MATT HIBBERT RETURNS TO STOMPERS, SPARKS 7-RUN 7TH INNING IN ROUTE TO 8-2 WIN

SONOMA, Calif- The Sonoma Stompers opened up the first of 8-straight games at home Tuesday night against the Salina Stockade, who led for most of the ballgame until the Stompers rallied late.

 

Joseph Broderick (3-0) took the ball for Zack Pace and tossed his most effective start of the season. 

 

After a 1-out single by Nick Crouse in the top of the 3rd inning, Cody Bishop pulled his 8th home run of the season out of the park to right field to give Salina an early 2-0 lead. 

 

Broderick came out of the game after tossing 7 innings, allowing just the 2-run homer on 4 hits while striking out 8. He left the game trailing 2-0, but the offense came to life to earn him the win. 

 

Eric Gleese (1-6) took the mound for Salina and turned in his best start of the year, holding the Stompers hitless through the first 4 innings. Gleese allowed back-to-back singles to Matt Hibbert and Bronson Butcher and he walked Rayson Romero to load the bases before exiting the game for reliever Max Biedrzycki.

 

With the bases loaded and nobody out, Nick Gotta bounced into a fielder’s choice to drive in the first Stomper run to cut into the lead 2-1. With runners at the corners and 1 out, Gotta stole second and Butcher scored on the throw down to tie the game 2-2. Jacob Barfield then singled to left to put runners back on the corners for Chris Kwitzer who gave the Stompers a 3-2 lead with a sacrifice fly to center. RBI singles by Miles Williams and Rob DeAngelis extended the lead while the Stompers also took advantage on a couple of wild pitches, as they inflated the lead to 7-2, scoring 7 times in the 7th inning.

 

Brent Gillespie drove in a run in the bottom of the 8th inning on a sacrifice fly for the final run as the Stompers beat the Stockade 8-2, scoring 8 unanswered runs. 

 

The Stompers are back home on Wednesday night against the 2nd place San Rafael Pacifics at 6:05 at Palooza Park at Arnold Field.