The Sonoma Stompers opened up the 2022 season with a dominant pitching performance defeating the San Francisco Seals 4-1 Thursday night at Arnold Field.
Stomper pitching struck out 15 batters in the process, with great pitching from starting pitcher Dan Smith and relievers Jack Cazin, Christian McInerney and Eric Woodrow.
Smith got the start and ran into trouble early on. A pair of singles gave the Seals a 1-0 lead thanks to an RBI hit from Sam Brewer. That would be all the offense for the Seals.
Seals’ starting pitcher Will Seslar also got into trouble early on. He hit Dakota Duffalo in the head in the bottom of the first, and Max Handron began a 3-4 night with a single to right field.
However, popouts of Davis Cop, Jackson Castillo and Jack Gallagher got him out of the jam.
The Stompers would break through in the fourth. A walk, wild pitch and a groundout moved Gallagher to third. An error by third baseman Derek Sims allowed him to score to tie the game at one.
The offensive approach in the fifth was patience and the Stompers certainly were. Mikey Bell doubled to lead off the frame and two batters later, Handron singled him home. Following a flyout, three straight two-out walks brought home two more Stomper runs to push the lead up to 4-1.
The Stompers would get runners on in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, but were unsuccessful in pushing across a run.
Cazin got the win while Woodrow picked up the save.
The Stompers will host the West Coast Kings tomorrow night at 6:05pm at Arnold Field.