SONOMA, Calif- The Sonoma Stompers scorching hot offense continued to roll on Monday night against the Napa SIlverados, extending their lead in the Pacific Association to 8.5 games over San Rafael.
The Stompers got on the board first against Napa lefty Elvin Liraino (1-1) in the bottom of the 1st inning. Nick Gotta led off with a gap-splitting double to left-center field to get the offense rolling. Gotta moved to third base on a wild pitch with Matt Hibbert at the plate who worked a walk. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch the brought Gotta home to give the Stompers a 1-0 lead. With Jacob Barfield at the plate Hibbert stole 3rd base as the Stompers continued to threaten. Brent Gillespie doubled the lead 2-0 with a groundout to shortstop, driving in his 35th of the season.
Napa got on the board against Nick Barnese (5-1) in the top pf the 2nd inning for the first time. Barnese walked Bethancourt who then scored on a Dakota Conners double to make it a 1-run game 2-1.
The Stompers answered back in the bottom of the 2nd inning when Liriano walked the bases loaded and then walked Gotta to bring Nick Kern home, giving the Stompers a 3-1 lead.
Brent Gillespie led off the bottom of the 3rd inning with a solo home run to left, his 10th of the season, extending the lead 4-1. After a walk to Miles Williams, Liriano was yanked for reliever Devontae Glenn.
With runners at the corners and 1 out, Bronson Butcher reached on an error by Napa’s Bethancourt, driving in a run and making it a 5-1 ballgame.
Jordan Anderson homered in the top of the 4th inning off of Barnese to draw Napa closer, 5-2.
With the bases loaded and 2 outs in the bottom of the 4th inning, Kern was hit by a pitch to drive in another Stomper run, bring in the score to 6-2. Still with 2 outs, Pedro Barrios bounced a 2-run single up the middle, scoring Barfield and Williams, upping the lead 8-2. The big swing in the inning was Butcher’s 3-run homer which he hooked down the left field corner, capping off the 6-run 4th inning and putting the Stompers way out in front 11-2.
In the bottom of the 6th inning Barrios tripled down the right field line, past a diving Justin Byrd and into the corner. With Barrios going into 3rdbase with a head-first slide, Byrd’s throw was way off line, resulting in a little league homerun. It was officially scored as a triple and an error as Barrios extended the lead 12-2.
Napa got one back in the top of the 7th inning on an RBI double by Nick Ultsch, cutting the lead to 12-3.
Gillespie launched his 2nd home run of the game, his first multi-homer game of the season, to deep right field, capping off the Stompers huge offensive night as they went up by 10, 13-3.
Barnese tossed his longest outing of the season Monday night going 7 innings while allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and striking out 7.
Pat Barnett and Ryan Richardson both threw 1-2-3 innings to slam the door, giving the Stompers their 5th straight win.
The Stompers magic number to clinch 1stplace in the Pacific Association is now 8 with 16 games left to play.
The Stompers are on the road Tuesday night in Vallejo. After an off day Wednesday, the Stompers are at home Thursday night at 6:05 against the Salina Stockade.