ESPINOSA PICKS UP FIRST WIN BEHIND WILLIAMS’ BIRTHDAY HOMER

(James W. Toy III / Sonoma Stompers)

SONOMA, Calif. – The red-hot Sonoma Stompers once again didn’t let deficits put them down, as they came back from twice to top the Vallejo Admirals 7-5 and help Juan Espinosa pick up his first win of the season.

Making his eighth start of 2018, Espinosa pitched six strong innings, allowing three earned runs on one walk and six strikeouts.

He pitched with a lead almost immediately after Marcus Bradley scored on a wild pitch in the first inning.

Despite Vallejo taking the lead in the top of the fifth, Sonoma countered quickly in the bottom of the frame with two runs to even the score at three. Celebrating his 26th birthday, Miles Williams crushed his team-leading 14th home run of the season to right field, scoring Rayson Romero, who turned 23 Wednesday.

“I’m seeing good pitches, trying to touch the baseball,” Williams said. “It’s contagious when your teammates are constantly taking great AB’s, it helps you with your hitting plan too."

Romero did not record an official at-bat in the game, instead drawing three walks and bringing in a run on a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

“Early on in the game, I was up with nobody on, so I was trying to get my pitch that I could drive,” Romero said. “If it was out of the zone, I was trying to get on base. Later in the game, Kevin [Farley] hit that double, runners on second and third and the first pitch, I could get the job done with it.”

After the birthday boys brought the score back even, the Admirals took another lead in the sixth, a lead the Stompers just as quickly countered, with Kam Stewart driving in Daniel Comstock, then scoring on a wild pitch to put the Stompers ahead again in the bottom half.

Two more insurance runs in the eighth proved helpful as Vallejo scored a run in the ninth that otherwise would have tied the game. Instead, Jacob Cox locked down his 14th save of thee season and the Stompers held on to win 7-5.

With two consecutive sweeps under their belt, Sonoma looks to make it three in a row and increase its five-game win streak with the Pittsburg Diamonds coming to Sonoma Thursday and Friday.

THREE HOME RUNS BACK 10 PATEL K’S AS STOMPERS WIN FOUR IN A ROW

Kevin Farley (13) celebrates with Kenny Meimerstorf (12) after hitting his third home run of the season, a three-run home run in the fourth inning in the Sonoma Stompers game against the Vallejo Admirals, Tuesday, July 17, 2018.  (James W. Toy III / Sonoma Stompers)

SONOMA, Calif. – The Sonoma Stompers rolled right through their off day Monday into Tuesday night against the Vallejo Admirals, crushing three home runs to top the defending league champions 9-7.

With former Oakland Athletics outfielder Eric Byrnes in attendance, Sonoma center fielder Marcus Bradley made a catch reminiscent of many of those Byrnes made with the A’s, going into a leaping dive in left-center field to record an out in the second inning.

The highlight-reel play was an omen of good things to come for the Stompers in all facets of the game.

Neither team recorded a hit in the first three innings, with Sonoma’s Vijay Patel recording five strikeouts and retiring his first 10 batters working into the fourth.

Patel encountered struggles after loading the bases and giving up a grand slam that gave Vallejo a lead, but settled down to retire his next seven batters and eight of following nine.

“I had control of my fastball on both sides of the plate, that was really helpful,” Patel said. “I also had my slider working, so that was helpful to have a little bit of lateral movement. And great defense behind me, great bats behind me too.”

The right-hander pitched into the seventh, striking out 10 Admirals with just three hits allowed over 6.2 innings. Seven of those strikeouts came on the first batter of each of his first seven innings.

“I was really focusing on getting ahead,” he said. “These guys can swing it, so it brings a level of intensity, a level of play. You have to bring your best otherwise these guys are going to bang out.”

Picking up his fifth win of the season, Patel was aided by an offense that helped him recover well from the fourth inning grand slam. The Stompers scored eight runs between the fourth and fifth innings on three home runs and a double.

Miles Williams connected for his 13th long ball of the season in the fourth, a solo shot that led off the frame. Rob DeAngelis and Daniel Comstock doubled back-to-back to bring in another run, then after Kenny Meimerstorf walked, Kevin Farley hit his third home run of the season, giving Sonoma 5-4 advantage.

Kam Stewart launched his sixth homer of the season to left field in the fifth inning, a three run shot that furthered Sonoma’s lead and put the game firmly out of reach for Vallejo.

Kenny Matthews and Jacob Cox combined for 2.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen as Sonoma held on in the ninth to win 9-7 and Cox picked up his 13th save of the year, more than double the number of the next closest pitcher in the Pacific Association.

The Stompers look for a series sweep and their fifth straight win Wednesday against the Admirals, first pitch at 6:05 p.m.

OFFENSE SUPPORTS TOPOOZIAN FOR SWEEP OF CLIPPERS

Rob DeAngelis swings during the Sonoma Stompers game July 15, 2018 in Martinez, Calif. (James W. Toy III / Sonoma Stompers)

MARTINEZ, Calif. – After a lights-out performance from Tyler Sharp Saturday night, the Sonoma Stompers continued to roll Sunday afternoon, topping the Martinez Clippers 6-5 for a series sweep and the team’s third straight victory.

Winners of eight of their last ten, the Stompers tasked Dominic Topoozian with his ninth start of 2018 and like he has all season, Topoozian produced an impressive outing.

The Fresno, California native pitched seven innings, allowing just one run on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts.

“It’s what I’ve been doing all year, getting ahead and throwing with conviction every pitch,” he said. “You still have to compete though. [The Martinez Clippers] have gotten better since I pitched against them Opening Day. They were tough to strike out today, putting the bat on the ball.”

He left runners on base in each of the first four innings, then produced back-to-back 1-2-3 innings to keep his team ahead all afternoon.

Eddie Mora-Loera and Rob DeAngelis were responsible for all six of Sonoma’s runs with Mora-Loera being one of three Stompers with two-hits in the game. Marcus Bradley and Daniel Comstock each had a pair of singles in the game as well.

For Comstock, it was his 20th multi-hit game of the season.

Mora-Loera drove in runs in the second and fourth with doubles and DeAngelis brought home teammates in the fifth and seventh innings. Both Rayson Romero and Bradley scored on a sacrifice fly in the fifth and DeAngelis’ two-out RBI single in the seventh proved to be the difference in the 6-5 game.

Martinez scored four runs in the final two innings to bring the game within one, but Jacob Cox locked down his 12th save of the season in the ninth to hold on for the win.

With the season exactly halfway over, the Stompers will enjoy an off day Monday before a four-game homestand begins Tuesday with the Vallejo Admirals coming to town for two games, followed by the Pittsburg Diamonds. All four games will begin at 6:05 p.m.

Former Oakland Athletic Eric Byrnes will be on hand Tuesday to promote his "Let Them Play Foundation" before he begins a cross-country triathlon.

SHARP STYMIES CLIPPERS FOR FIRST WIN AS STOMPER

Tyler Sharp pitches in the Sonoma Stompers’ game against the Martinez Clippers, July 14, 2018 in Martinez, Calif. (James W. Toy III / Sonoma Stompers)

MARTINEZ, Calif. – In his first outing with the Sonoma Stompers, Tyler Sharp dazzled for eight innings Saturday, pitching into the ninth and picking up his first win in the orange and navy with thee 7-2 victory for Sonoma.

Sharp, released by the Napa Silverados July 3, was signed by the Stompers Saturday morning. Through the first eight innings, the right-hander allowed just one hit while striking out seven, bringing just one Clipper hitter to a three-ball count all game long.

The newester Stomper took a one-hit shutout into the ninth, recording his eighth strikeout of the game for the first out but a pair of singles and errors ended the shutout bid after 8.1 innings.

“Everything worked well today. Curveball, fastball, command was there, changeup command was there,” Sharp said. “I like where we’re going to go and see what the future holds.”

Sonoma scored seven runs over the first eight innings, with the entire lineup contributing. Seven different Stompers recorded hits, with Daniel Comstock and Kevin Farley each getting two.

Kenny Meimerstorf and Kam Stewart began the scoring efforts in the second inning with back-to-back home runs to lead off the inning, their 13th and fifth of the season respectively.

Comstock singled in Rob DeAngelis in the third, then a wild pitch and RBI single from Farley plated two more in the sixth.

The Stompers added a couple of insurance runs in the eighth on four Martinez errors, but the offense was more than enough support.

Brandon Erickson recorded the final out of the game after Sharp was hit by a comebacker with two outs, sealing the Stompers’ 24th win of 2018.

Sonoma and Martinez battle again Sunday, with the second game of the weekend series at 1 p.m.

GIBBONS START AND WILLIAMS OFFENSE SEND STOMPERS TO VICTORY

Miles Williams circles the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the first inning of the Sonoma Stompers game against the San Rafael Pacifics, July 13, 2018. (James W. Toy III / Sonoma Stompers)

BOX SCORE

SONOMA, Calif. – Losers of two in a row, the Sonoma Stompers came out strong against the San Rafael Pacifics Friday night, scoring in the first inning and holding the lead all game long to get back on the right track and win 7-5.

Miles Williams’ offensive tear from the second spot in the batting order proved to be no fluke and he connected for his sixth home run of the week in that position, his 12th of the season in the first inning to put Sonoma up 2-0 with no outs.

Two-out singles from Kenny Meimerstorf and Marcus Bradley added runs in the second and third. Williams drove in two more on a two-out single in the fifth, adding insurance for the Stompers and giving them seven runs in the game.

“I’ve been seeing the ball pretty well, even on the swings that I’m missing,” Williams said. “I’m just trying to keep it as simple as possible.”

Seven runs was enough for the pitching staff, who limited San Rafael to five runs over the night.

Ethan Gibbons delivered yet another quality outing, his fifth in eight starts of seven innings, he struck out six and walked just one Pacific batter.

“The offense an early lead for me and never looked back, that’s key,” Gibbons said. “You can just go out there and do your thing.”

Cole Watts and Jacob Cox finished off the game, with Cox earning his league-leading 11th save of the year.

The Stompers travel to Martinez for a two-game series against the Martinez Clippers before returning to Sonoma for a four-game homestand next week.

STOMPERS FORCE EXTRAS BUT FALL TO PACIFICS 7-5

Kenny Meimerstorf awaits his at-bat in the ninth inning of the Sonoma Stompers game with the San Rafael Pacifics, July 12, 2018. (James W. Toy III / Sonoma Stompers)

BOX SCORE

SONOMA, Calif. –  While they were 4-1 in extra inning games in 2018 entering Thursday, the Sonoma Stompers were unable to walk off Thursday, falling to the San Rafael Pacifics 7-5 in 10 innings.

Once again, Sonoma began the scoring and just like Wednesday, jumped out to a 3-1 lead after five. Kenny Meimerstorf’s sacrifice fly in the first brought in Rob DeAngelis, Kevin Farley connected for a solo home run in the second and DeAngelis singled in Farley in the fourth, but the offense went dormant for the next several innings.

Also in similar fashion to the night before, starter Juan Espinosa cruised through the first five innings before San Rafael’s potent offense took control in the sixth, scoring three runs to take a 4-3 lead.

2.1 innings of scoreless relief from Kenny Mathews bridged the gap to the ninth inning, when after a Ryan Richardson shutdown frame, Kam Stewart’s two-out single scored Daniel Comstock to tie the game at four and force extra innings.

After being quieted by Mathews and Richardson, the Pacifics offense came to life in the 10th, as a bases-loaded double plated three and put the game out of reach for Sonoma.

The Stompers scored one but couldn’t add more to the plate as the fell for the second night in a row.

Sonoma looks to bounce back  Friday against the Pacifics as they host their rivals once more, a 6:05 p.m. first pitch scheduled for Women in Sports Night. Female athletes who come in their uniforms/gear from their youth, travel or school team get a free general admission ticket or $10 off another section.  

SILVERADOS FORCE SERIES SPLIT OVER STOMPERS AFTER BIG INNING

Vijay Patel delivers a pitch in the Stompers’ game against the Napa Silverados, July 11, 2018 (James W. Toy III / Sonoma Stompers)

NAPA, Calif. –  Despite grabbing an early lead, the Sonoma Stompers could not come back from the Napa Silverados’ four-run sixth inning and fell 5-4 Wednesday night.

Vijay Patel started his first game of the season and held Napa to one run over the first five innings, but he struggled after recording two outs in the sixth inning, allowing Napa to take the lead.

Despite scoreless seventh and eighth innings of relief from Ryan Richardson and Cole Watts, the offense could not quite come back enough.

Sonoma started the scoring in the second when Kevin Farley singled in Kenny Meimerstorf and continued in the fifth on Kam Stewart’s two-run home run that stretched the Stompers’ lead to 3-1.

Daniel Comstock’s single in the eighth that scored Rob DeAngelis was enough, as the Stompers fell by one run, ending their five-game winning streak.

Sonoma looks ahead to a two-game series with the first-place San Rafael Pacifics, Thursday and Friday. Both games will start at 6:05 p.m.

EARLY SCORING SENDS STOMPERS TO FIFTH STRAIGHT WIN

Kenny Meimerstorf follows through on his team-leading 12th home run of the season, a two-run shot in the fourth inning on July 10, 2018 (James W. Toy III / Sonoma Stompers)

BOX SCORE

NAPA, Calif. –  The Sonoma Stompers stormed out early Tuesday evening, scoring seven runs over the first four innings to power their way to a 7-5 win over the Napa Silverados.

Playing in Napa for the first time in 2018, the Stompers looked to continue their success against the Silverados this season and did so in the first inning, scoring two runs.

Miles Williams connected for his fifth home run in three days only a few pitches into the ballgame, giving Sonoma a quick 1-0 lead. A Napa error allowed a second run to score when Daniel Baptista singled in Kenny Meimerstorf, putting the Stompers on top 2-0.

The Stompers put three more runs on the board in the third on RBI hits from Meimerstorf and Baptista, extending the Sonoma lead to 5-1.

A two-run home run in the fourth inning off the bat of Meimerstorf extended the lead tot 7-1, a comfortable margin that allowed the Stompers to stay ahead for the remainder of the game.

Dominic Topoozian made his eighth start of the season, going 6.2 innings and striking out nine Silverado hitters while allowing just three runs.

“I felt like I was keeping their hitters off balance,” Topoozian said. “Our team though, they fight every single day. We’ve got some great players on this squad.”

Kenny Mathews relieved Topoozian with 1.1 scoreless innings, including two strikeouts and Jacob Cox entered the game late to record a one-out save, his league-leading 10th save of the season.

Sonoma looks for its sixth-straight victory Wednesday night when they return to Napa for the second game of the midweek series.

WILLIAMS HOMERS TWICE AS FARLEY’S GRAND SLAM IS DIFFERENCE IN STOMPERS VICTORY

Kevin Farley (13) celebrates with Daniel Baptista (44) and Mitchell Ho (20) after hitting a go-ahead grand slam in the 7th inning on Sunday, July 8, 2018 (James W. Toy III / Sonoma Stompers)

BOX SCORE

SONOMA, Calif. –  The Sonoma Stompers claimed their fourth straight victory Sunday afternoon behind three home runs, including a go-ahead grand slam from Kevin Farley that was the difference in the 11-7 ballgame.

Like they did for much of the homestand, the Stompers took an early lead, scoring three runs in the third inning on four hits, ending with a two-RBI double from Daniel Baptista.

Despite Martinez scoring six runs in the fifth, the offense did not waver, responding with two runs in the second to keep within striking distance. After a two-homer game the night before, Miles Williams connected for a two-run homer to make the score 7-5.

Hitting with one out and a runner on second once more in the seventh, Williams connected for his fourth home run in two days, giving him 10 on the season and tying the score at 7-7.

With two outs, Sonoma battled to load the bases for Kevin Farley, who entered the inning 0-3 on the day. The third baseman broke the tie with a big blast to left field for a grand slam, his first of home run of the season and Sonoma’s fourth bases-loaded jack this year.

“I was just trying to be on time for a fastball,” Farley said. “I’ve been having a lot of good at-bats these last few games being in the lineup. I just got a good pitch to hit and got barrel to it.”

Cole Watts, D.J. Sharabi and Ryan Richardson combined for four scoreless innings at the end of the game to hold the game and end the Stompers’ homestand on a high note, an 11-7 victory that improved Sonoma to 21-13.

After a day off Monday, the Stompers head to Napa Tuesday for a two-game set with the Silverados before returning home Thursday and Friday to face San Rafael.

“We have some pretty good guys swinging the bat,” Farley said. “As long as we’re taking good at-bats, we’re scoring runs.”

WILLIAMS CRUSHES TWO HOMERS AS STOMPERS TOP CLIPPERS

Miles Williams (18) celebrates with Daniel Comstock (6) after hitting his second home run of the game in the fifth inning on Saturday, July 7th, 2018. (James W. Toy III / Sonoma Stompers)

Box Score: http://pointstreak.com/baseball/boxscore.html?gameid=464252

SONOMA, Calif. –  The Sonoma Stompers continued their winning ways Saturday night, topping the Martinez Clippers 6-5 for their third straight win.

Ethan Gibbons delivered another stellar outing on the mound, pitching into the eighth inning and striking out seven Clippers while allowing just three runs.

He received early run support when Miles Williams connected for a solo home run in the first. Williams didn’t stop there, hitting another in his third at-bat, his eighth of the season to make the score 5-1.

“It was a battle,” Williams said of the at-bat in which he hit his second home run. “I just put a good swing on that one too, just trying to touch the ball and let everything take care of itself.”

Miles Williams crushed two home runs in the Stompers' 6-5 win over the Martinez Clippers Saturday night and joined broadcaster Nick Badders after the game to discuss his night.

Rayson Romero and Rob DeAngelis delivered back-to-back RBI hits in the second inning, a double and single respectively that plated three runs and put Sonoma in a comfortable position.

Similarly to last night, pitching faltered in the late innings when Kenny Mathews gave up a game-tying grand slam to Martinez third baseman Alan Mocahbee.

But like the night previous, there was no quit in the navy and orange. Two walks and a two-out hit from Mitchell Ho gave the Stompers a 6-5 lead that allowed closer Jacob Cox to enter the game in the ninth and secure the team’s third straight win and his league-leading ninth save of the season.

Sonoma looks ahead to another game with Martinez Sunday afternoon, a 1:05 start in which the Stompers will go for their second straight sweep to wrap up the homestand.