came in and continued the silencing of the Legends in their innings, striking out four combined and allowing no runs.

On the offensive side, twelve hits, fifteen walks, and four hit by pitches was the story. Just like the previous game against the Legends, Stompers batters simply were able to work their way on base. There were some big hits in this however, as Paul Contreras launched a homerun to left in the first innings, contributing two of the six runs that inning. Luke Rossi also hit one out in the eighth, knocking in three runs to add to the blow out.

Alijah Ramos and Jack Lazark stayed solid for Sonoma as well, both having two hits on the night. Ramos scored twice and had two RBIs. Jack Vanoncini with two RBIs, and Tyler Holley, Justice Brinson and Nick Sebastiani all with one rounded out the runs batted in for the Stompers. This marks another good day at the plate for the offense, something that is crucial to continue these next couple games.

The Stompers are lucky enough to have a game tomorrow on the fourth of July, so come celebrate America’s birth with America’s pastime! First pitch is scheduled for an earlier 5:10 pm time so everyone can watch the famous Sonoma fireworks after the game. Any ticket holder for tomorrow’s game will be invited to sit in the outfield and watch the show after the game! So come support and wear your red, white and blue!

Duel With Crawdads Ends in Loss for Stompers

By Stompers Staff

In a tightly contested 3-2 ball game, the Sonoma Stompers fell to the CCL leading Walnut Creek Crawdads. An even matchup throughout, the game started with one run for both teams in the first. Sonoma scored via newcomer Mike O’Hara hitting a bloop single that scored lead off hitter Jack Scheri. In the second, the Stompers took the lead with a Jack Lazark opposite field home run, hitting the top of the fence right over the 345 sign at Arnold. The Crawdads scoring two in the fifth proved to be enough though, as the bats went quiet with runners on for Sonoma and the game ended 3-2.

Manager Zack Pace commented on the inability to get runners home when in scoring position, “You kind of need to bear down…sometimes pitchers will pitch you differently, might go in a little more, or have more spin. So, you need to be aware of what you might get and be on time to that pitch.” Despite scoring two however, the bats continue to look solid, with Sonoma hitters working favorable counts and having good contact. It just simply needs to be applied to at bats with runners in scoring position.

Good pitching all around unfortunately resulted in a loss for another Stomper newcomer, Zach Boorman. He had a solid 1.2 innings however, letting one score with three strikeouts on the day. Crawdad's reliever Rohan Lettow got the win in his strong 1.2 innings allowing one hit and three strikeouts. Drew Augiar got the save for Walnut Creek after his relief in the seventh, eighth and ninth.

On the offensive side, Scheri did his job at leadoff, with two hits. Lazark’s impressive home run was his first of the year and was his one hit of the night. O’Hara, Paul Contrares and Alijah Ramos added the three other hits.

The Stompers continue their stretch of home conference games tomorrow against the Menlo Park Legends. Because of the anticipated heat, first pitch is set for 7:05 pm. If you’re unable to come support, our broadcast will be up as always, which can be found on our YouTube. Go Stomps and make sure to stay cool!