(James W. Toy III / Sonoma Stompers)
SONOMA, Calif.– After two losses in four days to the San Rafael Pacifics, the Sonoma Stompers rebounded Wednesday night, coming from behind twice to claim a 3-2 victory.
Juan Espinosa started the game for the Stompers and had his best outing of the season, throwing six innings of one-run ball, while giving up just five hits and striking out six.
Once his outing was complete, Stompers manager Zack Pace turned to Robert Maislin, D.J. Sharabi and Jacob Cox to record the final nine outs of the game, totaling three strikeouts.
The Pacifics struck first in the fourth inning, taking a 1-0 lead that held until the bottom of the sixth when Miles Williams crushed his fifth home run of the season to tie the game at one.
San Rafael answered back in the seventh to take a 2-1 lead, but their lead did not last long. With two outs and a runner on, Kam Stewart blasted a home run deep to left field to give the Stompers a 3-2 lead.
For Stewart, it was his third hit of the day and first homer of the season.
“I was looking for a pitch middle in and I gave it a ride,” Stewart said. “After any big blast like that late in the game, that gives your team the lead, it definitely boosts the confidence and the morale of the club, it gives our pitchers more confidence too, knowing they’re going out there with a lead.”
After Sharabi retired San Rafael in the eighth, Cox set down the Pacifics easily in the ninth, en route to his league-leading fourth save of the year.
The Stompers welcome the Martinez Clippers into town next, with a two-game series starting Thursday. First pitch at Palooza Park at Arnold Field will be 6:05 p.m. Thursday and Friday.