(James W. Toy III / Sonoma Stompers)
BOX SCORE
SONOMA, Calif. – Winners of 10 of their last 12, the Sonoma Stompers bats burst out once again, but their 15 hits only resulted in six runs and they fell to the Pittsburg Diamonds 9-6, snapping the team’s five-game losing streak.
Pittsburg led from the first inning and didn’t give up the lead all night long, adding on four runs of insurance in the ninth that proved to be critical to the Diamonds’ win.
Ethan Gibbons delivered six-inning start, striking out five and allowing just two earned runs. However, the righty walked four and allowed nine hits while taking his first loss as a Stomper.
The bullpen struggled to keep the game close, with four pitchers combining to allow six runs and six walks.
Sonoma scratched across a run in the sixth when Miles Williams led off the inning with a solo shot and added two in the seventh with a two-run homer from Mitchell Ho.
Pittsburg countered with a run after each of those half innings and held a 5-3 lead headed to the ninth.
After the Diamonds’ four-run ninth, Sonoma scratched across four hits, all singles, to bring in three runs and pull the game within two. Despite bringing the tying run on deck, the Stompers could not pull out the victory, falling for the 16th time this season.
The Stompers’ 15 hits tied their single-game team record in 2018, with Williams, Marcus Bradley, Daniel Baptista and Kevin Farley each recording a two-hit performance.
Pittsburg and Sonoma rematch Friday evening as the Stompers wrap up a four-game homestand. Tyler Sharp will make his second start for the Stompers as he tries to follow up his 8.2 inning outing last weekend.