Pitching And Defense Come Up Big In 3-2 Win

Matt Hibbert's two-run homer in the second proved to be the game-winning hit in Sonoma's win over Vallejo Friday night.

James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers

Tim Livingston, Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations

For a team as lauded as the Sonoma Stompers are for their offensive prowess, it's nice to see that games like Friday night's matchup with the Vallejo Admirals can happen, as well. The Stompers league-leading offense, which averages 6.91 runs per game, saw their weekend opener with the Admirals dominated by their pitching and their defense instead.

It was a shutout performance by the bullpen and standout performances in the outfield by Matt Hibbert and Brennan Metzger that helped Sonoma to a 3-2 win, but it was apropos that the final play of the game was on a heads-up defensive play by Isaac Wenrich, who backed up a wild throw to first on an infield single by Tim Williams and tagged Williams before he got back to first base after Williams made a motion towards second.

It was the second defensive play of the night where Vallejo's (6-13 2nd half, 19-39 overall) right fielder was front and center. In the seventh, he hit a shot to right-center against Santos Saldivar, but Hibbert tracked it down with a tremendous diving catch going parallel to the ground in the defensive highlight of the year for the Stompers.

Plays like that were what pushed the Stompers forward, as Paul Hvozdovic (6-1) had a quality start to keep the Admirals bats at bay and protect a 3-2 lead. That lead came from a two-run homer by Hibbert in the second against Nick Flory (2-6), his fourth of the season.

Hvozdovic went six innings and allowed only eight baserunners (six hits, two walks) while striking out five and allowing two runs. Only one of those was earned.

With the lead in place heading to the seventh, the Stompers made an inspired choice for the first man out of the bullpen. Saldivar was on his throwing day in preparation for a Sunday start, and instead of bullpen work on the side, the Stompers kept him ready just in case they needed him in a tight game. With only a one run lead, he was summoned and threw 10 of his 11 pitches for strikes in a scoreless seventh.

From there, it was all Stompers relief ace Sean Conroy. The sidearming rookie threw two scoreless frames and struck out two to pick up his ninth save.

Hibbert and Yuki Yasuda had two hits each for the Stompers with Taylor Eads adding two walks and a run scored. Brennan Metzger opened the scoring for Sonoma with an RBI single in the bottom of the first to plate Hibbert.

With the win, Sonoma will be tied for first place going into Saturday's action, as the Stompers, San Rafael and Pittsburg entered the action Friday night in a three-way tie for first. The Stompers will host the Admirals for the fifth time this week on Saturday at 5 p.m., with Mike Jackson, Jr. slated to start for Sonoma.

Tickets begin at just $4 and can be purchased online at StompersBaseball.com or at the Stompers Fan Shop, located at 234 W. Napa St. in beautiful downtown Sonoma. Tickets can also be purchased at the gates at Arnold Field before any home game. For more information, call the Stompers at (707) 938-7277 or email the team at info@stompersbaseball.com.

Stompers Romp 11-5 Behind Big Nights From Wenrich, Gayday

Isaac Wenrich had a big night on Thursday, as his three hits helped the Stompers to an 11-5 win over the Admirals.

James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers

Tim Livingston, Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations

After Wednesday night's stumble against the Vallejo Admirals, the action on Thursday during Military Appreciation Night looked a lot more like the Stompers that dominated the competition in the first half of the Pacific Association season.

Sonoma's five run burst in the fourth inning proved to be the turning point in the game, as the two-out rally was the highlight in an 11-5 victory over the Admirals.

That fourth inning saw Sonoma (10-8 2nd half, 36-19 overall) down 2-1 thanks to a homer by Chad Bunting and a rare throwing error by catcher Andrew Parker. Facing Devon Ramirez (2-7), the Stompers had a runner at third and two out before Isaac Wenrich singled on a ball off Ramirez that deflected away for an infield single, tying the game at 2-2.

From there, the two out rally was on. Kristian Gayday picked up the second of his three hits on the evening to put runners at the corners, and then after an eight-pitch at-bat, TJ Gavlik drew a walk to load the bases.

Matt Hibbert and Yuki Yasuda then provided the firepower, as both players smacked two-run doubles down the left field line to give Sonoma the lead for good and chase Ramirez from the game.

After that, the Stompers scored to make it 7-2 before Bunting took Sonoma starter Gregory Paulino (7-3) deep again in the sixth, this time for a two-run shot to make it 7-4. That was as close as Vallejo (6-12, 19-38) would get in the game, as the Stompers offense kept coming against the Admirals bullpen, highlighted by Wenrich's 10th home run of the season in the eighth.

Outside of the two home runs to Bunting, Gregory Paulino was superb, allowing only six base runners in seven innings while striking out seven. It was his fourth start of seven or more innings out of his last five, and he's allowed only nine earned runs in those 33 1/3 innings.

With the win, Sonoma could possibly move into a first place tie with a Pittsburg loss, with the results from the Diamonds game with the San Rafael Pacifics not available at press time.

The Stompers return to Arnold Field on Friday for another KRAVE Friday, where the local food company will be out to let fans try all their delicious varieties of beef, turkey and pork jerky. Fans ages 21 and older can also have pairings with some of the beer selections available in the Lagunitas Beer Garden.

Tickets begin at just $4 and can be purchased online at StompersBaseball.com or at the Stompers Fan Shop, located at 234 W. Napa St. in beautiful downtown Sonoma. Tickets can also be purchased at the gates at Arnold Field before any home game. For more information, call the Stompers at (707) 938-7277 or email the team at info@stompersbaseball.com.

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Early Lead Fades Late As Stompers Fall 6-4

Mark Hurley drives home Brennan Metzger with an RBI single in the seventh. Hurley had three hits on the night.

James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers

Tim Livingston, Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations

It started like many other games have started at Arnold Field for the Stompers in 2015. A quick flurry of offense in the first inning against a pitcher that didn't have the greatest track record coming into Wednesday night's game. Just like that, a 3-0 lead.

However, instead of building upon that lead like they've done multiple times this season, that pitcher, Kenneth McDowell, found a groove and didn't leave it for the next five innings, allowing Vallejo to not only get back into the game, but take the lead. From there, the Admirals bullpen did the rest, holding off the Stompers and sending Sonoma to a 6-4 loss in the second game of the teams' weeklong series.

Sonoma (9-8 2nd half, 35-19 overall), got out to that early lead thanks to four consecutive singles and a double steal, leading 3-0 against McDowell (1-0), who was making his first start of 2015 with the Admirals. However, they were the only runs Sonoma would score against the right-hander, as even with a bases loaded situation with one out in the third, McDowell struck out the next two batters to end the inning and escape the jam.

Vallejo (6-11, 19-37) had scored twice to make it a 3-2 game by the sixth, having figured out Eric Schwieger (5-3) after a walk, a hit batter and both a run scoring groundout and a single after a sacrifice bunt. Sonoma was in for a fight against the last-place Admirals.

Unfortunately for the Stompers, it was the Admirals who struck next against Schwieger in the sixth. With two on, Lydell Moseby singled to make it a tie game. Then, it was Tyger Pederson, who was 1 for his last 11, that came up with the go-ahead hit, an RBI single to left that gave Vallejo a 4-3 lead. After Tyler Nordgren's grounder to 1st allowed Moseby to come home, Vallejo had led 5-3 and Schwieger was out of the game.

In the seventh, Vallejo added another run thanks to a wild pitch by Erik Gonsalves, but the Stompers got it back in the bottom half. Brennan Metzger doubled down the right-field line with two outs and Mark Hurley knocked him in with a single to center to make it 6-4.

Josh Evans and Bryan Escanio would lock it down the rest of the way for the Admirals, with Escanio picking up his 10th save in the process.

The Stompers offense struck out 13 times in the game, including 11 times against McDowell. Isaac Wenrich and Taylor Eads each struck out three times. It wasn't all bad on the offensive front, as Metzger went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored and Hurley went 3-for-4 with two runs driven in.

Sonoma will try and bounce back on Thursday night on Military Appreciation Night, where the Stompers will honor the 6th Refueling Squadron out of Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield and host both the Sonoma Valley Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Sons of the Golden West.

Tickets begin at just $4 and can be purchased online at StompersBaseball.com or at the Stompers Fan Shop, located at 234 W. Napa St. in beautiful downtown Sonoma. Tickets can also be purchased at the gates at Arnold Field before any home game. For more information, call the Stompers at (707) 938-7277 or email the team at info@stompersbaseball.com.

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WHIP The Competition: Stat-Heads Run Minor League Team, Lead It To First (NPR)

It's a fantasy baseball player's dream: Taking the reins at a real ballclub. That's what two baseball writers did this year, planning to run the minor league squad based on advanced statistics.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO BEN LINDBERGH'S APPEARANCE ON MORNING EDITION!

Saldivar Fantastic As Stompers Hold On For 7-4 Win

Santos Saldivar is looking like an ace already. He was brilliant in his first start with Sonoma.

James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers

Tim Livingston, Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations

Santos Saldivar looked determined to make his first start with the Stompers one to remember. Given an opportunity to take the ball from the get go thanks to some stellar relief work and his impressive college track record as a starter, the rookie from Pasadena, Texas made life very difficult for the Vallejo Admirals. For seven shutout innings, the stout right-hander made mincemeat out of the league's worst offense, as he allowed only six baserunners over his seven shutout innings of work and struck out nine batters as the Stompers defeated the Admirals, 7-4 in their weeklong series opener at Arnold Field.

The Stompers offense again got after Demetrius Banks (2-5), who for the second straight time on the road against Sonoma (9-7 2nd half, 35-18 overall) didn't have a great outing. Two runs came home in the first thanks to RBI singles by Brennan Metzger and Mark Hurley, and then the third saw a two-out rally highlighted by two RBI singles and a balk from Banks.

Sonoma's big offensive moment came from Isaac Wenrich in the sixth, when the catcher launched his ninth home run of the year to left-center against Brooks Belter to make it 6-0. Sonoma's 7-0 lead came thanks to a Taylor Eads single in the seventh.

Meanwhile, Santos (1-1) was absolutely phenomenal with one of the most impressive arsenals seen in the Pacific Association this year. Vallejo (5-11, 18-37) could barely make good contact against Santos, as the four hits from the Admirals were mostly bloopers, with Tyler Nordgren's seventh inning single on a slider up the only hard hit ball that fell up until that point.

Surprisingly, the four runs came home for the Admirals off Sean Conroy, who wasn't as sharp as he normally was. Three straight doubles to lead off the eighth inning cut the deficit to 7-2, and then a two-run single by Jordan Berry in the ninth made it a three run ballgame.

Conroy was able to settle down and retire Joshua Wong to end the game, but it got a lot more dramatic down the stretch than was expected. Luckily for both Conroy and the Stompers, the issues came in a game that was easily Sonoma's, and now both teams can move forward with a win under their belts in the weeklong series opener.

Offensively, five players had two-hit nights, with all nine batters reaching base at least once. Yuki Yasuda's 14-game hitting streak did come to an end, as he went 0-for-4 with a walk. Wenrich drove in two runs by Yasuda scored twice.

Sonoma will host Mr. Cheese O's night on Wednesday with their presenting partner, Sonoma Creamery. The popular cheese snack will be available to purchase at the ballpark as part of the Stompers' initiative to reach out to local partners and offer healthy alternatives at the ballpark.

First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m., with the gates at Arnold Field opening at 5 p.m. It will also be a Wine Down Wednesday, as all Leese-Fitch wine varieties will cost only $4 per glass for fans 21 and older.

Tickets begin at just $4 and can be purchased online at StompersBaseball.com or at the Stompers Fan Shop, located at 234 W. Napa St. in beautiful downtown Sonoma. Tickets can also be purchased at the gates at Arnold Field before any home game. For more information, call the Stompers at (707) 938-7277 or email the team at info@stompersbaseball.com.

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR MR. CHEESE O'S NIGHT!

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9-2 Loss Drops Stompers Into 2nd Place Tie

Brennan Metzger drove in both runs on Sunday afternoon for the Stompers.

Danielle Putonen/Sonoma Stompers

Tim Livingston, Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations

The navigation of the second half of the 2015 Pacific Association season looks like it will be a very difficult trek for the Sonoma Stompers, as their domination of the first half has led their competition to catch up to them for an opportunity to face the Stompers in the championship game scheduled for August 31.

After a 4-2 week against the San Rafael Pacifics, the Stompers turned around and went 2-4 against the Pittsburg Diamonds this week, with Sunday's 9-2 loss ending the week on a down note and giving the Stompers only their second series loss at home this season.

Sonoma (8-7 2nd half, 34-16 overall) had only one advantage this afternoon thanks to an error by Pittsburg (9-6, 27-26) starter Jheyson Manzueta (4-2), who had an errant pick off throw to first base trying to get Matt Hibbert. As the ball squirted away from Mike Taylor, Hibbert went all the way to third and came home on an RBI groundout by Brennan Metzger.

From there, it was basically all Pittsburg, but they did get a lucky bounce along the way. With one out and runners at the corners in the fourth, Leo Rodriguez bounced a ball towards second that looked like a double play, only to see it bound over the shoulder of Yuki Yasuda off the lip of the infield grass to bring home the tying run. A fielder's choice by Tim Battle then gave Pittsburg the lead for good.

After the early run, Manzueta settled down and kept the league-best Stomper offense at bay, allowing only two hits during his eight innings. He didn't have his best control, walking four and throwing only 62 of his 107 pitches for strikes, but he constantly induced weak contact.

Pittsburg pulled away for good in the seventh, plating four runs against both Jackson and newcomer Cole Warren, who made his professional debut in relief for the Stompers. The exclamation point for Pittsburg came in the ninth with a three-run homer by Mike Taylor, his 16th of the season and his fourth of this week against the Stompers.

Metzger knocked in both Sonoma runs with groundouts to shortstop, while Matt Hibbert, Isaac Wenrich, Gered Mochizuki and TJ Gavlik tallied the hits.

With San Rafael's 8-3 victory over Vallejo to move the Pacifics into a second place tie with the Stompers, it looks like Sonoma will have to fend off multiple advances in the second half to try and win an outright championship. After two weeks of work against Pittsburg and San Rafael, the Stompers will welcome the Vallejo Admirals to Arnold Field for the week, as all six games between the two teams will be played at home. First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m.

Tickets begin at just $4 and can be purchased online at StompersBaseball.com or at the Stompers Fan Shop, located at 234 W. Napa St. in beautiful downtown Sonoma. Tickets can also be purchased at the gates at Arnold Field before any home game. For more information, call the Stompers at (707) 938-7277 or email the team at info@stompersbaseball.com.

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Doubleheader Opener Loss Moves Stompers Into 1st Place Tie

Brennan Metzger had a big day for the Stompers, including hitting his first home run since joining the team last week.

James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers

Tim Livingston, Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations

While it was billed as a doubleheader at Arnold Field Saturday, the only game that mattered was the day's first game between the Stompers and Pittsburg Diamonds. With the second game being treated mainly as an exhibition game since it was a makeup game from the first half, the onus was on the teams to leave it all on the field early on in the seven inning contest.

Unfortunately for the Stompers, they got the memo a bit too late. While they eventually woke up offensively, they had to make up a seven run deficit in doing so. Even with a six run rally in the penultimate frame, they fell to the Diamonds, 10-9, creating a tie for first place in the second half standings.

Pittsburg (8-6 2nd half, 26-26 overall) got to Sonoma (8-6, 34-17) in the third inning against starter Paul Hvozdovic (4-1). Two runs came home thanks to Tyler Eppler's first home run of the season, and then the Diamonds really opened things up the fourth. Thanks to four walks in the inning along with a double and two singles, the Diamonds scored five times and brought 10 batters to the plate, chasing Hvozdovic from the game.

Sonoma battled back to make it 7-3 after a two-run homer from Isaac Wenrich and a solo shot from Brennan Metzger, but the Diamonds got three more in the sixth to push the lead back to seven runs and make it seem like an insurmountable lead.

Yet there they were, the league's best offense figuring out ways to get back into the game even with only six outs to go against Clint Manzo. Taylor Eads had a two-run double to deep center field to get the scoring going, but after the second out of the inning, things starting getting strange.

Matt Hibbert grounded out to second for the second out, but first baseman Mike Taylor for some reason decided to throw the ball back to Michael Cerda at second and realized halfway through his throw that Eads was still at third. The ball slipped out of his hands and allowed Eads to score and make it a 10-6 game.

The two-out rally then began with a Yuki Yasuda single, extending his hitting streak to 14 games. He then moved to second on a passed ball before Metzger singled him home to make it 10-7. Then Mark Hurley launched a two-run homer to left to make it 10-9 and put the Stompers on the precipice of a second seven-run comeback at home this year against the Diamonds.

However, it would all be for naught as Steve Chapter came in to clean up the mess, completing a four out save to move the Diamonds back into a tie for first place.

Metzger's 2-for-4 day at the plate was the highlight of the game for Sonoma, with Hurley scoring two runs, as well. All but one hitter had a hit in the Sonoma lineup.

The second game was more of an exhibition game, featuring pitchers playing in the field and even the Pittsburg hitting coach (Lonnie Jackson) and general manager (Tom Macari) getting ABs against Ryusuke Kikusawa and Jeff Conley. Yasuda even homered in the game, and Gregory Paulino had two singles as the standout pitcher at the plate. Paulino and Sean Conroy roamed the outfield while Erik Gonsalves, Matt Walker and Eric Schwieger played on the infield. Tommy Lyons also got some ABs, roping a double down the right-field line and driving in a run with a groundout.

The game also featured Sonoma using the installed PitchF/X system to call balls and strikes, with players from both teams announcing the pitches over the in-house PA system. It was a truly entertaining evening at the ballpark, as the players were able to let loose and have fun in front of a good-sized crowd at Arnold Field.

With all the fun done for the time being, it's time to get back to work on Sunday, as the two teams will battle for sole possession of first place in the second half standings. The first pitch is set for 1:05 p.m., with the radio broadcast beginning at 12:50 on StompersBaseball.com and the TuneIn app.

Tickets begin at just $4 and can be purchased online at StompersBaseball.com or at the Stompers Fan Shop, located at 234 W. Napa St. in beautiful downtown Sonoma. Tickets can also be purchased at the gates at Arnold Field before any home game. For more information, call the Stompers at (707) 938-7277 or email the team at info@stompersbaseball.com.

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Sonoma Retakes First Place With 8-3 Win Over Pittsburg

Yuki Yasuda reached base all five times he came to the plate in Sonoma's 8-3 win on Friday night.

James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers

Tim Livingston, Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations

The Sonoma Stompers are once again alone atop the second half standings of the Pacific Association as they defeated the Pittsburg Diamonds, 8-3 on Friday night, breaking the two teams' tie for first place.

It was yet another game where Sonoma (8-5 2nd half, 34-16 overall) left multiple baserunners on in multiple innings, but in situations where they did get runners on, two big hits propelled them forward to victory. The first big hit came from Mark Hurley in the bottom of the opening frame, as with two runners on, a fly ball to right field just snuck over the 10-foot fence for a three-run homer to give Sonoma a lead they would never relinquish.

The second big hit came in a 4-2 game with the bases loaded in the fourth. Brennan Metzger singled to left field to bring two runs home, and as Yuki Yasuda tried to go first to third, Jordan Hinshaw's throw to try and get Yasuda out was wild, allowing the speedy infielder to race home for the third run on the play and put the game out of reach for good.

While he didn't have his best stuff, starter Gregory Paulino (6-3) did well enough to earn the victory. In his five innings, the young right-hander struck out five but allowed 11 baserunners (six hits and five walks), including solo homers to Hinshaw and Mike Taylor. Santos Saldivar and Jon Rand, Jr. each threw two innings in relief to finish things off for the Stompers.

Offensively, Yasuda was the star, reaching all five times he saw the plate by going 3-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored. Sonoma only had six hits on the evening, but were able to coerce nine walks from the Pittsburg (7-6, 25-26) pitching staff, including five from starter Dennis Neal (4-1), who was ineffective in his five innings of work and took his first loss of the year.

Sonoma and Pittsburg will lock horns tomorrow for two games, including a makeup game from July 9 that was postponed due to inclement weather. The first game will take place at 1 p.m. with the second game slated for 5 p.m. Both games will be seven-inning affairs, with the first game counting towards the second half and the second game counting towards the first half matchup that was postponed.

A special price for the second game will be honored for tickets purchased behind home plate, with premium reserved tickets going for only $6 and grandstand seats costing only $4. Those prices will only be honored if a ticket has been purchased or redeemed for the first game.

Tickets begin at just $4 and can be purchased online at StompersBaseball.com or at the Stompers Fan Shop, located at 234 W. Napa St. in beautiful downtown Sonoma. Tickets can also be purchased at the gates at Arnold Field before any home game. For more information, call the Stompers at (707) 938-7277 or email the team at info@stompersbaseball.com.

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Slugger Carranza Promoted to Can-Am League

Carranza has been the most prolific power hitter in the short history of the Sonoma Stompers and will now move on to the Can-Am League with the Trois Riviere Aigles.

Brandon Davis/Sonoma Stompers

Tim Livingston, Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations

Sonoma Stompers star first baseman Joel Carranza has accepted a promotion to the Trois Rivieres Aigles of the Canadian-American League. The move was made official late Thursday night, with the Stompers receiving future considerations from Trois Rivieres in exchange for Carranza.

Carranza, 27, has been one of the most prolific offensive players in the Pacific Association since his arrival in 2014 during the debut season of the Stompers. After setting the league's single season home run record in 2014 with 19 dingers, Carranza has put together one of the best all-around seasons from any player in the league in 2015, hitting .358/.406/.575 with 10 home runs, nine doubles, 39 RBI and 36 runs scored.

By advanced metrics, Carranza had a 154 Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) and a Weighted On-Base Average (wOBA) of .419 in 2015, the third-highest mark amongst eligible hitters in the league. He finishes his Stompers career with 29 home runs and a line of .304/.368/.539 in 117 games.

The Pembroke Pines, Florida native is in his fifth season of professional baseball, having previously played in the Pecos League and the Frontier League. He now has 55 home runs in his career, and his career line sits at .320/.391/.560.

In a post to the Facebook page of the Stompers on Friday morning, Carranza expressed his gratitude for his time with the Stompers.

"So it's official. I have been given the opportunity to go play for the Trois Rivieres Aigles in Canada," said Carranza, "I am blessed to have this opportunity and very thankful for it. I want to say thank you to all the fans and the whole Sonoma Stompers organization for giving me the opportunity to be part of the community for the past 2 years."

"I wish the team and the organization the best of luck in the rest of the season and hope to see the championship brought home to Sonoma. I will always feel as I am part of Sonoma and will miss it, and I will always remember the Stompers faithful."

The Aigles are located in the city of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec and are currently in fourth place in the Can-Am League standings at 29-31, 6 1/2 games back of first place. They play at Stade Fernand-Bédard, which was first built in 1938 and recently underwent a renovation in 2009.

The Stompers are back at home tonight for the beginning of a 10-game homestand at Arnold Field, as they welcome the Pittsburg Diamonds to town. First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m. with the gates opening at 5 p.m. It's the first KRAVE Friday of the season, as KRAVE Jerky will be available for purchase at the park and food pairings will be available to fans 21 and older.

Tickets begin at just $4 and can be purchased online at StompersBaseball.com or at the Stompers Fan Shop, located at 234 W. Napa St. in beautiful downtown Sonoma. Tickets can also be purchased at the gates at Arnold Field before any home game. For more information, call the Stompers at (707) 938-7277 or email the team at info@stompersbaseball.com.

Stompers Avoid Sweep With Wild 9-8 Win

TJ Gavlik's big night helped the Stompers offense come through late in Sonoma's 9-8 win over Pittsburg.

James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers

Tim Livingston, Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations

After two games that saw the Stompers not take advantage of run scoring opportunities late in close games against the Pittsburg Diamonds, it was indeed the third time that was the charm, as TJ Gavlik's ninth inning RBI single plated Mark Hurley for what proved to be the winning run in a 9-8 victory.

Sonoma (7-5 2nd half, 33-16 overall) was on the verge of being swept for the first time this season thanks to three late runs by Pittsburg (7-5, 25-25) in the seventh, giving the Diamonds an 8-5 lead and putting the Stompers on their heels with only six outs left for a comeback.

When the eighth inning came around, Sonoma got a jolt from Andrew Parker, as a solo home run to left field cut the deficit to 8-6. Gavlik then walked and went all the way to third after two wild pitches from Justin Martinez. He then scored after a bloop single by Matt Hibbert to make it 8-7, and Hibbert went to second after a Yasuda single.

That set the stage for a wild play on a ground ball up the middle by Kristian Gayday. Diamonds shortstop Leo Rodriguez ranged behind the bag and tried to throw to second and end the inning, but the throw sailed wide and everyone was safe. Yasuda turned and started to go to third, but first baseman Mike Taylor was backing up the throw from Rodriguez and tried to gun down Yasuda as he returned to the bag. That throw also went wide and into the outfield, allowing Hibbert to race home from third with the tying run.

From there, Erik Gonsalves (4-2) had to traverse a tough eighth inning. Even after getting two outs with one runner on, Gonsalves couldn't close things out, walking the next two batters to load the bases. With 2014 Pacific Association Rookie of the Year Jordan Hinshaw at the plate, Gonsalves found enough to sit down Hinshaw with a strikeout and escape the jam.

That led to the fateful ninth inning, where Gavlik's single gave Sonoma the lead. They still needed to retire the Diamonds in the bottom of the inning, where it was left up to relief ace Sean Conroy. A rare walk to the Pacific Association's leading hitter in Scott David led things off, with David being moved to second on a ground out. Tim Battle then came to the plate and smashed a comebacker to Conroy.

Conroy turned to check on David, and David had taken too much of a secondary lead off the bag, leading Conroy to throw behind David just as he slid back into second, but not nearly in time to avoid the tag for the second out. After a fly out to Hibbert in center field, the game was over and the Stompers were back in a tie for first place.

Gavlik's 3-for-4 day at the plate led the Stompers offensive attack, and while no other hitter had more than one hit, four players had multiple walks, as Hibbert, Yasuda, Hurley and Parker all showed great patience at the plate. Sonoma had 10 walks in all.

With their final trip to City Park behind them, the Stompers will turn their attention to their upcoming 10-game homestand. Sonoma will host the Diamonds for four games over the weekend, including a doubleheader on Saturday. Friday's series opener is the first of three KRAVE Fridays presented by KRAVE Jerky. Fans will be able to purchase KRAVE Jerky products and have food pairings with various beverages in the Lagunitas Beer Garden.

Tickets begin at just $4 and can be purchased online at StompersBaseball.com or at the Stompers Fan Shop, located at 234 W. Napa St. in beautiful downtown Sonoma. Tickets can also be purchased at the gates at Arnold Field before any home game. For more information, call the Stompers at (707) 938-7277 or email the team at info@stompersbaseball.com.

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