SONOMA, Calif- The Sonoma Stompers scored double digits for the second game in a row in their 12-2 rout of Salina on Saturday night where they launched 5 home runs.
The Stompers got out to an early lead against Salina starter Ridge Ackerman (1-1) when Brent Gillespie doubled home a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning, scoring Nick Gotta and Dondrei Hubbard to go ahead 2-0 early.
The offense never slowed, and in what is likely his last home game as a Stompers, Hubbard took advantage of the warm night, hitting a 3-run blast to right-center field, taking on to bring the score to 5-0.
Home runs were the theme of the night, after the Stompers improv home run derby the night before. Solo home runs by Miles Williams in the 3rd and Hubbard’s second of the game in the 4th extended the lead to 7-0.
Salina finally cracked the scoreboard in the top of the 5th inning against Stomper starter Vijay Patel (5-1), when Nick Crouse unloaded a solo shot to left-center to out the Stockade on the board 7-1.
Rob DeAngelis joined the party in the bottom of the 5th inning with a solo shot of his own to make it 8-1, while for the first time this year the Stompers scored at least 1 run in each of the first 5 innings.
Salina got one more back in the top of the 6th inning. Cody Bishop doubled with one out and scored on a pair of wild pitches, narrowing the gap to 8-2.
Patel tossed 7 innings while allowing just the 2 runs on 4 hits and he struck out 5.
In the bottom of the 7th inning, a hit-by-pitch to Gillespie and a walk to Williams set up a Jacob Barfield RBI single to left, extending the lead to 9-2. With 2 men on, Bronson Butcher went the other way to right field for his first homer of the season, a 3-run shot, upping the routing to 12-2.
Pat Barnett and Ryan Richardson slammed the door in the 8th and 9th, giving the Stompers their 20th home win, and improving their record to 29-11.
The Stompers are on the road on Sunday afternoon against 2ndplace San Rafael at 1:00pm.