Taylor Thurber went the distance in a nine inning demolition of the Admirals. Thurber allowed 6 hits and struck out six in his nine innings of work in a 14-1 victory for the Stompers.
James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers
Geoff Safford, Media Relations Assistant
Taylor Thurber has pitched behind two spectacular outings by other starting pitchers. Thurber pitched on July 6 after Sean Conroy’s 10-inning complete game, and pitched Sunday the day after a complete game three hitter by Mike Jackson Jr. The sidewinder has been outstanding since being moved into the rotation and much like he did in his other starting outings, he made sure to live up to the expectations set forth by the starter who preceded him.
Thurber gave the Stompers a second straight complete game victory, allowing six hits with six strikeouts in an absolute drubbing of the Vallejo Admirals, 14-1. For the second straight game, a Stompers starter threw under 100 pitches in his complete game, as Thurber threw 97 pitches with an astounding 72 strikes.
In a stretch from the fourth to the eighth, Thurber retired 12 Admirals in a row. Thurber’s quick tempo kept the Admirals at bay as he induced a plethora of ground ball outs. No Admirals hitter reached base more than once in the game, which allowed Sonoma’s offense to exploded in the late innings to back up Thurber as the Stompers rolled to a series victory.
Sonoma’s offense exploded for 12 runs in the last four innings to blow the doors wide open at Wilson Park. Five Stompers hitters finished with multiple hits, and the Stompers had their second largest hit total (15) and run total (14) of the season. The big blow was in the seventh, when Sonoma scored five times, all with two outs.
Vallejo reliever Wilmer Florins walked the bases loaded to start the inning and the Stompers made the Admirals pay. Two runs scored on a single by Daniel Baptista, then Cody Bishop followed later with another two run single to cap off the inning. Vallejo shot themselves in the foot by allowing five walks, with the inning capper coming on a wild pitch.
Derrick Fox, Yuki Yasuda, and Daniel Baptista all finished with three hits for the Stompers. Fox led the team with four runs driven in and finished 3 for 5 with three runs scored. Fox also hit his first homer of the season in the eighth to right on a ball just over the foul pole. The shot lit up the dugout, as Fox's teammates had been waiting all season long for the veteran to put one over the fence. Mark Hurley also got on the board with his third homer of the season in the ninth to put a bow on the offensive clinic.
The Stompers (25-17) will head to Albert Park Tuesday to kick off a three game series against the San Rafael Pacifics (23-19). San Rafael matched the Stompers performance in Vallejo by winning two out of three on the road against the Diamonds to begin the second half. San Rafael was in the race for the first half pennant for the majority of the first half, but a stretch of five straight losses down the stretch sunk their chances. However, San Rafael has won the Pacific Association in the last two seasons, and has been a tough opponent for the Stompers. Sonoma has only gone 3-6 against the Pacifics in the first half.
Tickets for upcoming Stompers home games are available on StompersBaseball.com. On Friday, July 22, history will be made at People’s Home Equity Ballpark at Arnold Field, as two USA Women's National Team members will become the first female battery in the history of professional baseball. Catcher Anna Kimbrell will join pitcher Stacy Piagno to start Sonoma's game against the Pittsburg Diamonds. Tickets for that game are still available. Fan merchandise, and tickets are also available inside The Fan Shop located at 234 West Napa Street in downtown Sonoma. For more information, contact the Stompers at info@stompersbaseball.com.