Despite the struggling bats, the Sonoma Stompers were able to put together a three win, two loss week (2-2 in CCL Play). Games began Tuesday in San Luis Obispo with the second half of the four game series, where the Stomps split with a win and a loss against the Blues. After a Thursday break, Sonoma returned to Arnold Field, winning two close ones. First they beat non-conference opponent, Petaluma Athletic Edge, and then defeated division opponent, the Alameda Merchants. The Stompers finished the weekend with a loss against the Merchants on Sunday.
In the four CCL matchups, the Sonoma offense managed only 9 runs across those games. Alijah Ramos was a bright spot however, having an on base percentage of .533, hitting .400 and scoring twice. Also, Paul Contreras played well in both games against the Merchants, where he had three hits in six at bats, walking twice as well.
Overall, the Stompers hit .176 in these four CCL games, striking out an average of 9 times per game, but drew an average of 6 walks per game, an impressive number. This ability to draw walks, combined with aggressive base running has helped Sonoma get runs across despite the offensive mishaps at the plate.
On the other hand, Stompers’ pitching has been solid in these four games, allowing 14 earned runs, averaging 7.5 strikeouts per game as a team. Hawk Hill pitched twice in this span, both as a starter and reliever. He threw five innings, allowing no runs to cross, while striking out three. He held both the Blues and Merchants to one hit respectively in his two appearances. Destin Allen-Fox also continued his series of strong starts, throwing two innings in his Saturday outing against the Merchants, striking out two, and holding Alameda to no runs.
This pitching will need to continue to be a bright spot in the upcoming week, as Sonoma plays six straight CCL games starting on Tuesday, June 25th. The Stomps will face the Merchants for a final time in the three game series, and then travel to San Francisco to face the familiar foe, the Seagulls. The Stompers are 2-1 against both the Seagulls and Merchants, defeating San Francisco 19-1 and 10-3 in blowout affairs earlier in June. Sonoma sits right above both clubs in CCL North standings, so two wins could distance them in these rankings.
On Thursday and Sunday (June 27th and 30th), the Stomps will then face the Menlo Park Legends, who sit second in the CCL North. These matchups will be meaningful for Sonoma’s goal of making CCL playoffs, as wins would surely move them up in the standings. Sonoma has split their previous two games against the Legends, losing 15-4 and then winning 8-0. In between these Thursday/Sunday games, Sonoma will face non-conference opponent, the Petaluma Leghorns, in a two-game series at Arnold Field.
So, as the Stompers sit 6-6 in conference, the upcoming four CCL games are important to gain momentum as the second half of the season begins. All of them are also away games, as mentioned, so Sonoma has a tough week ahead. But, if pitching can continue their consistency and the Sonoma offense can get things going, the Stompers can come out of the week strong.
Make sure to tune into all the action, as all the away matchups are going to have a live broadcast, which can be found at this link: https://sonoma-stompers.mixlr.com/. The home series against the Leghorns will also be broadcasted on our YouTube! Go Stompers!