NAPA, Calif- The Sonoma Stompers opened the week on the road in Napa and the offense went silent. The Stompers left almost a dozen runners on base and barely avoided the shutout.
It was a tightly contested ballgame through the first 3 1/12 innings as nobody could push across a run. Napa finally changed that in the bottom of the 4thinning.
Dakota Conners led off the bottom of the 4th inning with a base hit, only the 2nd hit Konner Arnold (5-5) allowed. Willie Salas then laid a bunt down the third base line for a hit. On the play, Chris Kwitzer charged quickly and hit throw to first base went down the right field line. The error allowed Conners to score and Salas to go all the way to third base. With 1 out Nick Ultsch drove in a run with a base hit to extend the Napa lead to 2-0.
Napa extended the lead in the bottom of the 5th inning on a Salas 2-run single, a Josh Montelongo RBI hit, and a Ultsch RBI triple to extend the lead out to 6-0.
The Stompers finally got on the board in the top of the 7th inning. Nick Gotta walked to open the inning and stole second to get into scoring position. Kwitzer walked to put 2 men on and woth 2 outs Gotta scored on a wild pitch to give the Stompers their first and only run of the game, cutting into the lead 6-1.
Napa put 3 more runs on the board in the bottom of the 7th inning on a Montelongo RBI single and a Ultsch 2-run homer as the Stompers fell big, 9-1.
The Stompers are back home Wednesday night at 6:05 against the San Rafael Pacifics in a game where the Stompers can clinch 1stplace and an automatic bid to the Pacific Association Championship Series.