Stompers drop an extra-inning heartbreaker to Novato Knicks

Story written by Stompers intern Hudson Stipp

In a Thursday night non-league matchup between the Sonoma Stompers and the Novato Knicks, it was the visitors taking home a 9-7 win in 10 innings. It was the second straight extra-inning defeat for the Stompers. 

The Stompers came out hot, scoring two in the bottom of the first off of two Knick errors. Davis Cop and Alex Gouveia came in to score off those errors to make it 2-0 Stompers. 

The Stompers starter Garett James continued his momentum from his last start, pitching three shutout innings to start the contest. 

More offensive firepower came in the bottom of the third as the Stompers scored two more coming off of an Alex Leopard RBI single, and a bases loaded double play brought the second run of the inning to come in. 

The Knicks started their comeback in the top of the fourth with a Braden Holliday Sac Fly bringing across their first run of the game. The Stompers answered in the following inning with an RBI single from Josh Medina. 

The Knicks would continue their comeback scoring two in the top of the sixth behind two run scoring singles from Damone Hale and Anthony Pomilia.

Coming into the top of the eighth down 5-3, another RBI from Pomilia and good base running from Desmond Gates tied the game at five a piece. The Knicks would take their first lead of the game in the top of the ninth off of a wild pitch

Down to their final three outs Rees Kent came up big, bringing home the tying run on a Sac Fly to force extra innings. 

The Knicks stayed determined however, taking the lead back on a bases loaded walk. Riley Cronin came up with the biggest hit of the night, as his 2-run single extended their lead to three. 

The Stompers battled hard in the bottom of the tenth but could only come up with one run, falling to the Knicks in an extra innings 9-7 thriller. 
The Stompers next game will be tonight at home against the Lincoln Potters as they try to bounce back after last night’s loss. It is Bark in the Park Night with first pitch at 6:05pm. Get your tickets here.

Stompers pick up third victory in four games with 5-0 win over Legends

The Stompers picked up another win Sunday Night on Tree Fort night, defeating the Menlo Park Legends 5-0 for their third shutout victory of the season.

After allowing the first two runners to reach base, starting pitcher Jack Cazin dominated going four innings allowing just one hit, no runs and struck out five batters over four innings of work.

The Stompers broke through in the second inning. Jack Gallagher led off the frame with a double. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Mikey Bell brought him home on an RBI groundout to give the home team a 1-0 lead.

Cameron Jowaiszas brought home a second run in the third inning on a sacrifice fly.

Productive outs were the theme of the night, as Bell nearly missed a three-run home run, but settled for a sacrifice fly to push the Stomper lead to 3-0. Connor Blough extended the lead with an RBI single, scoring Gallagher to make it 4-0.

WHAT A PLAY CAM! @Cjowaiszas @ccl_baseball

Stompers 5 | Legends 0 - Top 6th

📺 https://t.co/2ia8LnUgHK pic.twitter.com/zBIlw2lNJJ

— Sonoma Stompers (@SonomaStompers) July 25, 2022

A third and final sacrifice fly from Nick Mueller scored Alex Leopard to put the final run on the scoreboard for the Stompers.

Zach Garcia came on and threw three scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit, striking out two and walking one.

Brady Routon got the final six outs, walking two batters and striking out two to secure the win for Sonoma.

It's not Sunday, it's Dubday pic.twitter.com/nqtKx4ErQ4

— Sonoma Stompers (@SonomaStompers) July 25, 2022

The Legends came to town twice and never scored a run, losing 4-0 on Thursday and 5-0 on Sunday.

The Stompers begin the final week of play Wednesday, when they head to Danville to take on the Walnut Creek Crawdads at 4:00pm on the Sonoma Stomper Radio Network. The final three home games will take place Thursday-Saturday, all at 6:05pm on Sonoma TV Channel 27 and the Sonoma Stompers YouTube page. The final two games of the season will be Sunday at Noon in Danville versus the Crawdads, and Monday, August 1st at 5:00pm, both of which can be heard on the Sonoma Stomper Radio Network.

Fans can purchase tickets for the final homestand of the season here.

Stompers drop game to Prune Packers, 7-2

Story written by Stompers intern Hudson Stipp

On a Saturday night in Healdsburg the Sonoma Stompers faced off against the Healdsburg Prune Packers, in a late season CCL North matchup. The Packers came out on top, 7-2 in front of a packed house at Recreation Park.

The Prune Packers came out firing as they put up one in the first, one in the second, two in the third, and two in the fourth. These runs came from big hits thanks to a Jake Holcroft triple, a Joe Brown home run, and a Jared Sundstrom two run home run. 

Runs for the Packers also came across because of their hitters getting ahead in counts and capitalizing. Orlando Leon, the Stompers starter, got roughed up in this one giving up these runs and failing to end innings.

 However the Stompers stayed determined as they only gave up one more run the rest of the game due in large part to the excellent relief pitching of Hawk Hill. He came into a tough situation and gave the Stompers 3.2 scoreless innings.

 In addition, the Stompers added some sparks on offense with a Mikey Bell home run in the top of the fifth and great vision and discipline from Stomper batters to scratch across a second run. The Stompers did a good job of running up the Packer pitcher’s pitch counts which sent them out of the game early. 

However defensive play hurt the Stompers as their three errors were a major part in their struggles, and led to the Packers gaining a 7-2 lead and never looking back.

After the loss, the Stompers look to bounce back tomorrow in a home contest against the Menlo Park Legends, as the regular season winds down with only seven contests left to go.

Stompers pick up second win in a row, 2-1 over Lincoln Potters

Story written by Stompers intern Brett Ghisletta

Strong Stomper pitching helped lead them to a 2-1 victory against the Lincoln Potters Friday night.

Noah Larkin started the game on the mound and did not disappoint. He pitched six full innings and did not allow a single run, while only giving up three hits. Daniel Smith relieved Larkin and finished the game allowing just one run. 

Both teams’ offenses started the game off cold, as the first inning saw no players reach base for either team. Potters starting pitcher Craig Schmich gave his ballclub six innings of solid work, allowing just one run while striking out seven batters.

Trey Furrey recorded the first hit of the game in the top of the second, but no damage was done as Stompers catcher Colton Lomanto easily threw him out attempting to steal. Lomanto then reached base in the bottom half, but runner interference and a pair of strikeouts led to another dry offensive inning.

In the bottom half of the fifth inning, Josh Medina roped a double that scored Tucker McEnroe from first, giving the Stompers a crucial 1-0 lead in a game dominated by pitching and defense.

Larkin retired all three batters in his final inning of play before turning it over to Smith in the seventh. Cole Tremain crushed a two-out homerun out of Arnold Field to tie the game up at 1-1.

The Potters turned it over to Devin Marton for the seventh inning, as he gave up just one hit in the inning. In the bottom half of the eighth, it was Treven Crowley’s turn. He would give up two walks and a single to load the bases with just one out. This would lead to Cameron Jowaiszas grounding into a fielder’s choice but batting in Connor Blough from third, allowing the Stompers to regain a one run lead. 

The Stompers would never lose this lead, as they would go on to win their second game in a row. They are set to face off against the Healdsburg Prune Packers Sunday evening. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:00pm on the Sonoma Stomper Radio Network.

Stomp it off: Stompers walk off the West Coast Kings Sunday night

Story written by Stompers intern Isaac Sullivan

The Stompers continued to play competitive baseball against the West Coast Kings after splitting a double header with the Solano Mudcats Saturday.

Ground Ball hits ambushed Stompers' pitcher Tyler Stout and the defense to start the game. To make matters worse, Stout struggled to find the strike zone. The Kings' entire lineup came to the plate in the inning, producing three singles, a double, and a couple walks. Before the Stompers had a chance to bat, they found themselves down 3-0.

Kings' pitcher Rocco Borelli also had difficulty commanding his pitches. He walked the first two batters in the bottom of the first inning, and that would cost him two runs after Michael Bell's RBI single. The Stompers had cut the deficit to 3-2 after one inning.

The Kings were able to extend their lead in the third inning. Stompers pitcher Garrett James was called to the mound, and his first pitch was crushed to the bleachers. A single and an error allowed another run to score. The Stompers were now down by three runs again; the score was now 5-2.

The Stompers put up a valiant comeback effort in the bottom of the ninth inning, as Nick Mueller led off the frame with a double. Connor Blough's single put runners on the corners, and Joshua Medina, who had pitched the top of the ninth, singled in Mueller. At this point, everyone at Arnold Field felt a walk-off win in the making. 

The Stompers would need consecutive hits as they were down to their last out and still facing a two-run deficit. Bell continued his stellar offensive performance with an RBI single, bringing in Blough, and the Stompers had the tying run at second base. Alex Gouveia, in the biggest moment of the game, drilled an RBI single in his first at-bat of the night. Medina sprinted home to tie the game at five apiece. 

Stomper fans hoped for a game-winning hit, but the patience of Christian Reynolds and Justin Durflinger won the game. Reynolds worked a walk to load the bases, and Durflinger also walked, which forced the winning run in. The Stompers had won 6-5, leaving the many King fans in attendance very disappointed. Stomper fans, however, rejoiced as the team celebrated the walk-off win on the field. 

Along with the thrilling win, the Stompers had something else to cheer for. Stompers' pitcher Jake McCoy made his summer debut. McCoy made his impressive appearance in the eighth inning. He allowed no hits and just one walk in his single inning of work.

The Stompers have the day off tomorrow, and their next game will be back at Arnold Field on Tuesday against the Healdsburg Prune Packers. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:05pm.

Stompers Go 1-1 in the First Doubleheader of the Season

Story written by Stompers intern Ryan Giacomini

Yesterday, the Sonoma Stompers hosted the Solano Mudcats in a doubleheader. The game on Friday was postponed due to lack of umpires. Both games Saturday were seven innings long.

In the first of the two games, the Stompers would come victorious in a 4-2 ball game. The game would get off to a very slow start as neither team would score until the 5th inning.

In the top half, the Mudcats would score one on an error by Sonoma but the Stompers would immediately respond in the bottom half as both Alex Leopard and Cameron Jowaiszas would pick up RBI’s on sacrifice flies.

The scoring didn’t stop there as the Mudcats again scored in the top of the 6th inning to tie the ballgame up. Connor Blough would step into the batter's box with a runner on first and untie the game with one swing of the bat as he sent it high and deep over the right field wall for a two-run home run to give the Stompers the lead and never looked back. 

Orlando Leon was phenomenal on the mound and would receive the win for the game. Tucker McEnroe would also have a great performance going 3-3 with a stolen base.

Game two would also get off to a slow start but in the top half of the third, the Mudcats would get rolling scoring two runs on two Stompers errors. They would hold the Stompers scoreless in the bottom half.

In the fourth inning, the Mudcats would pick it right back up and score two on an RBI single from Tassos Foster but the Stompers would get one of their own in the bottom half of the inning on a Mikey Bell base knock.

Going into the sixth, the Stompers trailed 4-1 and needed some late inning heroics to win the game and yet again, Mikey Bell would answer the call as he would drive in Jowaiszas for the 2nd run of the game for the Stompers. They now trailed by just two going into the seventh inning.

Mudcats first baseman Cole Santanderwould suck all the life out of the Stompers as he’d hit a two run blast on the first pitch of the at bat to give Solano a now 6-2 lead.

The Stompers would try to fight back in the bottom half as they scored one on a Tucker McEnroe single and then they had the tying run at the plate with two outs but would fall short. The Mudcats would take the second game of two with the final score being 6-3.

Today, the Stompers take on the West Coast Kings at Arnold Field as they look to pick up their 11th win of the season. First pitch is slated for 7:05pm.

Stompers pick up a dominant win over Prune Packers, 10-3

Story written by Stompers intern Sam Basich

On Wednesday July 6, coming off of a brutal 9-1 loss on Monday against the Novato Knicks, The Sonoma Stompers (8-17) hosted the CCL powerhouse Healdsburg Prune Packers (18-4).

Zach Garcia the tall, hard-throwing left hander started on the mound for the Stompers, and after giving up one run on a fielder's choice hit by Packer left fielder Blake Burke, he was pretty much flawless. Letting a couple of runners reach base in multiple innings, that would be the sole small flaw along with the one run in Garcia’s night. Garcia was a strikeout machine, striking out seven Prune Packer batters and getting the count in his favor with almost every batter he faced in his 5 inning outing. The Prune Packers entered this game with eight batters hitting over .320, a stat that Garcia clearly shrugged off prior to taking the mound.

Brady Routon would also pitch a fantastic few innings for the Stompers, throwing a one run two innings, getting the Prune Packers to pop out with impeccable pitching placement.

For the Packers, Caden Noah, pitcher from the university of Texas, graced the mound at Arnold Field to begin the ballgame. 

His outing did not share the same characteristics as Garcia, pitching only one-and-two-thirds innings before getting the plug pulled on his night.  The first inning wasn’t bad for Noah, able to escape giving up multiple runs forcing the Stompers to strand two. However the Stompers did tie up the ballgame, on a ground out into a fielder's choice by third baseman Mikey Bell. In the second, Jack Gallagher picked up an RBI, also by way of the fielder's choice, but kept reading as that was far from his only RBI of the night.

Noah Rennard then came on to pitch for the Packers, and that’s when everything started to go right for the Stompers, on the other side of a lopsided game after the rough game just two nights prior. Rennard came on with runners on 2nd and 3rd for Sonoma, bringing designated hitter Davis Cop to the plate. Cop laid down the law, singling to center field and picking up an RBI in the process. The very next batter, Mikey Bell, hit a bloop single down the line, bringing Cop around to score making it a 4-1 ballgame after just three innings of play.

In the fourth, Jack Gallagher was able to pick up right where he left off hitting the ball, scorching a double down the line. This cleared the bases, and replicated the insurance brought the inning before, leaving the score at 7-1 after four.

With Garcia’s dealing being furthered, the Stompers would come up again in the fifth to extend their lead even further. This they were able to do, three straight walks loaded the bases for the hot hitting Alex Gouveia. Gouveia came through in a big way, scoring two on a double to left-center. Two batters later, Connor Charpiot brought in one more on a deep sacrifice fly. So the Stompers lead was up to 10-1, staying that way up until the seventh. 

In the seventh, the Packers tried to put a rally together, only able to come away with one run after a single by CF Jake Holcroft, which was one of his three hits on the evening. A baserunning mistake by pinch hitter Sam Brown would leave the Packers stranding a couple as we headed to the 8th. 

The last run for the Packers and of the ballgame came when the Packers took home plate on a passed ball by Stomper reliever Garret James. Despite the bases being loaded, the Packers would find no way to bring any more across, stranding three more in the 8th. 

Fantastic pitching by Zach Garcia and tactical hitting by Alex Gouveia and Jack Gallagher had the Stompers looking like a completely different team on Wednesday picking up their ninth win of the season..

After playing the Packers tomorrow, this time at their place, Friday, Saturday and Sunday the Stompers are back at Arnold Field for back to back matchups with the Solano Mudcats and a game against the West Coast Kings. 

Stompers fall to Potters Sunday Night

Story written by Stompers intern Sam Basich

Sonoma, CA

Serving as the prequel to our Fourth of July event, Sunday night, the Lincoln Potters (18-11) trekked down to Arnold Field to face the Sonoma Stompers (8-15).

So far this season, the Stompers have matched up decently with the Potters, going 2-3 in their five matchups this far. 

This one looked to be a low scoring pitching battle, as great innings came from both Stomper starter Noah Larkin, striking out 2 in his first inning on the mound and Potter starter Nick Dugan, who was able to do the same to the scorching hot center fielder Alex Leopard as well as Stomper catcher Colton Lomanto. 

In the second inning, the Potters racked up their second double of the game, with Chase Weissenborn hitting a ground rule double over the left-center field wall. Stomper catcher Colton Lomanto would halt the Potter fun, tossing a strike to Mikey Bell at third and catching Weissenborn trying for third on a stolen base. 

Despite holding the Stomper first three to little action in their first at bats, this would not last into their second at bats, with shortstop Alex Goveia bringing right fielder Tucker McEnroe in to score on a hard hit single past the gap between shortstop and third base. This came after a walk by McEnroe and a single by Bell to begin the inning. This left the Potters with a 4-1 lead through three.

The fourth was off to a rough start and stayed that way for the Stomper defense, with Potter 1st baseman JT Waldon starting the inning with a single after doubling in his first at bat. Following a couple more Potter baserunners after a walk and a single, the bases were loaded with one out, putting starter Noah Larkin in a tough spot. Second baseman Garen Canfield silenced Stompers fans, smacking a grand slam over the left center field wall, delivering the Potters a commanding 4-1 lead, one they never looked back from. The Stompers would fail to bring any runs back, digging themselves into a hole entering the fifth inning of play.

Colton Lomanto caught a second Potter base runner stealing for the second out of the top half of the fifth inning. But the ever dangerous Potter 1st baseman JT Waldon would add a triple to his double and single already in the ballgame, getting into scoring position with two out in the inning. After an awful Stomper communication error on a pop fly barely in fair territory, Waldon would come in to score, making the score 5-1 after 5 innings of play. 

The Stompers would fight, with a series of singles in the fifth, only to have their dreams of inching a run closer destroyed by a great play in the form of a double play turned pretty much single handedly by Potter pitcher Nick Dugan, continuing his amazing game. 

The score would stay at 5-1, with both squads unable to find green despite putting the ball in play in the 6th. 

The Potters put the icing on the cake in the 7th, loading the bases with nobody out for the third baseman Trey Furrey. Furrey capitalized on this opportunity, nearly clearing the bases and bringing two more runners in to score and making the score 7-1. But the Potters weren’t done, adding one more in the inning after a ground out into a fielder's choice brought JT Waldon in to score (who also would add their 9th run with an rbi single), extending the Potter lead to 7 runs at 8-1. The Stompers again were unable to answer in the bottom half of the inning.

Finally, in the 8th inning the Stompers would score their second run of the ballgame, as a single to left center by Colton Lomanto brought in Alex Goveia to make the score 9-2 Potters. Looking to keep the rally going, a chopper by Stomper 2nd baseman Josh Medina brought the third run across, as Colton Lomanto came in to score. The ballgame was now 9-3 with runners at the corners and nobody out. Tucker McEnroe was then able to bring the runner at third home, grounding out into a fielder's choice with one out in the inning, bringing the Stompers within 5. The fun would end here though, with Mikey Bell’s groundout concluding the inning. 

9-4 is where the Ballgame would conclude. A four hit night by JT Waldon and stellar pitching by Nick Dugan kept the Potters comfortably in the lead for the greater part of this ballgame.

The Potters take this win back home with them to play tomorrow night  against the Walnut Creek Crawdads at Mcbean Stadium in Lincoln. 

Tune in tonight for a 4th of July Special night at Arnold Field, with fireworks, food and loads of fun as the Stompers look to bounce back in their first matchup of the Summer with the Novato Knicks at 5 pm. 

4th of July celebrations

Monday is 4th of July and we have plenty of activities for you! The Sonoma Stompers and Sonoma Fit will be in the 4th of July parade. The Parade begins at 10am winding its way around the town’s historic Plaza. After the parade, enjoy an old-fashioned festival with food, drink and game booths by Sonoma’s non-profit organizations. All proceeds raised from the festival benefit Sonoma’s nonprofit community.

Then, come watch the Stompers take on the Novato Knicks at 5:10pm at Arnold Field! Purchase your tickets here!

After the Stompers and Knicks do battle, be sure to stick around for postgame fireworks! Bring your blanket so you can watch from the outfield grass!

Stompers play stellar defense and make big-time pitches in win over Mudcats

Story written by Stomper intern Sam Basich

Sonoma, CA

Friday, the Solano Mudcats (8-12) reversed roles after their home loss on Monday, traveling to Arnold field to face the Sonoma Stompers (7-13).

The first runner to reach base for either team was Alejandro Lara, reaching on an error single to give the Mudcats their first base runner. The next batter, catcher Trey Topping, roped a single to right field, placing runners at first and third with two outs. The “beer batter” of the night, Cole Santander, changed the narrative in his first at bat, mashing an RBI single, creating a 1-0 early Mudcat lead.

The Stompers marched right back, however, as center fielder Alex Leopard continued his hit hitting streak with a lead off triple to right center field, turning on the wheels to beat a high relay throw to third. Leopard wasn’t done running, looking like a cheetah as he slid through home plate to nod the game up at one. The Stompers first four were far from done though, as catcher Colton Lomanto’s single would give 1st baseman Jack Gallagher the opportunity to give the Stompers the lead. “Gally” went above and beyond, driving a ball over the left field wall to give the Stompers a first inning 3-1 lead. 

The second inning was one leaving Stompers fans confused on how to feel, as despite giving up one run, they avoided a multitude of hits on great strategic pitching by starter Kyle Dickey. After two base runners for the mudcats to begin the inning,shortstop Alex Goveia made an unbelievable play to save a base hit. A double play would be the result. But the defensive rally would be halted, when center fielder Kenny Decelle pulled a ball down the line to score one Mudcat base runner and leave the bases loaded for catcher Trey Topping. But the Mudcats would strand 3, with Dickey drawing a strikeout to end the inning. The Stompers would go quietly in their half of the third.

The third and fourth innings went by in a flash, with the Stompers and Mudcats stranding one base runner a piece in each of the innings leaving the score at 3-2 as the inning came to a close. 

Kyle Dickey would roll through the 5th inning, striking out two batters and getting help from Mikey Bell in the form of an outstanding play at third base. 

The Stompers failed to add any insurance in the 5th, despite a couple of stolen bases by the on base machine, Alex Leopard. 

The 6th inning had the fans of both teams on their toes, as Kyle Dickey began the inning with two quick outs, however this took a turn for the worse. Back to back singles and a walk loaded the bases for the mudcats, with the dangerous Kenny Decelle stepping up to the plate. Decelle, despite bringing one in to score earlier in the game, would fail to repeat, grounding out to end the inning. The Stompers, again, went quietly in the sixth.

The action resumed in a great way in the seventh with the mudcats striking first. Back to back singles and a walk loaded the bases with nobody out for the Mudcat shortstop Tyler Bossetti. 

Bossetti capitalized in a big way with a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Alejandro Lara from third base. Outstanding relief pitching by Garrett James would keep the game at bay, leaving two Mudcats stranded on the base paths.

After stretching in the middle of the seventh, the Stompers came out loose and ready to rock. Davis Cop singled to right, sending the third baseman Mikey Bell to second with nobody out. One out later, the Stompers would load the bases after Alex Leopard was hit by a pitch. In a strange way to take the lead, the Mudcat pitcher, Collin Madeiros, balked a run across, surrendering the lead to the Stompers, a lead they would never get back. That same at bat, Alex Goveias' pop out into foul territory would end in an RBI, with Davis Cop barely sliding safely into home plate. But the Stompers would add some much needed insurance, taking a 5-3 lead through seven.  

The 8th inning was the last line of offense for the Mudcats, giving it their best shot to tie up or take the lead heading into the final inning of play. The rally began with a lead off double by third baseman Jaden Jones followed by a one out single by Decelle. After an Alejandro Lara walk, the bases were loaded as Brady Routon came on to get out of the jam. After hitting the Mudcat catcher, Trey Topping, Routon got back on track, getting a double play ball that kept the Stomper lead at 5-4. 

This is how the ballgame would end, with both teams going down quietly in the ninth. A big Friday night CCL win for the Stompers, and their second in just five days against the Mudcats, starting to get their number.

Today, July 2nd, the Stompers travel to Monte Vista High School to take on the Walnut Creek Crawdads, a team that has fared well thus far. The Mudcats head home, just for the night, before heading to Lincoln in the morning to play the Potters. 

We’re back here at Arnold Field on Sunday and on Monday for 4th of July fun, so be sure to get your tickets at http://www.stompersbaseball.com/buytickets