VALLEJO, Calif- The Sonoma Stompers and Vallejo Admirals entered the ballgame the two hottest teams in the league as they battled out a close game until the very end.
The Stompers offense picked up right where it left off to open the ballgame, getting to Vallejo starter Jesse Remington (4-3) early on.
Nick Gotta led off the game with his Pacific Association leading 62nd walk and with 1 out Chris Kwitzer was hit by a pitch. Brent Gillespie made it 12 straight game with an RBI as he split the gap in left-center field for a 2-run double, opening the scoring 2-0. Miles Williams followed with his 12th home run of the season, a 2-run blast to right-center field as the Stompers jumped out in front 4-0.
Konner Arnold (5-4) was in a groove early, striking out the side in the 1st inning, but Vallejo got to him the second time through the order.
With the bases loaded and 1 out in the bottom of the 3rd inning, former Los Angeles Dodger O’Koyae Dickson singled through the left side to bring home a pair and make the score 4-2. Nick Akins Sr reached on a fielder’s choice right before Montrell Marshall smashed a 3-run homer to straight away center, capping off a 5-run inning, giving Vallejo a 5-4 lead.
The Stompers tied the game in the top of the 5th inning when Williams doubled home Kwitzer who scored from 1st base with 2 outs, making it 5-5.
Vallejo grabbed the lead right back in the bottom half of the 5th inning when Gomez scored on a throwing error and Marshall drove home his 4th RBI of the game on an RBI groundout to bring Dickson home, extending the Vallejo lead 7-5.
Rayson Romero brought the Stompers within 1 run with his 3rd homer of the season in the top of the 6th inning, an opposite-field shot to make the score 7-6.
The Admirals scored 2 more times in the bottom of the 7th inning as Marshall drove in his 5th RBI with a single. Chevy Clarke added a sacrifice fly, bringing the score to 9-6.
The Stompers worked the bases loaded with just 1 out against the Vallejo bullpen in the top of the 8th inning but only cashed in 1 run on Matt Hibbert’s RBI groundout, cutting into the lead 9-7.
The Stompers could not mount the comeback, snapping the winning streak at 5 games.
The Stompers are home for 3 straight games, starting Thursday night at 6:05 against the Salina Stockade.