BIG BATS HELP STOMPERS SWEEP SILVERADOS

The Sonoma Stompers celebrate after outfielder Kenny Meimerstorf hits a walk-off home run to secure the team’s sweep over the Napa Silverados on July 6th, 2018. (James W. Toy III / Sonoma Stompers)

SONOMA, Calif. – With two close losses opening up their homestand, the Sonoma Stompers focused their attention to one of the Pacific Association’s two newest teams, the Napa Silverados and looked to get back into the win column. The Stompers did just that, sweeping the Silverados with 8-6 and 9-8 wins Thursday and Friday.

Thursday’s game began on a high note as colon cancer survivor Casey Thornhill experienced the chance to live out a lifelong dream by pitching in a professional baseball game. Thornhill started the series opener against Napa and despite walking the leadoff hitter, exited the field to thunderous applause from the crowd.

One of Thornhill’s close friends, former San Francisco Giants pitcher Noah Lowry was on hand during the game to sign autographs for fans and support the game’s starting pitcher.

After a back-and-forth beginning, Lowry’s half-inning appearance on the radio broadcast in the bottom of the fourth inning coincided with the game’s turning point, as Rob DeAngelis’ first of two RBI singles with two outs in the game gave Sonoma a 4-3 lead.

“I’m trying to get good pitches to hit always and I’ve been seeing the ball well, so that’s been really helping,” DeAngelis said. “I’m just trying to get a lead for the team.”

Behind a strong combined pitching effort from Brandon Erickson, Vijay Patel, D.J. Sharabi and Jacob Cox, the Stomper offense added insurance in the seventh and eighth innings to hold on and win 8-4.

DeAngelis and Miles Williams both experienced two-hit, multi-RBI days, with Williams crushing his sixth home run of the season in the second inning, at the time giving Sonoma a 2-1 lead. Patel earned his fourth victory of the season win after 3.2 innings of one-run relief.

After the late-inning insurance Thursday, the offense exploded quickly Friday, with the Stompers scoring six runs in the first inning. The first seven hitters reached base in that inning and Kenny Meimerstorf added an early bang when the cleanup hitter connected for his third grand slam of the season to help the game’s cause.

While Napa slowly chipped away, starter Juan Espinosa quietly turned in one of his best starts of the season, throwing seven innings and allowing just five hits and walking one batter.

That walk ended a season streak of 43 straight batters faced without issuing a walk for the right-hander, the second longest such streak in 2018 for Stompers pitchers, trailing only Dominic Topoozian’s 69 earlier this year.

Even though Napa took an 8-6 lead in the top of the eighth, Sonoma capitalized in the bottom half, tying the game on a Napa fielding error.

After D.J. Sharabi pitched a scoreless ninth inning, Meimerstorf prevented his team from heading into extra innings for the sixth time in 2018, instead sending a fly ball deep into the Sonoma night sky for a walk-off solo home run, the Stompers’ fifth walk-off of the year.

Additionally, the shot was Meimerstorf’s second homer of the game, his 11th of the season and second walk-off this year.

“He threw me all fastballs that AB, trying to attack me and I just sat on one and got ahold of it,” Meimerstorf said. “It’s always fun hitting one [home run], when you hit two, it’s even better.”

Entering the weekend red-hot, Sonoma turns their attention to a Martinez Clippers team currently in their best stretch of the season. The Clippers come to town for two, with Saturday’s game being a 6:05 p.m. start and Sunday’s scheduled to begin at 1:05 p.m.

STOMPERS COME CLOSE IN NAIL-BITING JULY 4TH GAME

Fans enjoy the world-famous Sonoma fireworks from the field at Palooza Park at Arnold Field on July 4th, 2018.  (Nicholas Badders / Sonoma Stompers)

SONOMA, Calif. – After a closes loss Tuesday against the San Rafael Pacifics, the Sonoma Stompers looked to rebound against the Vallejo Admirals, but for the second consecutive night, the nail-biting contest concluded in favor of the visitors, with the Admirals pulling out on top 5-4 in front of a season-high crowd of 875 fans.

Dominic Topoozian turned in yet another stellar performance, pitching eight innings for the first time in his career, striking out eight along the way, also a single-game career high.

The Stompers matched Vallejo’s four runs over eight innings, getting the scoring started in the third with Rob DeAngelis’ RBI double, scoring Kevin Farley.

The Admirals countered with three runs in the fifth on a home run and added an insurance run in the eighth but the Stompers, like they have all season long, refused to give in, putting up five hits of their own in the bottom half, giving everyone in the lineup one hit on the day.

Marcus Bradley and Daniel Baptista contributed doubles, while Kenny Meimerstorf and Miles Williams added RBI singles to the cause, sending the game to the ninth tied 4-4.

Vallejo took the lead in the top of the ninth and despite Daniel Comstock’s second hit of the day, the Stompers 10th, Sonoma could not complete the comeback, falling for the second straight night.

Nearly the entire crowd stayed after the game to enjoy Sonoma’s Independence Day fireworks display from the field. Tomorrow, the Stompers welcome the Napa Silverados to town for a two-game series with both Thursday and Friday’s games beginning at 6:05 p.m.

STOMPERS CAN’T COMPLETE TOTAL COMEBACK, FALL TO PACIFICS

Kam Stewart bats in the third inning of the Sonoma Stompers game against the San Rafael Pacifics on Tuesday, July 3rd. (James W. Toy III / Sonoma Stompers)

SONOMA, Calif. – In game one of a six-game homestand, the Sonoma Stompers hoped to come out on top over the San Rafael Pacifics, but the late comeback was not enough as Sonoma fell 9-8.

The offense kicked into motion quickly, scoring five runs in the first two innings, with home runs from Kam Stewart and Daniel Comstock helping extend the Stompers’ lead early.

Patrick Conroy pitched well through the first three innings, but San Rafael chipped away on the Stompers lead, eventually pushing ahead in the fourth inning.

Despite being down four runs after seven innings, Sonoma did not give in, as Robert Maislin delivered two shutout innings to keep his team in the game. That allowed Comstock to bring the Stompers within two runs on his second homer of the day, another two-run shot, this one bringing the score to 9-7.

The Stompers pushed harder in the ninth, loading the bases and then bringing the tying run to third base, but the comeback could not culminate as the Pacifics held on for the victory.

Sonoma welcomes Vallejo into town Wednesday for their Fourth of July game. After the conclusion of the game, fans are invited to stay for the world-famous Sonoma fireworks. First pitch is at 6:05 p.m.

STOMPERS SWEEP DIAMONDS BEHIND STRONG START AND TWO HOME RUNS

(James W. Toy III / Sonoma Stompers)

PITTSBURG, Calif. – Following an extra-inning victory Saturday night over the Pittsburg Diamonds, the Sonoma Stompers looked for their second sweep over the Diamonds in 2018 and executed successfully, topping Pittsburg 7-2

Ethan Gibbons was tasked with facing the Diamonds for the third time in his six starts, having thrown seven innings of two-run baseball his last time facing them. Sunday’s result was similar, as Gibbons went seven innings for the third time this season, striking out five hitters while allowing just two runs.

It took a few innings for the offense to get rolling, but a run-scoring double from Miles Williams and an RBI single from Kevin Farley in the fourth gave Sonoma a 2-1 lead.

While Pittsburg tied the game in the bottom of the fourth, the Stompers put away the game in the fifth when Daniel Comstock and Kenny Meimerstorf crushed back-to-back home runs to bring in three runs and send the score to 5-2.

Two more runs came home on a two-out single from Comstock in the fifth and with Gibbons working effectively on the mound, seven runs wass more than enough for Sonoma to pull out the victory.

“Today I was really mixing my pitches well,” Gibbons said. “It was good to get the win today, end the week 4-2. It was good to get a nine-inning win today and come back strong next week.”

The Stompers kick off a six-game homestand Tuesday night against the San Rafael Pacifics with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m.

STOMPERS SIGN FORMER SEVENTH ROUND DRAFT PICK MATTHEWS

SONOMA, Calif. – The Sonoma Stompers are proud to welcome left-handed pitcher Kenny Matthews to the organization. Matthews is a former seventh round draft pick by the Cleveland Indians and joins the team Sunday.

“It’s exciting, a new chapter in my pro career,” Matthews said. “I can’t wait to go out with the guys and get some wins. This is a great opportunity to stay in pro baseball and get some great competition.”

Selected in 2013, Matthews played three seasons in the Indians organization, reaching Class-A ball in 2014. In 88.2 innings, he struck out 83 batters and earned a 3.25 ERA.

After leaving affiliated baseball, he played with the Winnipeg Goldeyes, where he worked a 2.63 ERA over 41 innings in 2017. That season, he won the American Association championship with Winnipeg.

“We're thrilled to bring Kenny into our organization,” Stompers general manager Brett Creamer said. “He's going to be a key contributor out of the bullpen for us this season. His track record and experience really stood out to us and we're excited to have him.”

Before being selected by Cleveland, Matthews was drafted out of Diamond Bar High School in the 12th round of the 2011 draft by the New York Mets. He instead chose to go to college and went on to play at Cal State Fullerton and Riverside Community College before going pro.

The Stompers play the Pittsburg Diamonds on the road Sunday and return home Tuesday to begin a six-game homestand.

STOMPERS COME BACK AND WIN IN EXTRAS FOR THIRD TIME OF WEEK

(James W. Toy III / Sonoma Stompers)

PITTSBURG, Calif. – After a rough series in Vallejo, the Sonoma Stompers faced off against the Pittsburg Diamonds in the first game of a weekend series and strung together 10 hits en route to the team's third extra-inning win over the week, a 9-6 final over the Diamonds.

The hot hitting continued from Friday, with Rob DeAngelis collecting three hits and Daniel Comstock, Kenny Meimerstorf and Rayson Romero all notching two in the game.

Sonoma and Pittsburg battled back and forth all night long, tying the game up and exchanging the lead multiple times from the beginning.

A single from Comstock and a double from Meimerstorf gave the Stompers a 2-0 first inning lead, but the Diamonds tied the score at two in the bottom of the second. A Comstock sac fly gave Sonoma the lead back in the third but Vallejo tied it up once again in the fourth.

Comstock scored in the top of the sixth, but the Diamonds put together three runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a lead they carried into the ninth.

DeAngelis led off the top of the ninth and crushed a solo home run, the first of his professional career, to tie the game at six runs each and force extra innings.

"I was looking for a good pitch to hit and I got it early," DeAngelis said. "We knew something was brewing, we were excited. Especially with extras."

Playing past the ninth for the fourth time in the last seven days, Sonoma wasted no time jumping out on top, as Meimerstorf scored on a wild pitch and Romero singled in Miles Williams and Kevin Farley to put the Stompers on top 9-6.

After a five-inning outing from Juan Espinosa, in which he allowed just three runs and no walks, D.J. Sharabi delivered four innings of relief, striking out three while also giving up just three runs. Sharabi’s extended performance pathed the way for Jacob Cox to lock down his league-leading eighth save of the day on his 25th birthday.

Now five games about .500, the Stompers prepare for the weekend’s second game against Pittsburg Sunday afternoon where they will go for the sweep.

STOMPERS SWEPT IN VALLEJO DESPITE MULTIPLE COMEBACKS

(James W. Toy III / Sonoma Stompers)

VALLEJO, Calif. – Looking to increase their win streak from three, the Sonoma Stompers faced off against the Vallejo Admirals on the road, but were unable to leave Wilson Park with a win, dropping both games by scores of 11-10 and 17-8.

Thursday’s game saw multiple comebacks from the Stompers and was the team’s fourth extra inning game of the season. Daniel Baptista and Eddie Mora-Loera led the way, each driving in three runs with five hits combined.

The Stompers scored four in the sixth to take a 4-2 lead, then despite Vallejo countering with six runs between the seventh and eighth innings, Sonoma continued to hit, adding on four in the ninth including run-scoring hits from Baptista and Mora-Loera that sent the game to extras.

Two innings of scoreless relief late from Ryan Richardson kept the game close and gave the chance for the Stompers to take the lead in the 10th. A two-RBI double from Mora-Loera did just that, putting Sonoma up 10-8.

The lead did not hold as Vallejo scored two in the bottom of the 10th, then walked off in the 11th to win the game 11-10.

Both the Admirals and Stompers came out swinging early Friday, as the game was tied at six after three innings.

Mora-Loera collected his second straight three-hit game and Miles Williams, Daniel Comstock, Kenny Meimerstorf, Mitchell Ho and Kevin Farley all contributed multi-hit efforts in the 15-hit game.

Ho blasted his fifth home run of the season to open up the scoring in the second and singles from Comstock, Meimerstorf, Williams and Mora-Loera helped plate five runs in the third.

Sonoma added two more in the fourth on back-to-back-to-back doubles from Meimerstorf, Rob DeAngelis and Williams, giving the team 13 hits through the first four innings.

Two more hits in the seventh were the only offense the Stompers could muster as 11 unanswered runs over the final four innings cemented a 17-8 victory for the Admirals.

The Stompers next face the Pittsburg Diamonds for two games in Pittsburg Saturday and Sunday at 5:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. respectively.

Colon Cancer Survivor to fulfill lifelong dream at Stompers game on July 5

Casey Thornhill (left) and his son, Greyson will participate in Colon Cancer Awareness Night on July 5 to benefit the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. The event will also feature former San Francisco Giant Noah Lowry. (Photo courtesy of Casey Thornhill)

SONOMA, Calif.– The Sonoma Stompers Professional Baseball Club will host Colon Cancer Awareness Night on July 5, but that’s not the whole story.

The event was spurred by a message from Elsie Allen High School Assistant Principal Casey Thornhill, a colon cancer survivor. The 40-year-old single father’s lifelong dream was to pitch professionally, and he wanted a chance to play an inning for the Stompers.

“After my college career, I did not get drafted but I did get invited to try out for some independent teams,” Thornhill said. “My first tryout was in Missouri with the O'Fallon Rascals. I was hit by a pitch in my first at bat and broke my wrist. I decided to come back home and finish school at Sonoma State University and let the dream of playing professionally pass me by.”

“After battling cancer and going through chemotherapy, my perspective on life has changed. I don't think we should let dreams pass us by because of things that are out of our control. Life is short. I believe we should take advantage of living and do what we love.”

Thornhill and his Rebl Baseball League teammates embrace during his first game back from surgery. (Photo courtesy of Casey Thornhill)

Thornhill was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer last July and had to undergo an emergency surgery. Two weeks post-op, Thornhill completed the Santa Rosa half-marathon and pitched a complete game in the Rebl Baseball League when on chemotherapy in September.

“I had a lot of time to think about life while I was going through chemo,” Thornhill said. “I wanted to find a way to combine my love of baseball with a fundraiser that would benefit people who need help going through what I've gone through. That’s what inspired me to reach out to the Stompers.”

Thornhill finished chemotherapy in March and is now cancer free.

The July 5 event will benefit the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, which supports the needs of patients and families, caregivers and survivors to raise awareness of preventive screening and fund critical research. Former San Francisco Giant pitcher Noah Lowry will also join the festivities, signing autographs on the concourse and supporting the cause.

The event will also feature raffles with several enticing prizes, including a Mark Melancon signed baseball, a $50 gift card for Maya restaurant on the Plaza and gift baskets from local Sonoma businesses.

Gates open at 5:30 p.m. and tickets are available at the box office or online.

ABOUT THE STOMPERS

Established in 2014, the Stompers have three Pacific Association Championship appearances and one title. In addition to being featured in the National Baseball Hall of Fame several times, the Stompers were the subject of New York Times Bestseller "The Only Rule is it Has To Work" by Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller.

STOMPERS TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION

Our home opener is June 5! To purchase Stompers tickets and to find more information about the team, visit stompersbaseball.com, call us at (707) 938-7277 or send an email to info@stompersbaseball.com.

BACK-TO-BACK WALK-OFFS SEAL SWEEP OVER SILVERADOS

(James W. Toy III / Sonoma Stompers)

SONOMA, Calif. – After walking off Sunday afternoon over Vallejo, the Sonoma Stompers continued the magic against the Napa Silverados Tuesday and Wednesday, winning both games with one swing.

Tuesday’s game saw the Silverados jump out to an early 9-0 lead after just five innings, but Sonoma refused to give in. The Stompers scored seven runs in the sixth on two walks and six hits, including a three-run single from Daniel Comstock that brought the game to just a two-run deficit.

Despite Napa scoring again in the seventh, Sonoma countered with three of their own in the eighth when back-to-back hits from Comstock and Daniel Baptista evened the game at 10.

With the international tiebreaker rule in effect, neither team could score in the 10th and both scored a single run in the 11th to send the game to 12 innings for the first time in 2018 for either squad.

With the bases loaded and one out, Kenny Meimerstorf came to the plate as a pinch-hitter, ending the game in walk-off fashion for the second day in a row, this time on a sacrifice fly.

“That was a team win,” Meimerstorf said. “We came back from behind and we fought to the end. Those feel good.”

Four combined innings of relief from Ryan Richardson and Vijay Patel at the end of the game held Napa to just one unearned run on just one hit and with five strikeouts.

The walk-off magic continued into Wednesday, but with game much calmer than the nearly five hour contest the night prior.

The Stompers scored first, even jumping out to an early 3-0 lead, but the lead shortened as the game went on. Entering the ninth, Sonoma clung to a 4-3 lead, but the Silverados rallied on closer Jacob Cox to tie the game in the top of the inning at four runs each.

Despite two quick outs in the bottom of the inning, the Stompers didn’t give up, as Eddie Mora-Loera walked and advanced to third on an error during a stolen base attempt.

Baptista then came to the plate and sent a single to the opposite field, ending the game and securing Sonoma with its third straight win.

““We never give up,” Baptista said. “We play to the last out. We never give up, we never give in.”

Four innings of shutout relief from Ty’Relle Harris kept Sonoma in the game despite his squad scoring less than the nearly 6.5 runs they averaged a game entering play.

Now, the Stompers head into Vallejo for a two-game series with the Admirals as winners of three in a row, all on walk-offs.

“Momentum is a big thing in this game,” Baptista said. “To get it now going into Vallejo, a tough team, it’s big. It’s huge.”

STOMPERS SIGN FORMER ASTROS FARMHAND WATTS

SONOMA, Calif. – The Sonoma Stompers are proud to welcome left-handed reliever Cole Watts to the organization to the team. Watts spent two seasons in the Houston Astros organization after being drafted in 2017 and will join the team Wednesday night.

“We’re thrilled to bring in Cole. He’s very talented and I know he can help us win ballgames,” Stompers General Manager Brett Creamer said.” His affiliated experience is a bonus, and we want to open another opportunity for Cole to move up.”

In 21 games between Rookie and Class-A baseball, Watts struck out 46 hitters over 39 innings.

“I learned a lot in trying to soak up as much knowledge as I could,” Watts said. “Unfortunately I got released not too long ago, but the Stompers contacting me was perfect timing. I was super stoked to get out here and I jumped on the opportunity.”

A native of Half Moon Bay, California, Sonoma is Watts’ first stop after affiliated ball. Before being drafted by the Astros, he played at Skyline Junior College in San Bruno, California where he sported a 1.90 ERA in 42.2 innings.

Thee Stompers host the Napa Silverados Wednesday at 6:05 p.m.