Joel Carranza launched a solo home run to center field in the Stompers 8-3 loss to the Admirals Friday.
James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers
Geoff Safford, Media Relations Assistant
The Stompers began the second half in the same place they opened the first half: at Wilson Park in Vallejo. The Stompers were humbled in that affair as Sean Conroy had his worst start of the season, and the Admirals got off to a great start. That would prove to be a mirage in the first half as Sonoma got the better of Vallejo, winning every series that they played against the Admirals. But the Admirals played with a renewed energy in the first game of the second half.
The Admirals had a great night at the plate as a team as they had 12 hits total, and seven Admirals finished with hits in the game and eight reached base at least once. The Admirals jumped on starter Stacy Piagno in the second and third innings as four earned runs came to the plate on her watch. Vallejo’s biggest inning was the third, as they scored four runs in all, as Piagno never got an out in the inning. Vallejo would tack on a few more against Gregory Paulino in relief and beat the Stompers by a final score of 8-3.
Player-manager P.J. Phillips had a fabulous night at the plate for the Admirals as he finished 3 for 3 with two RBIs and a walk. Philips earned his two RBIs with a two-run homer to right field in the four-run third inning. Darian Sandford was the second Admiral that finished with three hits as he went 3 for 5 with a run scored. The speedster also stole two bases on the night.
Starting pitcher Roman Gomez was sensational for the Admirals in his six innings of work. In one stretch that went from the third to the sixth, Gomez retired 11 batters in order. The lone run given up by Gomez was on a solo home run by Joel Carranza in the sixth that broke up the streak of retired batters in a row. Gomez allowed only four hits through six innings pitched and struck out three to earn the victory.
Sonoma’s offense could not consistently put at bats together as no Stomper player finished with more than one hit in the contest. Two hits came on solo homers. The first was hit by Carranza, and another by Mason Morioka in the seventh.
The Stompers (23-17) will look to bounce back in game two of the series against the Admirals (16-24) Saturday evening at Wilson Park. Mike Jackson Jr. is scheduled to take the hill for the Stompers and will look to continue his solid season. Jackson Jr. pitched nine innings of fantastic baseball on Sunday July 10 against the Admirals.
Tickets for upcoming Stompers home games are available on stompersbaseball.com. Stompers gear, and tickets are also available inside The Fan Shop located at 234 West Napa Street in downtown Sonoma. For more information, contact the Stompers front office at info@stompersbaseball.com.