June 4, 2019
STOMPERS FALL TUESDAY NIGHT 7-4, PACIFICS CAPITALIZE ON WALKS
SONOMA, Calif- The Sonoma Stompers saw the San Rafael Pacifics for the first time on Tuesday night as wily veteran Nick Barnese took the hill for Stompers Manager Zack Pace who looked good early, but his pitch count led to an early exit.
Barnese had trouble commanding the strike zone early in the first inning, allowing back-to-back walks to open the game. After getting two quick outs, Rayson Romero bobbled a grounder at shortstop off the bat of Jimmy Lunardelli, leading to the Pacifics first run. Taylor Zeutenhorst then smacked and RBI single to left, extending the lead 2-0.
The Stompers bounced back quickly in the bottom half of the first inning with Nick Gotta and Miles Williams delivering back-to-back singles off of San Rafael starter Neil Lang. After getting Chris Kwitzer to strikeout for the first out of the inning, Dondrei Hubbard mashed his third home run in as many games, putting the Stompers ahead 3-2.
Barnese lasted just three innings, allowing only the two runs while striking out seven and walking four on 61 pitches. The high pitch count forced Zack Pace to bring in left-hander Cole Watts.
In the top of the fourth inning, Watts struggled to find the strike zone. He walked three and allowed back-to-back triples to Corey Dempster and Lunardelli, giving San Rafael the lead right back, 6-3.
Watts allowed one more run in the top of the fifth inning. He retired the first two batters of the inning before walking Ermindo Escobar who later scored on a wild pitch, making the score 7-3.
The Stompers added a run in the bottom of the seventh inning on a throwing error by Lunardelli in left field, allowing Gotta to score, but that was all as the Stompers drop their first two of three and are 1-2 to start the season.
The Stompers are back home June 5that 6:05 against the Vallejo Admirals before they go on the road to close out the week.