Pawlowski walks it off as Stompers outlast Legends 6-5 in back-and-forth battle

By Jordan Kimball

It's a rare sight to see a catcher shine on the offensive front. They’re usually in the spotlight for their work behind the dish. Sonoma Starter Esteban Sepulveda fit that mold in his first five CCL games, hitting 1-for-10. Then, on Thursday, he tallied three extra-base hits, including a game-winning three-run home run, leading the Stompers to their first win over the Merchants.

With Sepulveda at DH after his marvelous performance, Connor Pawlowski received the start at catcher Friday, batting eighth. Expectations for much of an offensive contribution from the Bellarmine redshirt junior were slim. But the position stayed hot for the Stompers.

Pawlowski went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a walk, raising his CCL batting average to .385. But more impressively, when the moment called for it, he delivered, ripping a single through the 5-6 hole to send Sonoma (8-6, 5-4 CCL) home happy with a 6-5 walk-off win over the Menlo Park Legends.

“It feels great. Nothing like a walk-off,” Pawlowski said postgame. “It’s been a crazy journey… but it feels like home here.”

The Stompers entered the ninth inning knotted at four with Menlo Park. Yet there was no reason to be content. They held a lead in the eighth inning before a Will Robbins double tied the game.

The ninth then quickly unraveled. After Jaxen Rowland took over for Nicholas Poulus and escaped an eighth-inning jam, he surrendered a leadoff home run to James Bose, a 319-foot shot that marked Bose’s second of the game and gave the Legends a quick edge.

Now, after holding a late lead, the Stompers were on the verge of defeat. That’s when their offense came alive. McCann Libby opened things with a first-pitch single before Kieran Baker reached and Libby progressed on an error. A bunt from Nic Sebastiani pushed them both into scoring position, and Landon Akers worked eight pitches out of newly-entered Sam Young, including a wild pitch that scored Libby to even the score. 

That’s when Pawlowski approached the plate. He swung through Young’s first offering ahead of a foul that brought him down 0-2. But with all eyes on him, Pawlowski worked two more pitches before his walk-off single.

“He can hit. We did it yesterday with Sepulveda… (now Connor’s) been really clutch in those situations and comes through,” Stompers manager Zack Pace said postgame. “That’s just a sign of a really good hitter.”

While Pawlowski’s heroics saved the day, early leads have been what’s provided Sonoma with momentum. They had another one Friday.

After Max Handron’s first hit of summer ball — a double — put Sonoma in the driver’s seat in the first inning, the real damage came in the second. Sebastiani and Trent Keys were hit by pitches, which later resulted in the game’s first run — Sebastiani scoring on a passed ball.

Menlo Park took the lead in the following frame, though. Bose opened the inning with his first home run. Gavin Shaddix made a trip around the bases following his walk and eventually scored on a wild pitch from Sonoma starter Harun Pelja.

After falling behind early, Pelja settled in, allowing just those two runs while striking out six over four innings. Typically used out of the bullpen, his surprise start brought energy to Pace’s dugout.

“(I think we see him there more) as long as I don’t have to fight him to get him out of the game,” Pace jokingly said. “He wants to battle. He wants to compete. You always want guys who want the ball.”

Brandon Leon replaced Pelja on the bump, calmly pitching two innings, but allowed Menlo Park to extend its lead when TJ Schmalzle opened the sixth inning with a solo shot.

The Stompers regained the lead in the bottom half of the sixth, courtesy of three hits — one, a Pawlowski RBI single, two hit-by-pitches and an error. The trend of back-and-forth baseball continued.

Robbins tied it in the eighth, Bose gave the Legends life in the ninth, but it was Pawlowski who delivered the final blow.

The Stompers have a chance to clinch a series win Saturday at 6:05 p.m. in a rematch with the Legends at Arnold Field.

Sepulveda’s 3 hits, 4 RBIs power Stompers to 7-5 win over Merchants

By Jordan Kimball

Esteban Sepulveda. A name that’s been commonly used on defense but barely heard on offense. Sepulveda’s gotten the majority of the Stompers’ starts behind the dish, but in his five CCL games prior to Thursday, he was 1-for-10. He was due at the plate, so he made some adjustments. His number was different. His walk-up song was different. He said it was time for a change.

When Sonoma lost to the Merchants on June 5, acting manager Paul Maytorena said the Stompers lacked the “big hit.” On Thursday, though, Sepulveda brought it. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Colton Boardman stood on first, and Trent Keys was on second. Sepulveda was in the box.

Will Bonini had just entered the game on the mound for Alameda, but Sepulveda had already seen enough. He roped a 1-0 offering far over the left-field fence. The home run gave Sonoma (7-6, 4-4 CCL) a 7-5 lead, which it never relinquished.

“I made everything a lot more simple. I was just trying to be aggressive,” Sepulveda said postgame. “If it was over the white, I was swinging.”

The Merchants have caused the Stompers their most trouble in the opening two weeks of the season. Alameda defeated Sonoma 4-3 on June 5 and stole another win on Wednesday in a 5-3 victory. But in each battle, the Stompers have fought to the point where a win seemed more than possible.

It just hasn’t gone their way. In their first matchup, manager Zack Pace was ejected in the first inning. Wednesday’s contest saw Sonoma hold a fourth-inning lead, but the Merchants took it back.

On Thursday, the puzzle pieces finally fell into place. However, it initially looked unlikely.

Devon Laguinto struggled in his last outing, allowing three runs and five hits in a 4-3 loss to the San Luis Obispo Blues on June 4. On Thursday, the Stompers faithful saw an entirely different version of him.

Laguinto ran through the first inning, retiring the Merchants in order while capping it with a filthy slider that rung up former Stomper Ben Giovannetti. Yet in the second frame, Laguinto entered a jam. He allowed a towering 332-foot home run golfed past left field from Jace Jeremiah. Matteo Mendoza then doubled and scored on an RBI single from Kaleb Latimer.

But that was it. Laguinto’s outing ended after five innings while striking out eight. He only allowed two runs in the second inning, showcasing his command, especially on his off-speed pitches.

“He just fills up the zone. Mixing in his off-speed, keeping hitters off balance,” Pace said postgame. “Mainly just that tempo… he’s pounding, pounding, pounding the zone over and over again.”

Sonoma was down early, but it wouldn’t last long. In the fourth inning, Sepulveda led off with a double before McCann Libby immediately singled to score him. The Stomps added another run when Libby scored on a wild pitch two batters later, tying the game at two runs apiece.

From there, it was back-and-forth baseball at Arnold Field. Sonoma added one run in the fifth, courtesy of Sepulveda’s second double. 

After allowing three runs in the top of the sixth, the Stompers added four runs in the bottom half. Sepulveda’s long ball was the game-winning knock, but a Boardman single that scored Anthony Scheppler proved crucial in the win.

Heeryun Han silenced Alameda’s lively offense in the seventh and eighth. He repeated in the ninth. The result was the Stompers’ first win over Alameda this season, improving their record to 4-4 in CCL play. It wouldn’t have been possible without Sepulveda’s three hits and four RBIs.

“It’s awesome to see (Esteban) get it done in big moments when it counted. Especially when we put him in the three-hole today,” Pace said. “We obviously think highly of him, even though he didn’t have the results already, it’s good to see him come through in that situation.”

Sepulveda and Sonoma will look to stay hot with a 6:05 p.m. matchup against the Menlo Park Legends on Friday back at Arnold Field.

Stompers lose early lead in 5-3 loss to Merchants

By Jordan Kimball

On June 5, the Stompers fell victim to the Alameda Merchants’ early attack. In the first inning of that matchup, Sonoma manager Zack Pace was ejected, and the Merchants tallied three runs. Despite a late Stompers comeback, Alameda held onto its early momentum, taking a 4-3 win in the lone meeting.

“Thirteen runners was plenty, but we just didn’t get the big hit,” Stompers acting manager Paul Maytorena said postgame that day. “We need a productive at-bat, and we didn’t get it at the time.”

A familiar script unfolded Wednesday when Sonoma battled against Alameda for a second time. After allowing an early run, the Stompers took a lead in the fourth inning. But the result stayed the same. The Merchants prevailed 5-3 to improve to 2-0 against Sonoma (6-6, 3-4 CCL) this season.

With Jayden Harper on the mound for the Stompers, expectations were high. Coming off a season at Cal State Fullerton and, more recently, a three-inning scoreless outing against the San Luis Obispo Blues on June 3, Harper looked poised to lead Sonoma to its third straight win.

However, he struggled early on. After the Stompers went down in order, besides Anthony Scheppler reaching on an error, a double by Ben Reiland was followed by an RBI single from Ben Giovannetti, giving Alameda the early lead.

It didn’t last long, though. Adam Alharbi got things started for Sonoma with a walk before Brady Shannon stayed hot with a single. Shannon tried to take an extra bag and was caught up, but Alharbi scored to even the game at one apiece.

From there, back-and-forth baseball occurred until the fourth inning. The Stompers stole the lead with more magic. Nick Sebastiani knocked in Paul Lizzul with a single, and Shannon scored on a Colton Boardman base hit.

But after the two runs, it was all Alameda. In the bottom of the fifth, it struck sidearm reliever Ryan Seo. Ryan allowed two hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch, allowing the Merchants to tie the game at 3-3.

In the sixth and seventh, they added on. Now facing Ryan’s brother, Kyle, Alameda scored two runs in as many innings. It forced a walk and four hits out of Kyle, resulting in the commanding lead late in the contest.

In the sixth, Noah Smallwood scored on a passed ball on the first pitch to Merchants’ leadoff man Dominick Najar. The seventh saw Cy Turner score on a Jace Jeremiah sacrifice fly, in which Jeremiah wasted no time by hitting Kyle’s first offering. 

The Stompers surrendered to Alameda’s momentum, going 1-2-3 in the eighth and not causing much of a threat in the ninth.

After pure dominance from Sonoma in its final two games against the San Francisco Seagulls, it showed Wednesday that its offense isn’t always going to be that dominant.

The Stompers have a chance to return to the win column with a 6:05 p.m. rematch Thursday against the Merchants at Arnold Field.

Stompers demolish Seagulls 14-0 to claim 1st CCL series win

By Jordan Kimball

After Sonoma’s 9-0 loss to the San Francisco Seagulls on Friday, most of its players sulked as they walked off the field.

Rightfully so.

The Stompers didn’t notch their first hit until the seventh inning and were shut out in the series opener after allowing a six-run fourth.

The next day, hitting coach Paul Maytorena gathered the team after batting practice before the Stomps’ rematch. The meeting served as a chance to regroup, refocus and most importantly, hold each other accountable. The result was a dominant 14-3 win, where comments from the pregame meeting had been addressed and executed.

After the game, Stompers manager Zack Pace said he felt Sunday’s rubber match would be a “dog fight.” He expected a close game given the pure dominance from both sides thus far.

However, he couldn’t have been more wrong. But for Pace, in the best way possible. Sonoma (6-5, 3-3 CCL) absolutely demolished the Seagulls 14-0 Sunday, claiming its first CCL series win after it looked out of reach Friday.

The Stompers’ bats were hitting. Their arms were causing whiffs. And for anyone unaware of what sport was being played, they would’ve thought the Sonoma Stompers was a football team.

“That's the great thing about this game. Every day's brand new. I was expecting a dog fight today after the two blowouts,” Pace said postgame. “But we filled up the zone and they didn't as much as us, and we hit and they didn’t.”

With Justin Jones on the mound for Sonoma, uncertainty surrounded the first inning. Last Sunday against the Alameda Anchors, Jones pitched one inning and allowed four runs. But in heroic fashion, Heeryun Han sent the Stompers home happy with a walk-off single.

Entering Sunday, Sonoma had shown in its last few games it can’t get down early. For the Stompers to win Game 3, Jones had to silence any doubters that remained from his previous performance — and San Francisco’s bats. He did just that.

Jones’ day ended after three innings of scoreless baseball. He allowed just one hit, struck out four batters and walked two, propelling the Stompers into the driver’s seat before they even got their first at-bats.

And when they did, they capitalized. After newly-appointed leadoff man Colton Boardman opened the first inning with a double, Anthony Scheppler laid down a bunt to move him 90 feet further. From there, Landon Akers walked, and McCann Libby started the scoring after his sacrifice fly brought Boardman home.

The sequence wasn’t as emphatic as Sonoma’s six-run first inning Saturday. But with Jones’ command, one run proved to be more than enough. 

After a 1-2-3 first inning, Jones issued two walks in the second. Still, when it mattered most — with the Seagulls in scoring position — he did his job to keep the Stompers in front.

“He’s a great arm. He has a really good fastball,” Pace said. “He competes. He does a lot of good things on the mound to control the running game. I was really pleased with him and look forward to seeing him out there next time.”

In the third inning, Sonoma extended its lead. It had run San Francisco starter Ben Eisenhauer out of the game, who was replaced by Maxwell McGrady. McGrady knew the Stompers all too well. Similar to Eisenhauer, McGrady was also taken out of his start after pitching just 0.2 innings Saturday.

The Stompers had attacked him then, and they planned to attack him again. Scheppler immediately reached base on an error, moving to second on the same play. Akers then singled to score Scheppler before Libby kept the rally going with an RBI base hit. An Esteban Sepulveda fielder’s choice scored Libby — Sonoma’s final run of the inning, but that wouldn’t be its last time crossing home.

In the fourth, the Stompers added two. In the fifth, they scored four more. The sixth saw one run. And the seventh featured the final three.

The Stompers’ offense couldn’t cool down. It tallied 11 hits and forced two errors. Brady Shannon secured his first two hits of the summer, one, a 385-foot triple into deep centerfield. Everything went right for Sonoma. It couldn’t have gone worse for San Francisco.

After McGrady’s three-run 0.0-inning outing, the Seagulls relied on position players to fill their bullpen. Jackson Landry allowed two runs. Ben Resnick surrendered four. And Jackson Schefsky gave up the final four.

The Stompers did it in momentous fashion. They obliterated San Francisco’s pitching. Their arms held their own. And it’s a nice way to enter a two-day break ahead of a game in Alameda on Wednesday.

“I thought our guys did a really good job. Proud of the way we split the weekend, and hopefully we can go out and win next week,” Pace said.

As mentioned, Sonoma will take the field Wednesday in Alameda against the Merchants as it looks to build off its football-like performance. First pitch is slated for 6:05 p.m.

Offensive explosion powers Stompers’ 14-3 thrashing of Seagulls

By Jordan Kimball

Runs have been hard to come by for the Stompers. Since opening CCL play on Tuesday with a 7-1 win over the San Luis Obispo Blues, Sonoma had scored just six runs in three games — all losses. Rock bottom came Friday in a 9-0 defeat to the San Francisco Seagulls, where a near no-hitter was broken by an Anthony Scheppler seventh-inning single.

As a result of the offensive struggles, Stompers manager Zack Pace shuffled the lineup for Saturday’s rematch. Colton Boardman jumped to the leadoff spot while Landon Akers’ power was displayed in the three-hole. Other adjustments followed, and the results showed. 

The Stompers (5-5, 2-3 CCL) earned their second CCL win with a 14-3 blowout of San Francisco Saturday. Sonoma got ahead early, scoring eight runs in the first two innings and tallying 10 hits total. Its pitching shut down the Seagulls’ offense, striking out 14 batters, to cap a successful first game away from Arnold Field.

“Some days you have good days, some days you have bad,” Pace said postgame. “I thought we just did a good job of sticking to our approach.”

Friday’s matchup was bizarre, to say the least. Sonoma and San Francisco went back and forth for the first three innings before a six-run fourth inning for the Seagulls broke the deadlock. The Stompers couldn’t counter, and San Francisco never looked back. It felt like the Seagulls had the game the whole time, but Sonoma constantly found itself with opportunities, yet couldn’t get the “big hit” — or really any hit.

A similar story happened Saturday. Except this time, the roles were reversed. While early offense has been nearly non-existent for Sonoma, it couldn’t be more visible in Game 2. The Stompers had their largest inning of the season in the first, scoring six runs on four hits. They chased SF starter Maxwell McGrady off the mound after he recorded just two outs.

The momentum was irrepressible, but it wouldn’t stop there.

Sonoma’s second time around saw it add to its lead. Akers followed his first-inning walk with a second-inning single, advancing a base on an error by the left fielder. Nick Sebastiani then reached for the first time, forcing another mistake, this time by shortstop Jake Brewer. A wild pitch scored Akers before McCann Libby built off his first-inning double with a base hit. Trent Keys walked — one of his five in the game — eventually moving 90 feet on a wild pitch that scored Sebastiani.

Connor Pawlowski flew out to end the inning, but the harm was done.

As the Stompers entered the third inning with a comfortable 8-0 lead, starting pitcher Nick Santivanez held down the fort from the mound. He earned his first win of the year with a four-inning outing, striking out seven of the 15 batters he faced while allowing just two hits.

San Francisco had no answer for Santivanez’s stuff. His off-speed pitches had hitters off balance. His fastball blew into Pawlowski’s glove behind the dish. The CSUN freshman retired the Seagulls in order in the first inning before notching three strikeouts in the second frame.

“When he gets ahead with that fastball, good things happen. He has a really good arm, and he stayed ahead of hitters all night,” Pace said.

Santivanez allowed his first hit in the third — a single from Alan Ramirez — but a groundout to Boardman at shortstop ended the inning. Santivanez pitched a strong fourth, capping off the impressive performance that kept the Stompers in front.

Their once-eight-run lead quickly grew in the fifth. Akers — who made the All-Atlantic Sun Second Team at shortstop and led Bellarmine in slugging percentage (.511) — showcased his power with a two-run nuke, scoring Scheppler to give the Stomps their ninth and 10th runs.

No. 11 came an inning later when Pawlowski knocked home Keys, and 13, 14 and 15 all happened in the seventh inning thanks to five base runners, hit-by-pitches, balks and wild pitches.

The 14-2 game looked all but sealed — and it was. San Francisco tacked on one run in the ninth but lacked the firepower for what would’ve been a miraculous comeback. It fell 14-3, as Sonoma reclaimed momentum after Friday’s demolition.

The message is now clear: Sunday’s series finale is huge. It can send notice to the rest of the CCL not to get too comfortable after one big win. And Pace knows exactly what’s coming.

“Expect a dog fight tomorrow. Don't expect it to be easy. It's gonna be a dog fight. We're looking to win this series. But it’s gonna be a grind. And (we need to) be ready to go,” he said.

The Stompers will seek the series win Sunday afternoon with a 1:05 p.m. first pitch back in wine country at Arnold Field.

Sonoma records just 2 hits in 9-0 defeat to Seagulls

By Jordan Kimball

Adam Alharbi flew out to centerfield to open the seventh inning, bringing Anthony Scheppler to the plate. Scheppler’s at-bat looked to be ordinary. The former Ohio State infielder toed the back of the batter’s box. He dug his front foot into the dirt three times. Scheppler then eyed pitcher Logan Wenzel as “Rock That Body” by the Black Eyed Peas played in the background.

The first pitch from Wenzel was a slider away that Scheppler chased. A fastball in the dirt followed. Scheppler then swung at a pitch above the zone, falling in the count, 1-2. But Wenzel’s next offering was clubbed into right field, sinking fast before finally touching the grass.

The Arnold Field crowd erupted not just because Scheppler displayed an impressive piece of hitting. Instead, because it marked the Stompers’ first hit of the contest.

Scheppler’s knock became one of Sonoma’s (4-5, 1-3 CCL) only bright spots as it was shut out 9-0 against the San Francisco Seagulls Friday. San Francisco’s pitchers held the Stompers to just two hits, both of which came down eight runs. Meanwhile, Sonoma struggled with control on the mound, allowing eight hits while walking eight batters.

“We gotta fill up the zone, and we need to find a way to get on base,” Stompers manager Zack Pace said postgame. “Just gotta find a way to hit the ball better, get better pitches and be on time.”

Leading up to the seventh inning, Stomps fans could feel the minimal energy. They often tried to revive their team, chanting “Let’s go Stompers” and engaging in mid-inning activities over the PA system. But nothing was working. The momentum was nonexistent, a recurring theme over Sonoma’s last few games.

After defeating the San Luis Obispo Blues 7-1 on Tuesday to open league play, the Stompers had scored just six runs in three games. Each matchup? A defeat. They fell 4-3 to SLO on Wednesday, followed by a 4-3 loss to the Alameda Merchants on Thursday. Now, a 9-0 thrashing by the Seagulls.

But besides Sonoma struggling in each of those games, a deeper trend emerged. The Stompers couldn’t get the “big hit,” something heavily discussed following Thursday’s back-and-forth battle.

This time, though, no hit could be found.

After David Howard allowed two base runners on in the first inning, he settled in, escaping the jam without surrendering a run. But in return, the Stompers grounded out to shortstop Jaylen Hodges three times, going down before Howard could take much of a rest.

Still, he came out ready to go in the second inning, retiring SF’s first two batters before Ben Resnick walked. A single into right field had Resnick rounding second base, but an accurate throw from Kieran Baker caught Resnick before he touched third safely.

The potential run-saving throw should’ve put some fire in Sonoma’s dugout. Instead, they threatened but fell into a double play in the bottom half to quickly approach the third. There, each team was scoreless, but the Stompers put a runner in scoring position for the second time in as many innings. An Esteban Sepulveda pop-up to first base erased the rally.

The fourth is when things got interesting. After dominance from Howard in the opening frames, he ran into trouble when Pranav Sundar walked on five pitches. Ethan Johnson followed suit before Howard made a fielding error to load the bases with no outs.

A wild pitch scored the Seagulls’ first run before a groundout back to Howard scored another. Then, Resnick redeemed himself after the previous miscue on the basepaths, knocking a double into right field to score Mac Galvin. Resnick’s at-bat would be Howard’s last.

Patrick Richardson replaced Howard, but San Francisco kept swinging. On Richardson’s first pitch, he hit Finn Whalen and a single by leadoff hitter Alan Ramirez scored Resnick. A wild double play ended the inning, yet somehow, two runs scored on the play.

Richardson allowed two more runs in the fifth, signaling the point of Scheppler and Trent Keys’ entrances into the game.

“We wanted to see if somebody else could turn it around,” Pace said. “Change the momentum of the ballgame. Try to find a way to hit the ball.”

Unfortunately, a 1-2-3 inning was the result in the fifth and sixth innings. But while Sonoma sulked at the plate, Braden Guentz — Richardson’s replacement — starred on the rubber. He went 3.2 innings, allowing just one hit.

His strong outing was overshadowed by the Stompers’ struggles offensively, but the appearance was an encouraging one for Sonoma going forward.

“He’s a great arm for us,” Pace said. “I think he’s going to be great all year, and he did an excellent job to stop the bleeding today.”

Baker finally strung together the Stompers’ second and final hit to lead off the eighth inning. But after reaching third base, three straight outs silenced the threat. Sonoma was retired in order in the ninth, ending a difficult loss that was its third straight.

The Stompers will hit the road for the first time this campaign with a rematch against the Seagulls Saturday in San Bruno at 6:05 p.m.

Stomps fall short of late comeback, lose 4-3 to Merchants

By Jordan Kimball

Thursday’s game was barely five minutes old when the Stomps lost their leader. After dealing with inconsistent calls in the Merchants’ first few at-bats, Sonoma manager Zack Pace voiced his annoyance by walking onto the field and having a conversation with the umpires.

The decision by Pace led to a quick ejection, a momentum-shifter that resulted in the Stomps (4-4, 1-2 CCL) falling 4-3 to Alameda Thursday. The loss was highlighted by a quiet offensive performance, with Sonoma tallying six hits yet just two runs before the eighth inning. Meanwhile, the Stomps’ pitching held the Merchants to five hits but allowed three runs in the first inning.

“Hats off to (Alameda). They had some arms. They did their job,” Stomps acting manager Paul Maytorena said postgame. “We got some good swings off when we needed to, but it just fell in the wrong hands.”

In Sonoma’s recent games, it’s taken an early lead and forced its competition to match. But right from the get-go Thursday, the Stomps fell behind. In starting pitcher Brandon Leon’s first appearance in CCL play, he allowed three earned runs in one inning of work. Control was Leon’s issue, as he threw 21 balls and hit one batter in the frame.

Unlike Wednesday’s loss, when the Stomps continued to match the San Luis Obispo Blues, a single from Colton Boardman was all Sonoma received in the first inning. He entered scoring position on a stolen base, but a McCann Libby groundout erased the threat.

From there, the Stomps’ pitching held their ground. Harun Pelja replaced Leon on the rubber and quickly retired the Merchants’ top four hitters.

Sonoma capitalized on Pelja’s strong performance. After the Stomps’ first two hitters were sat down, Brady Shannon was hit by a pitch. Trent Keys followed with a single, and Connor Pawlowski’s base hit drove Shannon home.

Sonoma wasn’t done, though. Pawlowski and Keys each advanced 90 feet after a wild pitch, giving the Stomps their second run of the game. The rally put Sonoma down one, but it would be challenging to score again.

Pelja struggled in the third inning, allowing a run on Frank Zapata’s single that scored Jace Jeremiah. That was all the Merchants would get for the rest of the game, though.

As the contest progressed, it seemed like a constant battle for the Stomps to find magic at the plate. They consistently put runners on base but couldn’t find ways to drive them home. 

In the third inning, Boardman led off with a walk, but Nick Sebastiani, Libby and Paul Lizzul went down in order to end the inning. A similar sequence occurred in the fourth. Adam Alharbi and Shannon were retired quickly, but Keys showed some fight. After six pitches, though, Keys struck out swinging for out No. 3, bringing Sonoma closer to a loss.

“Thirteen runners was plenty, but we just didn’t get the big hit,” Maytorena said. “Tonight was the big hit. We need a productive at-bat, and we didn’t get it at the time.”

The game became repetitive. Another strong showing by Pelja in the fifth inning — his fourth and final frame of the game — brought the Stomps to the dish with a fighting chance to break their silence. However, a Landon Akers single was all Sonoma received, a brief flicker of light in a dark inning.

The sixth saw the Stomps in one of their best positions of the night. After Libby was put away on a groundout, Esteban Sepulveda and Alharbi walked. Charlie Malton did his job, moving both runners over with a groundout to second base.

But with two outs, Sonoma’s threat was erased. Keys chopped one to third, where a deep throw was made to catch him at first.

While the Stomps’ time seemed to be running out, their pitching held firm. After Pelja’s four-inning relief outing, Jaxen Rowland, Jason Olvera and Nicholas Poulus continued to clean up from the bullpen.

The seventh inning saw Rowland retire Alameda in four batters to complete his day on the hill, before Sonoma again showed life. But the trend continued. Pawlowski and Akers reached base. They advanced when Boardman hit a ball to third. Yet Sebastiani and Libby couldn’t get the ball out of the infield, stranding two runners in scoring position.

The momentum only crumbled from there. The eighth saw Sonoma put runners in scoring position again, scoring one on a wild pitch. But at the plate, hitters failed to battle, swinging at pitches out of the zone to head to the ninth.

With one chance left, the odds looked promising. But in the same fashion as the rest of the game, the Stomps put a runner on base but couldn’t drive him home, resulting in the 4-3 loss.

“The scoreboard shows it. We’re in reach every time. We’re not down by a touchdown,” Maytorena said. “That’s the dog in (us).”

Sonoma returns to Arnold Field on Friday, looking to snap its two-game losing streak with a 6:05 p.m. matchup against the San Francisco Seagulls.

Stomps fall 4-3 in back-and-forth affair against San Luis Obispo

By Jordan Kimball

Losses are part of the grind in sports, but for the Stomps, they’ve been rare. After falling in its first two games of the 2025 campaign, Sonoma had won four straight entering Wednesday’s matchup with the San Luis Obispo Blues. Coming off a 7-1 win Tuesday against the Blues, the Stomps were in the driver’s seat. But you can’t win them all, and that was shown in Sonoma’s (4-3, 1-1 CCL) 4-3 loss to SLO Wednesday.

“Every day, whether we win or lose, we gotta be ready to go and try to improve tomorrow,” Stomps manager Zack Pace said postgame. “It’s just about being ready to work again and trying to bring it to get a victory.”

While Sonoma fell to the Blues Wednesday, it started things off nearly mirroring its 7-1 win the day prior. The Blues had a runner on early in the first inning Tuesday, and the same happened Wednesday. But both times, the Stomps’ pitching shut them down. A deep fly ball was caught by Sonoma right fielder Brady Shannon before SLO’s Eli Henderson walked on seven pitches. But Stomps’ starter Devon Laguinto — in his second start of the 2025 campaign — settled in. He sat down Donovan Jordan and Mason Ashlock to end the inning.

When Sonoma had its first chance, it capitalized. On Blues starter Scott Bauman’s opening pitch, Landon Akers was nailed in the shoulder. He advanced to second on a Heeryun Han sacrifice bunt before a double-steal brought him to third and Nick Sebastiani to second after a four-pitch walk.

A wild pitch soon advanced them, giving the Stomps the early lead. Following the run, Bauman exited the game with an injury, and former Stomp Hawk Hill replaced him. Hill retired Charlie Malton to end the first, but Sonoma was in front.

“It’s good seeing some guys get a little bit more comfortable and swing the bat a little bit better,” Pace said. “That’s definitely a good thing to see, and hopefully, we keep improving.”

The lead didn’t last long, though. Zach Tallerman led off the second inning with a double and was driven home on a 6-3 groundout. But similar to the first, Laguinto got comfortable. He put away Sonoma State catcher Brodie Miller and Gavin Constantine, giving the Stomps another chance to get in front.

Colton Boardman started a rally. He singled on Hill’s second pitch, advancing to third base on an Esteban Sepulveda single. Boardman then scored on a Paul Lizzul base hit, reclaiming the lead for Sonoma.

But in a seesaw affair, the lead again disappeared. Laguinto’s intended pitch count was 40, and the Blues’ lineup brought him there quickly in the third. SLO leadoff man Ethan Royal and two-hole Henderson both singled. A bunt from Jordan advanced them each 90 feet before Ashlock ripped a single into left field to drive them both home.

And unlike the other innings when the Stomps and Blues matched each other, Sonoma had no answer. Sebastiani, McCann Libby and Malton were erased in order in the bottom half as Nikolas Haas took the mound in the fourth.

To start, Haas was nearly flawless. In his three innings of work, he allowed just two hits and struck out three. However, in the top of the sixth, with the Blues still ahead 3-2, Tallerman notched his second extra-base hit with a home run to deep left field. The lead was SLO’s largest of the two-game series, but the momentum continued to swing.

Libby led off the bottom of the sixth with a deep homer, cutting the Stomps’ deficit to one. Boardman singled after a Malton flyout to the warning track, but Shannon grounded into a double play to end the threat.

From there, both teams’ offenses were relatively silent. Chris Albee replaced Haas on the rubber, retiring the Blues with ease to bring Sepulveda to the dish. Though a hard lineout snared by SLO’s second baseman foreshadowed the rest of the Stomps’ inning.

Lizzul singled, but a firm Akers lineout erased it after pinch runner Kieran Baker was doubled up at first base — the Blues’ third double play in as many innings.

With SLO down quickly, Sonoma was back at the plate. Yet, the same story remained. Han failed to reach base for the third time after he and Sebastiani flew out, before Libby ended things with a strikeout.

With only one inning remaining, the momentum was low for the Stomps, but their pitching staff continued to impress. Albee allowed a leadoff single, but two lineouts and an 8-5 putout brought Sonoma to the dish for one last time.

However, nothing materialized. Malton, Boardman and Shannon were put away, ending Sonoma’s four-game win streak.

“We’re still a good team, and we’re gonna be right where we wanna be at the end of the year,” Pace said. “It’s baseball. You’re not gonna win them all. We’re going to get out there tomorrow and hopefully get a victory.”

The Stomps will look to get back on track when they return to Arnold Field on Thursday for a 6:05 p.m. battle with the Alameda Merchants.

Stomps open CCL play with 7-1 win over San Luis Obispo

By Jordan Kimball

Offense was the difference in the Stomps’ last game — a 15-14 win over the Alameda Anchors that closed non-league play Sunday. Pitching dominated the Anchors a day prior in a 4-2 victory.

Both played a key role Tuesday in Sonoma’s (4-2, 1-0 CCL) 7-1 CCL-opener win against the San Luis Obispo Blues. The Stomps tallied six hits and reached base 13 times, providing too much firepower at the plate for the Blues’ pitching staff to handle. Meanwhile, their staff struck out 16 batters and allowed just five hits.

“We’ve been playing better since our first couple games. Guys are jelling a lot more together,” Stomps manager Zack Pace said postgame. “I like our morale. I like our team’s confidence building. It’s a good victory for us.”

As league play got underway at Arnold Field, Jayden Harper immediately silenced any premature hope for SLO. The Cal State Fullerton senior let up a quick double to Blues centerfielder Ethan Royal but struck out the next two hitters. He finished things off by forcing a Donovan Jordan flyout, giving the Stomps their first chance at the plate.

They quickly took the lead. After Landon Akers lined out on the first pitch he saw, Heeryun Han walked. He took off for second base before Nic Sebastiani drove him in via a full-count double roped down the right-field line. The Stomps doubled their damage when Sebastiani scored on a wild pitch.

After Harper recorded two more punchouts in the second inning, Sonoma started right where it left off offensively. Charlie Malton and Anthony Scheppler reached base on two straight errors by SLO first baseman Brendan Comerford. Trent Keys then walked to load the bases before Luke Duncan was hit to bring home a run. Then came the leadoff man, Akers, who made the Blues pay. After a wild pitch advanced each runner 90 feet, which scored Scheppler, Akers singled to drive in Keys and Duncan.

SLO went to its bullpen, but the result barely changed. Han was hit, and a passed ball moved him and Akers up to second and third. McCann Libby followed with a sacrifice fly to deep left field to score Akers, putting the finishing touch on the five-run inning.

“(Our offense) is a little scrappy. (We’re) trying to find a way on,” Pace said. “We had a very good approach in those first couple innings and scored a lot of runs.”

Even down big, the Blues struggled to battle. They were held with just three base runners in the first three innings, and each time, nothing materialized.

However, that trend didn’t continue in the fourth. Ryan Seo replaced Harper on the mound, and he quickly struggled. The first three batters he faced reached base, resulting in Jordan scoring on a Comerford single.

From there, though, Seo settled in. He retired the Blues’ next three hitters, including a strikeout on Kosei Suzuki — a .344 hitter from Frank Phillips College.

Seo showcased even more dominance in the sixth and seventh innings, accumulating six more strikeouts against the final seven batters he faced. The result? A three-inning outing for Seo with seven strikeouts, also pitching his most innings since joining Cal State Fullerton before the 2025 season.

“Lots of sliders. Slider was good. Fastball was good. Just trying to fill up the zone, and good things will happen,” Seo said of his approach and what worked.

While Seo dominated the Blues, the Stomps struggled offensively, tallying three singles from the fourth to the seventh inning. And when Kyle Seo, Ryan’s brother, took his spot on the mound, Sonoma continued to stay silent, with its lone hit over the last two innings a Scheppler single to left field.

But Kyle held firm. He matched his brother, pitching three innings while striking out four. He also didn’t allow a base runner, capping off a solid all-around win for the Stomps to open CCL play.

“I’ve obviously played a lot of baseball with (Kyle),” Seo said. “It’s fun to get out here with my brother. It’s super meaningful and a great opportunity.”

Sonoma takes on the Blues once again on Wednesday for its second CCL game. First pitch will be at 6:05 p.m. at Arnold Field.

Hee-Ryun Han’s walk-off single lifts Stomps to 15-14 win over Alameda Anchors

By Jordan Kimball

With bases loaded and no outs, Hee-Ryun Han calmly approached the plate. He took one practice-swing, grabbed the brim of his helmet, used the remaining pine tar from the handle of his bat and stepped into the box.

On third base stood Kieran Baker. Landon Akers straddled second, and Adam Alharbi was on first. The Alameda Anchors drew their infield in, knowing if they didn’t catch Baker at home, the game would be over.

The lefty Han took Jafari Williams’ first offering inside for a ball. Then, Han came through.

On the 1-0 count, he pulled a chopper to first base, where an outstretched dive from Titus Wheelock wasn’t enough. The ball rolled into right field, and Baker came home to seal Sonoma’s win.

“I just try not to strikeout first,” Han said postgame of his approach in that final at-bat. “I just try to hit middle middle. I think that was my goal and my job.”

With Han’s heroics, Sonoma (3-2, 0-0 CCL) survived an offensive battle, as the Anchors and Stomps combined for 25 hits. After giving up a six-run lead after the eighth inning, Sonoma battled back to score one in the ninth to take a 15-14 victory in its final non-league matchup.

“Just trying to score and keep it up, cheer me up. That’s why we get the (runs) in the ninth inning. It worked out today,” Han said.

Prior to Han’s game-winning at-bat, he could be spotted down the right field line in the bullpen warming up.

In nine appearances on the rubber at the New Mexico Military Institute in 2023-24, Han pitched 12 innings with a 6.00 ERA. He also had 52 hits in 150 at-bats, including 13 doubles and four triples.

After Han’s time with the Broncos concluded, he attended Los Medanos College, where his two-way presence was displayed. In 43 games, Han sported a .404 batting average with 41 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. He also pitched 10 innings.

If Sunday’s game was extended, Han was again ready to showcase his unique prowess.

“Going two ways is a hard job, but when I throw on the mound and warm up to pitch, I just think about how I’m still facing the hitter,” Han said. “That’s why, when I go on deck, I can think about (the approach to take).”

Despite Han’s game-winning hit, contributions from other Stomps led him to that position. On the mound to open the afternoon was Nick Santivanez. His command was in check early, striking out the side to begin the game.

In the second inning, his dominance remained, as the Anchors were again retired in order after a strikeout, groundout and popout. However, Sonoma couldn’t capitalize, with Matt Orozco matching each of Santivanez’s moves.

Finally, the Stomps opened the scoring during their third time at the dish. After Connor Pawlowski and Paul Lizzul were put away on 10 total pitches, Akers — Sonoma’s leadoff hitter — was up. He took the first pitch from Orozco for a ball before crushing a pitch inside over the left field fence to put the Stomps ahead.

The run proved crucial, as Alameda battled back and took a 3-1 lead after its next time at the plate. But in a seesaw battle, Sonoma scored two courtesy of a McCann Libby double and a Trent Keys single to even the score.

The fifth inning is when things escalated. The Anchors immediately attacked Shane Aldridge when he replaced Santivanez. They scored five runs on five hits against him and Jaden Mason before the Stomps returned to the dugout.

But with Lawrence Westbrook entering for Alameda, Sonoma answered back. Led by an Akers single, an Alharbi single, a wild pitch and a Charlie Malton sacrifice-fly, the Stomps entered the sixth trailing 8-7.

After Mason and Dylan Adelman each settled down — pitching scoreless sixth and seventh innings — the Stomps finally exploded. To take the lead, they scored seven runs on just two hits in the bottom of the seventh. Five walks and a hit-by-pitch pushed Sonoma ahead.

But while the outcome looked decided, Alameda wasn’t done. It scored six runs on six hits between the eighth and ninth innings, setting up Han in the bottom half of the final frame to do his job.

As mentioned, he delivered.

The Stomps will look to extend their three-game win streak when they open CCL play on Tuesday at 6:05 p.m. against the San Luis Obispo Blues at Arnold Field.