Carranza's Trois-Rivieres Aigles Win First CanAm championship

Joel Carranza's new team celebrates their victory in the CanAm League Championship Series.

Jakub Deptula/LaPresse

Theo Fightmaster, General Manager

Joel Carranza, a charter member of the Sonoma Stompers who was promoted in July after a sensational start to his 2015 Pacific Association season, helped lead the Trois-Rivieres Aigles to the franchise’s first CanAm League Championship. Trois-Rivieres topped the New Jersey Jackals 2-1 in the decisive Game 5 of the CanAm League Championship Series on Sunday in New Jersey.

Carranza went 0 for 4 in the deciding game, but proved to be key acquisition for the Aigiles down the stretch. The Pembrooke Pines, Florida native hit .260 in 38 games (including 10 post season contests), with five home runs five doubles, 20 runs batted in, and an OPS of .795.

Carranza, 27, had been one of the most prolific offensive players in the Pacific Association since his arrival in 2014 – the Stompers’ inaugural season. After setting the league’s single-season home run record in 2014 with 19 dingers, Carranza 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. Carranza was an integral part of the Stompers first-half championship team that went 26-11, clinching the first half title by 7 ½ games.

In Sunday’s action, the Aigles took the lead in the top of the fourth inning as they broke the scoreless tie with a Kyle Lafrenz sacrifice fly.

Trois-Rivieres added to that lead in the fifth inning when Javier Herrera singled to plate Eric Grabe who had singled to lead off the inning.

The Jackals scored their only run of the game in the bottom of the seventh inning. There, CF Dvontrey Richardson reached on an error and moved to second on a fielder’s choice in the next at-bat. Richardson moved to third when Tim Quinn drew a walk and scored when Peter Mooney lifted a sac fly to center field.

But the Aigles’ pitching staff made sure that was the only damage done on the night. Starting pitcher Mike Bradstreet earned the Game 5 win for working 7 2/3 innings and allowing just the one unearned run on seven hits. He walked just one batter and struck out five. Reliever Scott Kuzminsky took over in the bottom of the eighth and recorded a four-out save to seal the win.

Offensively for the Aigles, Pedro Lopez was the only player to have more than one hit in the game as he went 2 for 5. For the Jackals, both LF Matt Helms and Quinn had two-hit games.

The Stompers are planning for their 2016 season, as the league hopes to have a schedule out by 2016. Season ticket and sponsorship packages are available now. For inquiries, call 707.938.7277.

Read more about the CanAm League Championship Series here.

BOX SCORE

Stompers Well Represented In Upper Division Playoff Picture

Jayce Ray, Joel Carranza, and Isaac Wenrich have all seen success in the playoffs for the teams they have moved up to in 2015.

Staff Photo/Wichita Wingnuts, Danielle Putonen/Sonoma Stompers, Staff Photo/Florence Freedom 

Theo Fightmaster, General Manager

Jayce Ray, a charter member of the Sonoma Stompers Baseball Club, and the 2014 Pacific Association Most Valuable Player, is one of several Stompers alumni getting ready for a postseason pennant drives with upper division teams. Ray and his American Association Wichita Wingnuts begin a best-of-five series with the Laredo Lemurs Wednesday night.  Ray was outstanding in his first year in the Association, batting .310 in 89 games, with a .422 on-base percentage, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of .804. The 2008 Sonoma Valley High graduate drove in 35 runs, scored 57, stole 17 bases and walked 56 times against just 39 strikeouts.  Wichita went 59-41 during the regular season, good enough for first place in the AA’s South Division.

Former Stompers slugging first baseman, Joel Carranza, will embark on his first postseason with the Trois-Rivieras Aigles of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball. In his first 28 games with the Aigles, Carranza hit .267 with four homers, drove in 18 runs and had an OBP of .362.

Coming off his sensational 2014 campaign with Sonoma, Carranza was even better for the Stompers this summer. In 44 games the powerful right-handed hitter batted .358 with six homers, 41 RBI and an OPS of .981.

2015 Stompers Opening Day catcher, Isaac Wenrich, endured a bittersweet taste of the postseason, as his Florence Freedom (Frontier League) fell 6-5 to the River City Rascals in a one-game playoff.

Wenrich belted his fourth homer since being promoted to the Freedom on Aug. 16. The solo shot gave Florence (49-48), a 5-2 lead in the eighth inning, but the Rascals rallies for four runs in the bottom of the frame. On the season, Florence had been 40-2 when leading after seven innings. Wenrich, who was 2 for 5 in the one-game playoff, batted .250 with three home runs, 10 RBI in 18 games.

Wenrich was a stalwart behind the plate with Sonoma, hitting .296, had an OPS of .846 with 10 homers, 33 RBI and drew 24 walks in 58 games.

Several more Stompers alums enjoyed playing time at higher levels after their promotions. 2015 Opening Day second baseman, Sergio Miranda, led the Sussex County Miners (CanAm) with a .328 average, and an OBP of .431. Fehlandt Lentini batted .302 with three homers, 39 RBI, stole six bags, and scored 24 runs to lead the Long Island Ducks (Atlantic League) to the postseason.

Brennan Metzger, Matt Hibbert and Jaime Del Valle (2014), all finished the 2015 campaign with the Gary South Shore Railcats of the American Association.

Stompers Lose Heartbreaking Title Game On Walk-Off Single

Andrew Parker hits his game-tying RBI ground-rule double in the eighth inning.

James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers

Tim Livingston, Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations

Much like they had done during most of their incredible sophomore campaign, the Sonoma Stompers found just enough late in Monday night’s Pacific Association championship game to pull even with the red-hot San Rafael Pacifics in the eighth inning.

In the end, however, the late push came up just a bit short, as the defending champion Pacifics went back-to-back seasons with a title thanks to Danny Gonzalez’s RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to give San Rafael a 4-3 walkoff victory over the Stompers.

The Stompers had a rough go of it in the month of August, especially over the final three weeks, where they lost 13 of 18 games and saw the Pacifics pull away from the rest of the pack with an incredible run that included eight of nine victories over Sonoma.

Thanks to their early-season dominance, the Stompers were guaranteed a spot in the championship game, but were not at the level they were in the first half due to numerous promotions to higher leagues in professional baseball throughout the second half.

That didn’t stop the Stompers from coming out and giving a fight to San Rafael. Even with their offense not being what it once was, the Stompers boasted perhaps the best set of pitchers in the league coming into Monday's title game, with staff ace Santos Saldivar getting the start and keeping San Rafael off the board early on.

Issues in the fourth stopped Saldivar’s scoreless string, as a two-run single by Chase Tucker gave San Rafael a 2-0 lead. Sonoma got a run in the top of the fifth on a wild pitch to cut the lead in half, but stranded runners at second and third to end the inning.

After Maikel Jova’s RBI double made it 3-1, the Stompers had to figure out how to get to Celson Polanco, who had been cruising outside of that bit of trouble in the fifth. They finally got through in the eighth, but not before some peculiar moves were made.

With two outs, a runner on, and Gered Mochizuki coming to the plate, the Pacifics kept Polanco in the game even with left-hander Chris Lovejoy ready to enter. Polanco walked Mochizuki on four pitches, which forced San Rafael’s hand to go to Lovejoy with consecutive right handed batters coming up.

It also didn’t hurt for Sonoma that the two batters were Mark Hurley and Andrew Parker, the team’s two best hitters against left-handed pitching. Hurley singled through the left side to make it 3-2 before Parker hit a deep drive to left-center field that bounced in front of the fence and over for a ground rule double, tying the game at 3-3.

Stompers fans and players alike argued that the ball didn’t bounce in front of the fence, but over it for a three-run homer. All three umpires came together to agree that it was a ground rule double, keeping the game tied and adding an air of controversy to the proceedings at Albert Park.

Meanwhile, Sean Conroy had been superb in his three innings of relief work after taking over for Saldivar in the sixth. The Pacifics spoiled Conroy’s scoreless streak with a leadoff walk and a sacrifice bunt, putting the tying run at second base.

After a walk to Zack Pace and a meeting on the mound, Gonzalez got a breaking ball he could handle and ripped it to left field, bringing Johnny Bekakis around for the winning run and causing the entire Pacifics dugout to spill onto the field in celebration.

It was not the ending Sonoma was looking for after such an incredible start to their season. Their 18-3 start led to them clinching the first half title with a 26-11 season, but the team went 18-21 in the second half, due mostly in part to the offense losing so many key cogs to promotion.

The team did better their 2014 win total by two in two fewer games, and now have built up a lot of confidence in bringing in good players due to the success of the players they have promoted.

While Sonoma only had five hits on the evening, Yuki Yasuda, Gered Mochizuki and Eddie Mora-Loera each walked multiple times, with the team drawing seven walks in all against Polanco.

The Stompers will now prepare for their third season in the Pacific Association next June, as Sonoma looks to build upon their successes in 2015 to make another title run in 2016.

Stompers Drop Season Finale, 9-3; Prepare For Title Game

Gered Mochizuki sizes a pitch up during Sunday's loss in San Rafael.

James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers

Tim Livingston, Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations

Even though the Sonoma Stompers took a 9-3 loss on Sunday in the season finale against the San Rafael Pacifics at Albert Park, the Stompers knew going in that the real battle between the two half-champions would take place 30 hours after first pitch. With the Pacifics wrapping up the best overall record in Saturday's come-from-behind win to clinch Albert Park as the site for the Pacific Association title game, Sunday's game amounted to not much more than a warmup game for Monday, and the Stompers were able to do a couple of things that would benefit the team for the big game.

Perhaps most important was that Sean Conroy, who was originally scheduled to start on Sunday, would be able to rest ahead of Monday's game, where he has had tremendous success against the Pacifics in 2015. That means that Monday's pitching available for the Stompers would begin with Santos Saldivar and include Conroy, lefty ace Dylan Stoops and former closer and top-flight starter Mike Jackson, Jr.

On top of saving Conroy, the Stompers also gave rests to Gered Mochizuki (back, hamstring) and Andrew Parker (hand) so that they could be prepared for Monday's game, meaning that when the first pitch is made at 7 p.m., the Stompers should be at 100 percent across the board for everyone who would be featured participants in the title game.

There is the idea looming that the Stompers have lost eight of nine against San Rafael and have lost 12 of 17 overall while the Pacifics have lost only four times in the month of August, including seven straight games to end the season and take the top spot in the overall standings from Sonoma.

However, with the title being decided in only a single game, it essentially comes down to a coin flip, which amplifies every pitch to a higher degree and makes batter/pitcher matchup paramount to anything else. With an entire season's of tendencies available for a lot of players on both sides, those will be leaned on more than ever to give each team an edge.

While the Stompers undoubtedly have the pitching edge, the Pacifics have the best hitter on either side, with corner infielder Jake Taylor hitting much like departed first baseman and probable MVP Matt Chavez. In only 35 games, Taylor has 12 home runs, and his addition to the Pacifics for the second half has been as important as Saldivar's addition for the Stompers on the pitching side.

Sonoma will most likely see Celson Polanco across from them as the San Rafael starter in Monday's game, but the official starter has yet to be announced by the Pacifics. Stompers fans are encouraged to come down and root on their team, with tickets available at the gate and also at PacificsBaseball.com. If fans can't make it out, the radio broadcast will begin around 15 minutes before first pitch, which has been initially set at 7:05 p.m. The official start time of the broadcast will be announced on Twitter @SonomaStompers shortly before the game.

9th Inning Rally Costs Sonoma In 2-1 Loss, Pacifics To Host Title Game

Gregory Paulino was phenomenal on Saturday, allowing only one run in eight innings while striking out eight.

James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers

Tim Livingston, Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations

One night after the Stompers were on the wrong end of the luck spectrum against the San Rafael Pacifics, Sonoma looked like they had figured things out, leading 1-0 as they went to the top of the ninth inning in yet another pitcher's duel at Albert Park.

Yet on the first pitch of the ninth, Jake Taylor homered against Gregory Paulino to tie the game at 1-1, setting the stage for another stomach punch to Sonoma from the defending champions. Paulino was lifted for Erik Gonsalves, and after a single, an error on a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk to load the bases, the Pacifics took the game on a wild pitch that plated Jeremy Williams to give them a 2-1 victory and home field advantage for Monday's championship game.

For eight innings, Paulino was sensational, allowing only four hits and striking out eight while getting out of two jams where there were runners on second and third with two outs. Thanks to some superb defense and top-flight pitch calling from Matt Rubino, the young right-hander looked well on his way to another shutout victory before Taylor hit the first pitch of the ninth out to left on a hanging slider.

Meanwhile, the Sonoma (18-20 2nd half, 44-32 overall) offense didn't get going against the veteran Nick DeBarr, who was matching Paulino zero for zero until the seventh, when both Danny Baptista and Gered Mochizuki singled for the second time in the game. Showing bunt on the first pitch, Mark Hurley pulled back a bunt on the second pitch and lined one through the left side for a base hit, giving Sonoma the lead.

Sonoma has now lost 11 of 16, their worst stretch of baseball of the season. Against San Rafael over that stretch, the Stompers are just 1-7.

Both teams have shown off more pitching and defense than offense the past couple nights, and with Monday's title game looking like another game where pitching and defense will be valued highly, the only game where there might be a lot of offense might be Sunday, as both teams finish up the string at 1 p.m. with Ryusuke Kikusawa starting for Sonoma. The game will be live on TuneIn and the StompersBaseball.com at 12:50.

BOX SCORE

Bunda Stifles Stompers As 3-0 Loss Gives Pacifics Overall Lead

Eric Schwieger was a tough luck loser on Friday, needing only 89 pitches in his eight-inning complete game.

James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers

Tim Livingston, Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations

The all-important final series of the 2015 season got underway on Friday night at Albert Park and the Sonoma Stompers are now in a position they haven't been all season long.

With only two days left in the regular season, the Stompers were knocked down from atop their overall standings perch for the first time in 2015 by their rivals from San Rafael, as the Pacifics rode a tremendous pitching performance from JR Bunda to a 3-0 victory to put them a win away from hosting Monday's Pacific Association championship game.

While Bunda's (2-1) performance, where he allowed three hits in eight shutout innings and struck out 10, was tremendous in its own right, it was the complete game effort of Eric Schwieger (5-7) that kept Sonoma in the game the entire way, even with Bunda continuing to fire up zeroes.

In fact, Schwieger only needed 89 pitches in his eight innings to keep the Pacifics at bay, and the final two runs came home thanks to an error in the eighth inning on a ground ball that could have ended the inning. Outside of the double that led to San Rafael's first run in the second inning, Schwieger was dominant at times, matching Bunda pitch for pitch.

Unfortunately, the Stompers offense just couldn't figure out what to do with Bunda, who kept hitting his spots and inducing weak contact. Twice they got two runners on with one out in a 1-0 game, but Bunda got out of both jams to keep Sonoma scoreless. In fact, the Stompers never had a runner reach third base in the game.

The high points for Sonoma were on defense. Mark Hurley gunned down David Kiriakos from left field as Kiriakos tried to stretch a single into a double in the third inning and newcomer Keith Kandel making a sliding catch in right field in the sixth that was amongst the finest catches all season for Sonoma.

With the loss, Sonoma falls a half game behind San Rafael for the best overall record in the league, with the league-best mark determining who will host the championship game on Monday. Sonoma will send Gregory Paulino to the mound on Saturday to try and set up a winner-take-all game on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. at Albert Park.

BOX SCORE

Final Home Series Of 2015 Ends With 8-6 Stompers Win

Keith Kandal had a tremendous debut with Sonoma on Thursday, as his three-run homer was the difference in Sonoma's 8-6 win.

James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers

Tim Livingston, Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations

With so many different scenarios leading into the final weekend of the season, the Stompers quest to host the Pacific Association championship game on Monday has run into some measure of trouble. With only four games remaining, the Stompers had a half game lead over the San Rafael Pacifics for the best overall record, which determines who hosts the title game.

Needing a combination of four Stomper victories and/or Pacific losses, Sonoma came through on their end with an 8-6 victory over the Pittsburg Diamonds on Thursday, ending their final home series in 2015 with a series win.

Sonoma (18-18 2nd half, 44-29 overall) bounced back after their tough loss on Wednesday with a patient approach against Devon Ramirez (0-1), who made his team debut with the Diamonds and was all over the place. By the time he came out of the game in the fifth, Ramirez walked 10 batters in all, the highest total the Stompers have coerced out of a starter all season long.

The Stompers only had seven hits in the game, but none bigger than the first hit as a Stomper for newcomer Keith Kandal. With the Stompers leading 4-2 in the inning after a run came home on a wild pitch, Kandal rocked one to left field for a three-run homer to put the Stompers ahead for good.

Sonoma got a great start from Dylan Stoops (2-1), who pitched seven strong innings while scattering 10 hits, with a few hits getting through thanks to bad hops and the setting sun at Arnold Field. Outside of those hits, Stoops settled down after a tough first couple innings and got a duo of double play balls to get out of some jams. His first start of the year helped cut the Stompers magic number down to 3.

Both Yuki Yasuda and Kristian Gayday drew three walks, with Parker drawing two. Chad Bunting had a two-hit night, the only multi-hit effort for the Stompers on the evening.

Now the scene shifts to Albert Park on Friday, as the Stompers visit the Pacifics with home field advantage in the title game on the line. First pitch is set for 7:05 with the radio broadcast beginning at 6:50 on StompersBaseball.com and the TuneIn mobile app.

BOX SCORE

Stompers Romp In Opener Of Final Home Series, 10-2

Daniel Baptista goes the other way in Sonoma's rout over Pittsburg.

James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers

Tim Livingston, Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations

For the first time in about a month, the Stompers looked like the team that offensively dominated the Pacific Association for the first half of the 2015 season. Batter after batter, the Stompers roped line drive after line drive to all fields and kept the scoring train chugging around the bases.

In the 10-2 victory over Pittsburg on Tuesday to open up their final home series of 2015, the Stompers had a five-hit third inning and a seven-hit fourth inning that brought back memories of the juggernaut that was averaging seven runs per game as they ran away with the first half championship.

That team has seen quite the amount of turnover since then, as five of the team's nine players that were in the starting lineup on Opening Night have moved on to leagues above the Pacific Association in independent baseball.

Yet even with that turnover, the flashes of offensive brilliance still manage to shine through for Sonoma (43-28 overall, 17-17 2nd half). Super utility man Yuki Yasuda has been stellar for the team and was a highlight Tuesday with a three-hit night. The heart of the order has all been performing at a high level, as well, with season-long Stompers Mark Hurley, Daniel Baptista and Gered Mochizuki all hitting the ball well.

Mochizuki in particular is putting on a performance that ranks at the top of the league offensively for shortstops, as he has raised his OPS over 70 points since the beginning of August (.741 on August 1, .813 after a 1-for-3 night with a walk yesterday).

The highlight of last night's offensive showcase was the six-run fourth, as 11 batters came to the plate with seven consecutive hitters recording a hit at one point. Of the team's first 12 hits in the first four innings, 11 went to the opposite field, showing the team's fantastic approach against Barrett Phillips (5-7) that gave him an early trip to the showers.

Meanwhile, Sean Conroy (5-2) had some of his best stuff going, allowing only four hits in six innings of shutout baseball while striking out five. He struck out the side in the third inning, and is now in position to either pitch on Sunday for home field advantage in the Pacific Association championship game or perhaps start the game itself next Monday.

That game came to be thanks to a tremendous run by the San Rafael Pacifics in the second half, who clinched that title with an 8-7 victory over Vallejo on Tuesday. In the overall standings, Sonoma currently has a 1 1/2 game lead over San Rafael with five games left, including three in San Rafael beginning on Friday. With overall records determining who hosts the title game, the Stompers' magic number to clinch that distinction is at 4.

Which makes the next two games at Arnold Field all the more critical for the Stompers. Should Sonoma sweep the Diamonds, they would need only one more victory over the Pacifics this weekend in order to secure Arnold Field as the location for the title game.

They'll begin that push tonight with Mike Jackson, Jr. on the hill in the season's penultimate home game, with the first pitch set for 6:05 p.m. Tickets are available online at StompersBaseball.com and can be purchased at the Arnold Field box office beginning one hour before first pitch. For more information, call (707) 938-7277 or email the team at info@StompersBaseball.com.

BOX SCORE

Hibbert Moves On To Gary Of American Association

Matt Hibbert's fantastic 2015 season has earned him a trip to the Gary SouthShore Railcars of the American Association.

James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers

Tim Livingston, Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations

For the second time this season, a Stompers outfielder has been acquired by the Gary SouthShore Railcats of the American Association. After Brennan Metzger was picked up by the Indiana-based squad at the beginning of August, Stompers star center fielder Matt Hibbert has been acquired by Gary for future considerations. This marks the fifth time this season that a Stompers player has been acquired by an upper-division team in independent baseball, as Metzger, Fehlandt Lentini (Long Island Ducks - Atlantic League), Joel Carranza (Trois Rivieres Aigles - Can-Am Association) and Isaac Wenrich (Florence Freedom - Frontier League) have all moved on in 2015.

Hibbert was a prototypical leadoff man and center fielder for the Stompers in 2015, hitting .305/.418/.415 during the season with four home runs a team best 64 runs scored. He led the Pacific Association with 32 stolen bases and 18 hit-by-pitches. His defense in the outfield both in right and center was amongst the best in the league if not the best, as he made the tough plays look routine and made some of the most spectacular defensive plays of the season.

Newcomer Connor Jones is expected to take over in center field for the Stompers during their stretch run, as the final home series of 2015 begins on Tuesday against the Pittsburg Diamonds.

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 Swept By Admirals After 13-4 Blowout Loss

Kristian Gayday celebrates his 3-run homer with Daniel Baptista.

James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers

im Livingston, Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations

All of a sudden, the reeling Stompers are facing a possibility that didn't seem all that realistic three weeks ago.

That was before their week long series against Vallejo, where they took five of six from the Admirals at home ahead of a key week long series against San Rafael, where the Pacifics were looking to break away from the Stompers and force a championship game on August 31.

That game, which looked like something the Stompers would have been able to avoid, now looks like a near certainty thanks to the results of this weekend, as the Stompers dropped their weekend finale with the Admirals in blowout fashion and got swept in the process, 13-4.

Sonoma (16-17 2nd half, 42-28 overall) allowed 31 runs in the three games, and after Kristian Gayday tied the game with a three-run shot in the third inning, the Admirals pulled away and left the Stompers far behind, with a six-run eighth inning punctuated by the second home run of the game from PJ Phillips, a grand slam that cleared the wall in left.

Vallejo (11-22, 24-48 overall) got incredible production from two of the poorer hitters in the league all season, with Tyger Pederson and Jordan Berry coming into the series batting well under .200. But both hitters had multiple hits Saturday and followed it up with solo homers on Sunday, with Pederson's leading off the big eighth inning.

Gayday had a big afternoon for the Stompers, leading the way with a 2-for-4 effort that included the home run and a double. Both Danny Baptista and Andrew Parker had two singles for the Stompers. It was a tough start for Gregory Paulino, who didn't get out of the sixth and gave up seven runs (six earned).

The Stompers will return home on Tuesday for the beginning of their final home series of the year against the Pittsburg Diamonds. First pitch is set for 6:05 with the radio broadcast beginning at 5:50.

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.