Tyler Garkow tied the franchise record for strikeouts in a game for the second time on Friday at Peoples Home Equity Ballpark at Arnold Field. (James W. Toy III / Sonoma Stompers)
Sierra Heil / Sonoma Stompers
SONOMA, Calif.– The Sonoma Stompers Professional Baseball Club, presented by Virginia Dare Winery, fell to the Pittsburg Diamonds 2-0 despite starter Tyler Garkow’s outstanding performance on the mound.
Garkow struck out 12 in seven innings and allowed just three hits and one earned run. It is the second start this season in which he has tied the franchise record for strikeouts in a game. In his first season with the Stompers, Garkow has totaled 51 strikeouts.
“I feel like I have a decent fastball that moves, but a mixture of fastball and cutter really kept them off balance,” Garkow said. “They had three hits… One was a bunt, one was a ball that just took a bad hop and a bloop single. Everything was working tonight.”
Both teams had only one hit apiece through 4 innings and Pittsburg scored the first run of the game in the sixth. The Stompers left 11 on base and recorded two hits to the Diamonds’ four. The low-offense affair stood in stark contrast to Thursday’s game, which saw both teams total 39 hits.
“Yesterday we scored 17 runs and baseball is a game where you can score no runs the next night,” Garkow said. “It’s a grind. It’s a long season. We just have to go out there and do the best we can every time.”
After drawing a walk in the fourth, catcher Isaac Wenrich threatened to score on a Yuki Yasuda hit down the third base line in the fourth inning. He was thrown out at home on a close call, thwarting Sonoma’s best chance to score.
Ty’Relle Harris, activated earlier in the day, came in to pitch the eighth inning for the Stompers and retired 3 in a row with 2 strikeouts.
“Having Ty’Relle come back is huge for us,” Garkow said. “He’s helping a lot of guys, myself included. He’s become my mentor and I appreciate everything he does for the entire team.”
The Diamonds sealed their win with a Vinny Guglietti home run in the top of the ninth. Sonoma’s record drops to 26-11 on the season while the Diamonds improve to to 21-16.
“This pitching staff needs to keep it rolling, there were only two runs tonight–Just roll that on to the next series and the next game,” Garkow said.
The three-game set at Peoples Home Equity Ballpark at Arnold Field continues Saturday. All Stompers home games are slated to begin at 6 p.m. for the remainder of the season.
Right-handed pitcher Stacy Piagno will get the start for Sonoma on Saturday. Piagno is one of two women on the Stompers’ roster and will make her first start of 2017 in the matchup.
STOMPERS TICKETS
Tickets and merchandise are available now either online or at the fan shop at 234 W Napa Street in downtown Sonoma. Tickets will also be available at the box office on game days, beginning 30 minutes prior to the game.
For more information, please contact the front office at 707-938-7277, or email info@stompersbaseball.com.