Stompers celebrate 4th of July with 14-7 win over Knicks

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

Few things pair better in life than America’s pastime and the Fourth of July, especially nestled in Wine Country. It’s festive, fun and displays the tight-knit community Sonoma possesses. The Stompers only add to that.

The Stompers exploded for 10 runs in the first three innings en route to their 14-7 win on Friday.

They walk in Sonoma’s annual July 4 parade. And nothing beats a win a few hours later. On Friday, the Stompers got it done, capping a magical holiday.

Carried by 10 runs in the first three innings, Sonoma (19-13, 15-11 CCL) defeated the Novato Knicks 14-7. It wasn’t a league game, but the Stompers came out hot and never looked back.

“We had good plate appearances, and some guys swung the stick pretty well,” Sonoma manager Zack Pace said postgame. “We’ll take it (going forward).”

When the box score shows an explosion of early offense like Friday’s did, it’s usually a sign of a team locked in. After Thursday’s surprising loss to the Seagulls, though, it wasn’t expected. The Stompers strung together timely hits, capitalized on Novato’s miscues and brought energy to the Arnold Field crowd.

Names that hadn’t been as notable stepped up, showcasing the depth the Stompers have. It began almost right away. Anthony Scheppler — who’s struggled as of late — cracked his first home run of the summer. The moment was significant, but the result was even more so. Scheppler’s knock was a grand slam and immediately put Sonoma in the driver’s seat.

After Jaxen Rowland surrendered three runs in the top of the second, the Stompers' offense picked up where it left off. Cameron Hegamin singled — one of his three hits in the matchup — to plate Heeryun Han.

The following frame, Ben Sebastiani joined the party with a three-run home run — his first of the summer — right after Trevor Schlafer added two more with a base hit.

“Both (Anthony and Ben) have been working their tails off and getting better,” Pace said. “I see it every day. It was really good to see them get the results today, and hopefully that can continue.”

A 10-4 lead was similar to Sonoma’s final scores. Only through three innings, though, more was definitely set to come. And while it took time, the Stompers put Novato out of reach in the seventh and eighth.

After Nicholas Poulus allowed a three-run sixth inning for the Knicks, which brought them within three runs, Paul Lizzul and Esteban Sepulveda nearly erased the comeback effort with a fielder’s choice and an RBI double.

Now up five in the eighth, Lizzul mashed an RBI double to score Sebastiani, and Scheppler walked with the bases loaded to bring in Han for run No. 14. From there, Patrick Atkinson pitched a scoreless ninth inning in his first outing since May 28 to seal the win.

Seagulls earn revenge with 6-4 win over Stompers

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

For Sonoma, it was a regular game. For San Francisco, it was a matter of revenge. The Stompers had won the last two games in the teams’ season series. One was 14-3 dominance. The other was nearly a repeat, a 14-0 win one day later.

The Seagulls weren’t just hungry. They were relentless, finding ways to defeat Sonoma in any way they could. Would it be from pitching? From offense? For San Francisco, it was from both. The Seagulls outhit Sonoma by three. The notched more double plays. They found ways to win in all facets of the game.

For the Stompers (18-13, 15-11 CCL), it was a 6-4 defeat. For San Francisco, it was a step in the right direction. One that was highly significant in the Seagulls’ now 6-18 league record. 

“Our hitters were caring too much about the results,” Sonoma manager Zack Pace said postgame. “We gotta try not to care so much about the results and care more about the process.”

The Stompers have been quiet on offense lately. After recent wins over the Crawdads and Legends, the Seagulls gave Sonoma problems. An early lead has been the answer to most of the Stompers’ issues. On Thursday, it wasn't.

In the first inning, Sonoma jumped ahead. Trent Keys grounded out to score Cameron Hegamin. McCann Libby then reached on an error to plate Nic Sebastiani. The 2-0 lead was comforting, especially with David Howard — whose birthday was Thursday — on the mound.

Howard’s been a flame thrower, not allowing an earned run since June 6. In that loss, Howard’s opponent hit .231. Since then, his opposition has hit a measly .171. Howard looked to stay hot on Thursday. Unfortunately for the Stompers, his consistency lacked.

Lifted by a sacrifice fly from Mac Galvin and a single from Ben Coke, San Francisco bounced back and tied things up. Even with Sonoma once in front, it was all the Seagulls from there. Josh Hanson blasted a two-run home run off of newly-acquired Cal Amborn on the mound.

The two-run lead wasn’t too decisive, but in the seventh, Coke doubled to add to San Francisco’s lead. Galvin and Derek Waldvogel were sent to the plate to extend it to four.

With little life left, the Stompers attempted to come back. Colton Boardman walked to score Esteban Sepulveda in the ninth. Keys plated Trevor Schlafer soon after to cut the lead in half. But it was far too little to jump ahead and end victorious.

“We’re gonna be where we need to be,” Pace said. “We need to flush it because baseball, if you’re gonna play in this game, you’re gonna grind yourself out, and we have to flush today’s loss.”

3 errors, late home run doom Stompers in 4-3 loss to Merchants

The Stompers and Merchants each tallied five hits and made three errors, but a seventh-inning home run powered Alameda to victory.

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

It was the seventh inning, and Jackson Nystrom stood at the plate with a 2-1 count. He’d taken two balls from Chris Albee before fouling off the next pitch.

In the third inning, Nystrom had singled to load the bases, extending Alameda’s rally that eventually tied the game at 3-3. In his other appearance against the Stompers this season — a 7-5 loss on June 12 — he went 0-for-3. This time, Nystrom punished Sonoma. 

The following pitch from Albee was annihilated for a solo home run — Nystrom’s first of the season — to give the Merchants their only lead of the day, one they never relinquished.

Nystrom’s go-ahead homer in the seventh proved decisive, as Sonoma (18-12, 15-10 CCL) couldn’t mount a comeback and saw its four-game win streak snapped in a 4-3 loss.

“We didn’t hold them down,” Stompers manager Zack Pace said postgame. “I thought we could’ve played a little bit better defensively. We gave them some extra outs today. Then, they got that home run late to go ahead.”

Sonoma’s pitching has been the workhorse this season, with Devon Laguinto’s complete game shutout on Tuesday the latest example. On Wednesday, Shawn McBroom toed the rubber to open the game. He was a familiar face for the Stompers’ faithful but was recently added to their 2025 roster. Wednesday was his first appearance of the summer.

In 2024, McBroom went 3-0 in four outings. He didn’t surrender a run and served as a reliable reliever, often a set-up guy in the later innings. So, Wednesday’s start was uncharacteristic. And even with Sonoma in front, McBroom faltered on the mound, which led to its loss.

In usual fashion, the Stompers got ahead from the jump. The first inning saw Nic Sebastiani stay hot with a triple, and he scored right after when Paul Lizzul knocked a fielder’s choice to second baseman Kaleb Latimer.

In the following frame, Sonoma tacked on two more runs. McCann Libby grounded out, and Brady Shannon was retired on an unassisted groundout to Latimer. But after a bit of luck and mistakes from Alameda, Colton Boardman scorched a single to left field to drive in Cameron Hegamin and Trent Keys.

The Stompers’ 3-0 start would’ve served well for Laguinto. Harun Pelja, David Howard and Nick Santivanez probably could’ve kept Sonoma in front. But though it wasn’t entirely McBroom’s fault, his rustiness meshed with the Stompers’ destructive defense to lose the lead.

Throughout the contest, Sonoma made three errors. After a four-game stretch of three-plus errors in mid-June, the Stompers’ defense had settled in. Against the Merchants, their previous ways returned.

In the bottom of the second — with one out — Cy Turner tripled before scoring on a wild pitch. Latimer started the third-inning rally when he forced an error from Boardman. A pitch hit Jace Jeremiah, and after Nystrom’s single, Emmitt Phinney drove in Latimer and Jeremiah to tie the game.

Mistakes fueled the comeback. Pace said postgame that three errors were unacceptable. He’s also mentioned free passes, which pained the Stompers with wild pitches and hit-by-pitches.

“We gotta definitely cut down on the errors,” Pace said. “I thought our pitchers did a good job of working through and getting outs, but we don’t wanna give them extra (at-bats). That definitely helped (Alameda) out today.”

The middle innings stayed silent for both squads. The Merchants’ bullpen didn’t allow a hit after the fifth, while Micah Marquez, Chris Albee and Braden Guentz held the line for Sonoma. But Nystrom’s game-winner shattered the silence, a shot that deflated the Stompers and sealed the loss.

Laguinto’s complete game shutout powers Stompers to 2-0 victory over Legends

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

Menlo Park didn’t score. It hardly even threatened. Most nights, the Stompers’ pitchers need run support. CCL games have been high-scoring affairs. On Tuesday, Devon Laguinto was in his own league.

He was ahead in counts. He painted the zone. He worked each inning like clockwork, and the Legends never settled in. Following a game on Sunday that was filled with many storylines, Tuesday’s matchup at College of San Mateo had just one: Laguinto’s outing.

In his complete game shutout Tuesday, Devon Laguinto surrendered just three hits and struck out 10 batters.

Fueled by a complete game shutout — Sonoma’s first of the season — the Stompers (18-11, 15-9 CCL) defeated Menlo Park 2-0. Runs were scarce on both sides, but Laguinto didn’t care. With him on the mound, there was no way Sonoma would lose.

“Just being aggressive out there. I had command in my fastball. I could trust all my stuff,” Laguinto said postgame. “The slider was slipping out a bit early, but I got that dialed in.”

CCL play started almost as poorly as possible for Laguinto. On June 4 — his first start in league play — Laguinto surrendered three runs on five hits. He walked just one batter, but the Blues hit .417 off of him. The result was a tight 4-3 defeat for the Stompers, which Laguinto earned the loss in.

Following the contest, he visibly expressed frustration. Sonoma’s offense was outhit. Its defense made more errors than San Luis Obispo. Its bullpen allowed SLO to score one more run — the eventual game-winner. But Laguinto still took the blame.

At the time, Laguinto was in the transfer portal. Stompers right fielder Brady Shannon called the portal “a very dark place.” A place “where you wanna get in and get out as quickly as you can.” Maybe Laguinto was feeling the effects of the uncertainty. Perhaps it was just an off day.

Either way, Laguinto’s squad lost, and he was supposed to give his team a chance to win. So his next start, he did. It was a five-inning performance from the right-handed pitcher. He allowed just two runs and struck out eight. Sonoma’s offense came alive, and the factors blended into a 7-5 victory.

Since then, it’s been an uphill climb for Laguinto. He’s shown potential, with a six-inning, two-run outing against the Blues on June 18. He’s also faltered, giving up five runs in three innings in a 10-1 loss to the Crawdads on June 25.

On Tuesday, Laguinto’s best version emerged. Before the game, he found a home. Laguinto announced his commitment to San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California. With his name officially on a roster, Laguinto was calm.

“It definitely took a lot of weight off my shoulders,” Laguinto said. “I didn’t know where I was gonna go this fall semester, but everything’s now lifted off.”

In the first inning, Laguinto struck out one batter but hit James Bose. Bose was stranded at first, which ended up as one of the Legends’ best chances.

The next inning, Will Anderson led off with a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch and then 90 feet more on a sacrifice. Anderson remained on third, though, with Emilio Feliciano striking out on four pitches before Ryan Cartwright was put away in three.

Through two innings, Laguinto had punched out three hitters, yet Sonoma’s offense stayed silent. In the third, the Legends were retired in order. Same with the fourth.

In the top half of that inning, the Stompers finally opened the scoring. Nic Sebastiani began the frame with a single and got to second on a stolen base. A McCann Libby base hit brought Sebastiani in, and Libby then crossed home when Trent Keys singled.

A two-run inning was good. On a regular night, it may have kept Sonoma ahead for an inning or two. On Tuesday, it was enough for the game.

The fifth saw Feliciano threaten when he was hit by a pitch. He tested Luke Duncan’s arm, though, and was caught stealing second base. In the sixth, Bose was also beaned. He went nowhere.

The seventh and eighth innings contained more Laguinto dominance. He earned strikeout No. 6 to close the former — sitting Gavin Shaddix on three pitches — and cruised through the latter with two more Ks. 

Laguinto closed the eighth with 85 pitches. Sonoma’s lead wasn’t much, but it would only be right for Laguinto to finish what he started.

“I knew he wanted the ball. I was gonna try and talk him out of it, and he wouldn’t let me,” Stompers manager Zack Pace said postgame. “It’s tough to take him out in that situation. It’s his ballgame.”

Bose opened the ninth with a single. Pace considered replacing Laguinto with a new arm, he said. But he kept the workhorse in. After Mitchell Birdsall’s at-bat started with a 2-0 count, Laguinto set him away on four more pitches. Dane Most went down on a fielder’s choice. And Laguinto capped the masterful performance with a four-pitch punchout of Anderson.

“He just got into that rhythm and started filling up that zone,” Pace said. “Really overpowering with his strike throwing… and he did a really good job.”

‘GREEK GOD’: Back in Youngstown, Brady Shannon is living his two-sport dream

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

After receiving next-level opportunities to play baseball and football individually, Brady Shannon decided to return home to play both at Youngstown State, where he's a right fielder and quarterback for the Penguins. Courtesy of Brady Shannon

Some athletes balance packed schedules. Brady Shannon lives in overdrive. Little sleep, nonstop communication and two Division I sports are the root of it all.

After growing up 65 miles southeast of Cleveland in Youngstown, Ohio, Shannon’s returned home as a dual-sport athlete at Youngstown State. Once playing Friday nights at Stambaugh Stadium while at Ursuline High School, Shannon now stands in the pocket there on Saturday afternoons. When he’s not on the gridiron, he’s likely at Eastwood Field, fueling the Penguins’ lineup with power or making plays in right field.

“I was definitely very fortunate to have a school like Youngstown State,” Shannon said. “For them to give me opportunities and care for me on the athletic side and also on the academic side. I always think I got lucky.”

A deep baseball bloodline runs through Shannon’s family. His grandfather, Andy Kosco, played Major League Baseball for seven teams over 10 years. Shannon’s uncles, Bryn and Dru, followed in their father’s path, both drafted in the 1980s.

Shannon worked hard to seize a similar opportunity. During his junior year at Ursuline, his efforts began to pay off.

He traveled to Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati for a showcase with the Reds. Shannon went through infield drills, took batting practice and threw bullpens. His performance was so impressive it sparked conversations about the upcoming MLB Draft.

There was only one problem. He’d need to give up football, a love of his since attending Penguins games at a young age. Shannon couldn’t pull the trigger.

“Brady said, ‘If I don’t give football a try, I’ll have a regret, and I don’t wanna have regrets. I know I can still (play football), and I know that’s what I want to do,’” Shannon’s father, Dan, said.

Brady Shannon pitches during a game at Ursuline High School. While he's now a right fielder for Youngstown State and the Stompers, Shannon played third base and took the mound during his high school days. Courtesy of Brady Shannon

Outside of his Youngstown home as a kid, Shannon and his brother Nolan took ground balls, pop-ups and practiced pitching under the streetlights. Even at age 10, Shannon refused to come inside after hours of work.

When Nolan worked at Sports World, Shannon used the batting cages to get in extra swings. His power increased, and by age 15, he’d crushed 460-foot home runs for his travel team — Release Baseball — which garnered interest from Cincinnati and Bowling Green.

During the spring, Shannon’s favorite sport was baseball. The second the leaves turned, he liked football more. Upon entering Ursuline, he possessed the skills to play basketball, too.

Two weeks before Shannon’s first football season, the Irish’s starting quarterback broke his leg. Shannon was about 6-foot, 180 pounds and a junior still sat ahead of him on the depth chart. That teammate played one series, and Shannon never lost the job after that, Dan said.

He wasn’t handed success, though. Ursuline went 1-10 in Shannon’s first year under center. Three years later, he led the Irish to their first state title game since 2010. Shannon broke passing records held by former NFL quarterback Daryll Clark, which earned him offers from Massachusetts, YSU, Akron and Kent State.

“Larry Bird could see the court. Wayne Gretzky or Sidney Crosby can see the ice. Brady can see the field. He can look at his five receivers in 2.5 seconds,” Dan said.

“Larry Bird could see the court. Wayne Gretzky or Sidney Crosby can see the ice. Brady can see the field. He can look at his five receivers in 2.5 seconds.””

— Dan Shannon, Brady Shannon's Father

On the court, Shannon averaged 17 points per game but felt basketball “wasn’t in the cards he was dealt.” Come spring, Shannon had little time for more than training but still dreamed of college baseball.

His high school career kicked off with a home run in just his second at-bat. In Shannon’s sophomore year, his recruitment expanded, with the Yankees and Rockies coming to Youngstown to watch him play.

Just months before his senior year, Shannon announced his commitment to play D-I baseball at the University of Central Florida. But during his first year with the Knights, something was missing.

On Saturday mornings, Shannon would turn on the television and think he could make the same throws as those college quarterbacks. He’d speak with John Rhys Plumlee — a center fielder and QB at UCF — about the two-sport life. Shannon envisioned that for himself, but he wondered if he’d be able to achieve all he wanted to at UCF. The answer was no.

When longtime head coach Greg Lovelady left the Knights, Shannon saw the opening he needed to rethink his future.

“College sports is really turning into a business, and when someone’s investing their time and money into you, and that person leaves, there’s not much of an investment there anymore,” Shannon said.

Though his stint at UCF was brief, Shannon still played in 25 games. In his first two, he hit home runs — one, a walk-off — and became one of 11 Knights with multiple homers in the season.

Brady Shannon poses with John Rhys Plumlee at a 2023 UCF game. Plumlee — now a Seattle Seahawks wide receiver — served as a blueprint for Shannon’s decision to pursue both football and baseball. Courtesy of Brady Shannon

The stats were there. Now, Shannon just needed to make it known he was serious about two sports. He received numerous offers for baseball or football, but few were for both.

That was until Youngstown State reached out to him. Shannon practically lived on YSU’s campus growing up. He learned of Jim Tressel’s legacy, idolizing his four National Championships, with hopes to bring a fifth.

To Youngstown State, Shannon was “the hometown kid.” His first phone call with YSU baseball head coach Trevor Charpie was straightforward. Charpie expressed his interest, Shannon asked where to sign and the rest of the call was about throwing touchdown passes.

When Shannon entered Charpie’s office in person, the excitement escalated. Charpie saw Shannon as a “cool guy,” but most importantly, someone with a “crazy athletic ability.”

“He’s a freak. He looked like a Greek god,” Charpie said of their first interaction. “This guy is what you dream an athlete’s body would be. You could just tell right away he was gonna be a hell of a baseball player.”

Shannon’s arrival was during his sophomore spring, but it was too late to join the baseball team. He’d flipped to football and participated in spring practices and workouts. The whole time, though, Charpie had his eye on Shannon. They talked about Shannon’s health, but Charpie let him “do his thing.”

Football season crept up, and Shannon didn’t play much baseball but attended practices on Mondays — his football off-day. His appearances weren’t often, but Charpie said Shannon had a “natural aura” about him.

Sept. 7, 2024, against Valparaiso proved he’d chosen the right path. Before the game, the football team walked through the same parking lot where Shannon grew up tailgating. Hundreds of fans were already there to welcome the Penguins. Shannon spotted his entire family, but what made him most grateful was seeing nearly “100” other familiar faces.

Shannon said it “was the best” and comforted him in a hectic time. YSU ended the season 4-8, and he played in just three games, but he was halfway to his dual-sport dreams. The baseball team took advantage of Shannon’s time playing football, taking recruits to the games and pointing out that Shannon was their right fielder. Now came baseball time.

Unlike baseball’s workload in the fall, football is pretty much a year-round sport. Meanwhile, Shannon was trying to get back into baseball after a year off. His first at-bats came during the Fall World Series, so it was difficult for Charpie and his staff to analyze his talent.

Still, the grind quickly began. Shannon grew accustomed to returning to school after a baseball road trip at 2 a.m. while having a football workout at 6. His daily routine consisted of waking up around 5:30 a.m. and heading to the football facility for 7 a.m. meetings. Football practice was from 8-11 a.m., followed by class from 12-1:45 p.m. Then, Shannon would go straight to Eastwood for 6 p.m. games, and bedtime was around 10 p.m.

“It was everything I imagined it to be and more. It was a lot, but it was something where you can’t complain about it because you’re doing two things you always wanted to do.””

— Brady Shannon, Youngstown State Quarterback and Outfielder

“It was everything I imagined it to be and more,” Shannon said. “It was a lot, but it was something where you can’t complain about it because you’re doing two things you always wanted to do.”

Shannon also had to juggle the NCAA’s weekly hour limitations, which note athletes can only participate in 20 hours of team activity per week, regardless of how many sports they play. Charpie worked with YSU football head coach Doug Phillips to discuss when Shannon would work with the team and independently.

But through it all, Shannon stayed composed. When Charpie called his name, Shannon was ready. He hit 10 home runs, the third most on the team, while having the eighth most at-bats.

On May 10, everything clicked. In the ninth inning with YSU down one, Shannon smoked a walk-off two-run home run over the right field fence to give it a 13-12 win over Oakland. The following day — Mother’s Day — Shannon blasted a solo shot to left field with his mom, Kerry, in the stands. He received the ball postgame and immediately gave it to her.

“He’s just cool as a cucumber. Ninth inning, down one, whatever the case may be, if Brady Shannon’s up, we’re good,” Charpie said. “I’ve never had the opportunity to coach a guy like Brady Shannon. I think he’s 1-of-1. I don’t think I’ll ever have another athlete like him.”

Watching Shannon play on the same field where he grew up, Dan calls his son’s path “wild” and “surreal.” But Shannon’s far from finished. After spending last summer with YSU football, he’s now giving baseball his full attention, showing the Stompers exactly what Youngstown State sees every day.

“Did I expect him to be this good? You always expect your sons to reach for the stars, and I think he hasn’t reached his ceiling in either sport,” Dan said. “He never ceases to amaze me.”

Complete effort propels Stompers past Legends 13-6

The Stompers received 22 free passes in Sunday’s matchup with the Legends, which played a key role in their 13-6 win.

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

Sunday’s game against the Legends featured no shortage of storylines. Anthony Scheppler tallied a hit for the first time in 17 at-bats, Nic Sebastiani notched his first multi-home run game of the year, Harun Pelja pitched five one-hit innings and the Stompers received 22 free passes.

Sonoma manager Zack Pace has said it all. He knows Scheppler has struggled but commends him for his hard work pregame and away from Arnold Field. Pace thinks Scheppler — who’s currently in the transfer portal — has the potential to help several Division I programs.

Pace has emphasized the revival of Sebastiani’s play at the plate after a strong end to last season. Sebastiani was one of the younger players on last year’s squad, but he’s emerged as a leader this time around. After a rough start to the summer, Sebastiani’s found his groove, raising his batting average to a season-high .275 while carrying an .891 OPS.

The Stompers’ pitching staff has been one of their greatest assets, and Pelja added to the success on Sunday. He’s now surrendered an earned run in just one start this season — Sonoma’s 6-5 win over Menlo Park on June 13 — and he has a sub-one ERA.

To wrap up the storylines, Pace hasn’t been shy about his team’s pitch selection and ability to have quality at-bats. As the most hit team in the CCL this year, Pace said, the Stompers continue to earn free base runners. Against the Legends, they walked 14 times, alongside eight hit-by-pitches.

When these pieces mix, good things are expected to happen. On Sunday, they did. Sonoma (17-11, 14-9 CCL) played a complete baseball game to defeat the Legends 13-6. The win marks the Stompers’ sixth in seven matchups between the two teams so far.

“(We’ve) just been doing our quality Stompers baseball,” Pace said postgame. “Filling up the zone on the mound and playing good defense and taking our quality at-bats. It’s about putting those three together.”

Just doing those three would be an understatement to describe Sonoma’s win over Menlo Park. Everything they’ve been doing consistently was displayed Sunday; nothing was left out.

The Stompers were the first team to score. It’s become a constant trend, and Sonoma held its own on offense all game. After a 1-2-3 first inning, Scheppler finally reached base via a hit, as previously mentioned, with an RBI double to score Sebastiani. Scheppler would score soon after when Ben Sebastiani walked, and a pitch with the bases loaded hit Colton Boardman.

The floodgates opened from there. With two outs in the third inning and the bases loaded, Esteban Sepulveda cleared the bases with a single ripped into center field. Then, the Stompers showed off their “special,” with Sepulveda coming home on a passed ball.

Holding a six-run lead looked safe, but Nathan Bunyard struggled the night before, and Sonoma had a chance to lose it. This time around, Pelja continued to shove. In the fourth, he retired Menlo Park in order. In the fifth, he did it again.

“I feel like every outing, we’re about to fight to get (Pelja) out of the game because he wants to stay in,” Pace said jokingly. “He does a really good job of getting a lot of outs and having quality outings every time he’s out there.”

As Pelja dealt, the Stompers added more runs. Sebastiani struck his first home run in the fourth, and Brady Shannon scored Tyler Schlafer on a sacrifice fly the following inning.

Then came Sonoma’s bullpen effort. Sean DeBoard, Justin Jones and Nikolas Haas struggled in their innings, each allowing two runs, but Jaden Mason and Christian Klostermann stepped in and shut the Legends down. 

It was the Stompers all the way. They scored one more when Cameron Hegamin plated Heeryun Han on a sac fly in the seventh. As a bit of insurance, Sonoma scored four more runs in the eighth, with a Shannon single and Sebastiani’s second home run — a three-run shot — to give the Stompers their 11th, 12th and 13th runs.

Menlo Park applied pressure in the eighth and ninth with four of its six runs coming then. But Sonoma’s lead was too large to overcome.

“Our approach has been pretty good the last couple days. I feel like we’ve definitely been improving,” Pace said. “It was definitely nice to see our guys come through.”

The Stompers will receive their regular Monday off-day before taking on the Legends again on Monday at 5 p.m.

Stompers even season series with 10-5 victory over Crawdads

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

Games between the Stompers and Crawdads are always fiercely competitive. After Walnut Creek ended Sonoma’s 2024 CCL playoff run, the Stompers were eager to bounce back in 2025.

In the first of their nine contests this season, Sonoma shocked the Crawdads with a commanding 10-4 win. But over the next three days — with a day off in the middle — Walnut Creek stormed back with 4-2 and 10-1 wins, reclaiming the season series while reminding the Stompers why it’s the top team in the CCL North.

Despite having just three hits ahead of Saturday’s contest, Trent Keys hit a double and triple while tallying two RBIs to help push the Stompers past the Crawdads.

With just one matchup against the Legends on Friday before Saturday’s rematch with the Crawdads, Sonoma had a chance to regroup and sharpen its game to even the season series and the week.

Under Saturday night lights at Arnold Field, the Stompers (16-11, 13-9 CCL) outscored Walnut Creek 6-1 over the final five innings to secure a 10-5 victory. Two-out scoring proved to be the X-factor, with Sonoma plating seven of its 10 runs with two outs.

“There’s a lot of clutch hits, and like we’ve been talking about all year, we always have those (runners left on base),” Stompers manager Zack Pace said postgame. “I feel like we got it done tonight. We got those (runners) in. We always say, ‘Two-out hits win championships,’ so hopefully we continue that trend.”

Sonoma often opens its games with immediate offensive pressure but struggles to maintain it. By the second time through the Stompers’ batting order, they regularly falter, giving opponents a chance to mount a comeback. On Wednesday, Sonoma tied the game in the second inning, but Walnut Creek would score nine unanswered runs.

That wasn’t the case Saturday. In classic Stompers fashion, they took the lead early with a Brady Shannon RBI single before he scored on a wild pitch during McCann Libby’s at-bat. 

With Nick Santivanez on the hill for Sonoma, that two-run lead would typically last. This time around, Santivanez couldn’t hold up his end, allowing a season-high four hits and four runs after not surrendering more than one in any of his previous starts. All four of Santivanez’s runs came in the second inning.

His struggles were inevitable, though. Santivanez had started the season nearly perfect for the Stompers, but his 9.75 ERA from his campaign at Cal State Northridge always presented uncertainty.

“He didn’t have his stuff, but he battled and tried his best,” Pace said. “(Walnut Creek) had that big inning, but sometimes you just have to battle through and find a way to get it done.”

Even with Santivanez’s miscues on the mound, Sonoma provided him with run support. Trent Keys tripled, and Colton Boardman doubled in the second to even the game at four apiece.

From there, the Stompers emerged. Jayden Harper relieved Santivanez and pitched three scoreless innings while striking out six batters. In the fifth inning with the game still tied, Paul Lizzul clobbered a solo home run over the right field fence to regain Sonoma’s lead, adding to his impressive week that featured two other extra-base hits.

“I was just looking for a pitch down. (Carson Timothy) was working his off-speed well,” Lizzul said postgame. “When I got that pitch down in the zone, it just clicked right there.”

The one-run lead wasn’t comfortable enough, especially with Walnut Creek boasting some of the CCL’s best hitters in Baylor’s John Youens and Sam Jenkins. But Luke Duncan pitched two more innings to have Nathan Bunyard put the finishing touch on the game in the final two.

After Nic Sebastiani and Shannon helped Sonoma score three more runs in the sixth, Trevor Schlafer tallied his first RBI and run of the summer when he drove in Cameron Hegamin on a fielder’s choice and scored on Keys’ double — his second extra-base hit of the evening.

Now, Bunyard was in an even better spot. Up six runs, the decision was nearly assured. And despite only appearing in one game on June 8, Bunyard seemed like a good option to complete the job.

But his rustiness shone. He pitched 0.0 innings while walking two batters and hitting one. He even started pitching to the next batter, Kam Taylor, but threw two balls, leading Pace to replace him with Heeryun Han.

All of a sudden, the Crawdads were breathing. Han hadn’t allowed an earned run in his three prior outings, but recently surrendered four unearned to Walnut Creek on Wednesday. This time, though, Han dialed in and escaped the jam and more, pitching the final two innings to will the Stompers to victory.

“If there’s one guy on the team that can (battle), it’s Han,” Pace said. “He’s just an ideal guy that’s gonna find a way to help you win the game.”

Energy levels remain high with the win, marking Sonoma’s second straight ahead of a Sunday matinee matchup with the Legends and a chance to win the week.

“It’s electric. These guys are all pulling for each other, and it’s just a great environment to play in,” Lizzul said.

Howard’s start, Shannon’s 2-out hit boost Stompers to 5-1 win over Legends

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

The Stompers opened CCL play with their strongest start since joining the league in 2022. The reason is pitching.

Brady Shannon’s two-out two-RBI single in the sixth inning became the game-winner as Sonoma defeated Menlo Park 5-1.

Sonoma manager Zack Pace said on Friday that his squad has the best staff in the league. He knows that. His pitchers know that. And that confidence on the mound has translated to wins. There’s an energy in Sonoma that fuels destructive victories and aids in tight losses.

In the CCL North, the Stompers’ pitchers stack up well against just about anyone. Nick Santivanez and Jaxen Rowland lead the league in wins (three), Santivanez places second in strikeouts (22) and Devon Laguinto ranks third in ERA (4.77). But another piece of Sonoma’s core is David Howard, who hasn’t allowed a run since his first start on June 6.

Howard got the nod again Friday and helped the Stompers (15-11, 12-9 CCL) get back on track with a 5-1 win over the Legends. He surrendered just two hits in five innings, lowering his batting average against to .175, which ranks second on the team for qualified pitchers over 15 innings (Harun Pelja, .157).

“We’ve been going hard every day. They’ve been working their tails off,” Pace said postgame. “We took care of the ball and pitched pretty good.”

On June 14, Sonoma faced Menlo Park for its second game of a four-game series. The Stompers had scraped a win the night before on a Connor Pawlowski walk-off single. They had the momentum but quickly lost it when the Legends scored nine runs in the first five innings.

But even in a gloomy night, Howard provided Sonoma with a positive, striking out five batters in the final two innings. His performance was key, as the Stompers nearly mounted a comeback despite falling 9-8.

Howard had dominated that lineup, and he was out to do it again. Through three innings, Howard was sharp, allowing just one hit. Sonoma hadn’t scored yet, but the game remained a deadlock.

In the fourth, Menlo Park broke the scoring open, though. Dane Most singled and stood on second after an error by Paul Lizzul. Most pressured Howard by stealing third and later scored when Colton Boardman chose to get an out over the runner.

From there, it was all Sonoma. Howard’s day was done after the fifth with just 67 pitches. Rowland relieved him with two innings, while Brandon Leon and Braden Guentz pitched the final two.

Offensively, the Stompers got out front in the sixth with an explosive three-run inning. Landon Akers started things with a walk, and Pawlowski was hit by a pitch. But with two outs, the odds remained in Menlo Park’s favor. Nic Sebastiani then loaded the bases with another walk, bringing Brady Shannon to the plate.

Shannon was a highly touted recruit out of Ursuline High School (Ohio). He displayed power and speed, and while he was slumping as of late — going 0-for-7 in his last two games — Shannon delivered on Friday.

Akers first scored on a wild pitch. Then, Shannon ripped a single into right field to score Pawlowski and Sebastiani, giving Sonoma the lead.

“That’s just baseball, to be honest,” Shannon said postgame of overcoming his recent struggles. “You’re grinding every day, and body’s going through it. So, really just trying to stick it out and swing my way out of it. I just stuck to my (approach), and it worked out.”

Shannon’s base hit became the game-winner, but Boardman and Lizzul added insurance in the seventh and eighth innings to cap the win.

The Stompers will take on the CCL North-leading Crawdads on Saturday at Arnold Field, with Santivanez looking to lead Sonoma to victory once again.

“Excited to go to battle tomorrow. Hopefully, we can even up the week and even up our series against Walnut Creek,” Pace said.

Stompers collapse in series finale, fall 10-1 to Crawdads

The Stompers made three errors and allowed six unearned runs in their 10-1 rubber-match loss to the Crawdads Wednesday.

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

Command’s not the same as control. For a pitcher, command is when you throw strikes. It’s when you paint the zone, disrupt your opponent’s timing and will your team to victory. Command often correlates with control. But when energy levels are low, hits are minimal and errors are being made, teams can have no control, even when their pitcher has complete command.

The Stompers returned home Wednesday for the rubber match of a three-game set against the Crawdads. They’d flashed both command and control in the first two games — one a win, one a loss. But on Wednesday, Sonoma (14-11, 11-9 CCL) lacked the former and completely lost the latter, falling 10-1 to Walnut Creek in the series finale.

“Just keep on grinding it out. It’s one pitch, one at-bat at a time,” Stompers manager Zack Pace said postgame. “(We can’t) get too far ahead of ourselves. Just gotta take it (slowly).”

Most of the Stompers’ games are defined by the early innings. It was the same Wednesday. Yet instead of Sonoma jumping to its common immediate lead, it was the Crawdads that struck first.

Devon Laguinto’s been one of the Stompers’ most consistent pitchers. His two last games were nearly lights out, as Laguinto pitched 11 total innings and allowed just two runs, both resulting in Sonoma victories. When Laguinto shoves, the Stompers win.

On Wednesday, he didn’t shove. It was that simple. He struggled to hit his spots. Esteban Sepulveda — who was absent from previous games — didn’t help Laguinto, displaying “rustiness,” Pace said, behind the dish on simple throws back and balls in the dirt.

Between the battery, the Stompers were in shambles. Each batter Laguinto faced in the first inning worked the count to at least three balls. He walked two, and a passed ball scored the first run of the game. Though Laguinto settled down for the second inning, his semi-disastrous first inning foreshadowed the remainder of the game from the third inning on.

“He didn’t come out sharp like he’s been in the past. Kinda had a rough first inning, but he settled in after that,” Pace said. “Pitch count went up in a hurry, though, and couldn’t extend him.”

In the second inning, Sonoma tied things up. It found life when Trent Keys and newcomer Cameron Hegamin — in his first Stompers at-bat — pushed Keys to third and reached on an error by third baseman Ryley Leininger. Sepulveda knocked Keys home with a sacrifice fly, but that was all the Stompers would get.

From then on, it was all Walnut Creek. On three hits and one official error, the Crawdads extended their lead by four runs in the third inning. Laguinto pinned the zone slightly more than the first, but his defense did him no favors.

A run was scored when a ball went under Brady Shannon’s glove in right field. Nic Sebastiani — who played one game at third base in 2024 — struggled at the hot corner with a ball that ate him up. Another ball was hit to Shannon soon after, which he fired home, but it popped out of Sepulveda’s glove on the tag.

As the Stompers attempted to claw back from the 5-1 deficit, runners in scoring position were not in their favor. With two outs both times, Shannon popped out and struck out in the situation to end the innings.

“He was getting his swings off but just couldn’t get it done,” Pace said of Shannon. “We want him to be successful, and we know he’s not gonna be successful every time, but he’s just gotta get it next time.”

On the mound, Chris Albee relieved Laguinto and shut down the Crawdads from gaining insurance. He pitched two innings and allowed zero runs, lowering his season ERA to 1.08. Micah Marquez replaced Albee for two more and allowed just one run, which came unearned after he missed an underhanded toss from Keys at first base.

That was just the way Wednesday’s contest was playing out. Plays that would result in easy outs nine out of 10 times were miscues. The body language showcased that. As Sepulveda struggled to get into a groove in the squat, he overshot Sebastiani at third base after a strikeout and bounced a few balls into second base on throw-downs.

The game looked decided, but Walnut Creek wanted to make sure. In the eighth, facing two-way sidearm reliever Heeryun Han, the Crawdads teed off. They added their final four runs, extending their lead to nine, as Han allowed two hits and two walks. However, while Han’s outing looked poor on the scoreboard, each run was marked unearned with an error from shortstop Colton Boardman on a transfer that sent the Stompers packing.

Sonoma’s greatest threat came in the ninth. It had bases loaded with one out. But to follow the game’s script, Ben Sebastiani grounded into a soft double play to end the game.

The Stompers will receive a day off on Thursday before returning to Arnold Field Friday for a matchup with the Legends.

“We have a nice off day tomorrow to regroup, and we’ll be ready for the weekend series,” Pace said.

Crawdads solidify 4-2 win over Stompers with 2-run 8th inning

The Crawdads tallied more hits and capitalized on the Stompers’ lone error to defeat them 4-2 on Tuesday.

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

Momentum is essential in all sports, but in baseball, it can make or break a season. Coaches often emphasize keeping the line moving at the plate. They drill into their team how crucial it is to let go of mistakes out in the field. Stompers manager Zack Pace echoes that sentiment, stressing the importance of energy in the dugout and its translation to performance.

Pace preaches not letting one bad play turn into a second. Whether Sonoma’s up five or down five, he wants his squad to keep the same competitive spirit. That was displayed Tuesday against Walnut Creek, where Trent Keys replaced first baseman Paul Lizzul due to his poor plate presence.

Anthony Scheppler — who’s struggled as of late — was kept out of the starting lineup Sunday so Ben Sebastiani could get a chance at third base. Changes like these sometimes build positive momentum. Other times, they backfire.

On Tuesday at Monte Vista High School, the Stompers (14-10, 11-8 CCL) fell 4-2 to the Crawdads. Despite making three substitutions, Pace struggled to crack the code to Sonoma’s overall rhythm.

“Just (need to) control what we can control,” Pace said postgame. “The umpires try to do their job. I’m trying to coach. The player’s job is to play… just gotta do the little things right.”

After winning Sunday’s matinee matchup with the Crawdads, Sonoma was in the driver’s seat. It showcased a lively offense with 10 runs in the first six innings. Its pitching staff struggled at times, but it was mostly the defense that contributed to Walnut Creek’s four runs. Still, it was a positive after the Crawdads ended the Stompers’ season in 2024.

But Pace barely believes in momentum when it comes to complete games. He knows it can impact the team within the day, but he thinks each day is a new opportunity to perform at a high level. That was shown on Tuesday. Walnut Creek battled back from its uncharacteristic performance in the series opener and tallied more hits, made fewer errors and struck out more batters than Sonoma.

It seemed like the Crawdads were going to win the entire time. Their energy level was higher, and they came out of the gates strong. The Stompers nearly scored in the first inning when Nic Sebastiani reached third base after being hit by a pitch. Landon Akers also singled. But Colton Boardman, McCann Libby and Brady Shannon were retired to send Walnut Creek to the plate.

It immediately took the lead. The first play of the bottom half saw Jared Mettam reach on an error by Scheppler. He stole second before scoring on a Joey Donnelly base hit. It was just one run, but it deflated Sonoma. Connor Pawlowski, Lizzul and Scheppler were all punched out swinging to bring the Crawdads back to the dish.

On the mound for the Stompers was Charlie Malton. Although he struggled in the first, he settled in to retire Walnut Creek for the next three innings. Malton finished allowing just the lone first-inning run. He only struck out two batters, but his three hits surrendered limited the Crawdads’ offense.

Sonoma’s staff gave it a chance even when Malton was replaced. Lucas Alaniz pitched an inning, and Cole Pacheco, Ryan Seo and Kyle Seo followed him up, each with one more.

Pace was impressed with Malton and thought the four relievers gave the Stompers the best chance to win. But he also knows it should’ve been a tied game if Sonoma could’ve “played catch” in the early going and limited its errors.

On the offensive side, the Stompers continued to struggle. They had three singles in the third inning but couldn’t score. They had another base hit and a hit-by-pitch in the fifth, yet were soon retired. Walnut Creek’s staff was making things interesting, but it continued to limit Sonoma’s lineup.

Opened by Kody Perry and followed by Carson Timothy, the two right-handed pitchers anchored the Crawdads through 5.1 innings. Noah Zirkle and Kam Croghan relieved through the eighth. Their offense even enlarged their cushion in the bottom half of the eighth, scoring two more runs to hold a four-run lead.

The Stompers had one last try. They’d shown almost no energy at the plate, but a little bit of fight surfaced. Keys was hit by a pitch, and Ben singled. An error put Boardman on, and two straight walks from Nic and Akers plated Keys and Ben. However, Pawlowski and Heeryun Han flew out, and Libby grounded out to halt any momentum and end the game.

Pace doesn’t think the two runs in the ninth will translate to Wednesday’s series finale. But he knows Sonoma has just as good a chance as Walnut Creek back at Arnold Field at 6:05 p.m.

“Tomorrow’s a whole new day. We gotta go reestablish everything,” Pace said. “If we have any momentum, cool. Hopefully, we go play better tomorrow.”