SONOMA, Calif- The Sonoma Stompers slugged their way to a franchise record-setting 21-8 win over the Salina Stockade on Sunday afternoon. The Stompers magic number is now 9 after the big win and they lead the Pacific Association by 8 games.
The scoring opened in the top of the 2nd inning when Salina catcher Nick Crouse launched a 2-run home run off Stomper starter Joseph Broderick (3-0) to put Salina ahead 2-0.
The Stompers answered with a massive bottom half of the second inning, shelling Eric Gleese (1-7). Miles Williams was hit by a pitch to open the inning, leading to a Jacob Barfield 2-run shot to left (13), tying the game 2-2. Nick Kernthen walked and with one out Kern went from first to third on a Rayson Romero single to right field. The Stompers took a 3-2 lead when Kern scored on a Gleese wild pitch. Nick Gotta extended the lead with an opposite-field 2-run homer, his 4th of the season, growing the lead 5-2. Matt Hibbert got in on the action with a walk before Brent Gillespie launched the Stompers 3rd, 2-run blast of the inning, making it 7-2 Stompers.
Salina got one run back in the top of the 4th inning on a bases loaded walk to Cosimo Cannella, making the score 7-3.
Miles Williams kept the homers coming in the bottom of the 4th inning. After a Chris Kwitzer single led off the inning, Williams blasted a 2-run bomb over the top of the left-field foul pole, putting the Stompers up 9-3.
Salina got one more in the top of the 5th inning on Ryan Rodriguez’s 1st home run of the season, cutting into the Stomper lead 9-4.
The Stockade got too close for comfort in the top of the 6th inning, scoring 3 times in the inning to cut the lead to 2 runs, 9-7.
The Stompers answered right back in the bottom of the 6th inning on Williams’ 2nd home run of the game, this time a 3-run blast to bring the score to 12-7, but the Stompers were not done. Barfield followed with a double and Daniel Molinari then lined a double off the left-center field wall to tack on one more run to make it 13-7.
The biggest offensive inning had yet to come for the Stompers. In the bottom of the 8th inning, back-to-back walks to Williams and Barfield put a pair of runners on base for Kern who blasted a 3-run tape-measure shot over everything in left, what some say may be the farthest home run hit at Palooza Park at Arnold Field as the score ballooned to 16-7. Hibbert reached base on an error by Artsen at shortstop to bring in a run 17-7. Kwitzer singled home a run to make it 18-7. Williams brought in his 6th RBI of the game with a groundout to make the score 20-7. Kern added 2 more RBI’s on a 2-run single up the middle, giving him a 5 RBI inning, extending the lead to 21-7.
Salina scored once in the top pf the 9th inning but it was not enough to come back as the Stompers set a franchise record with 21 runs in the huge win.
The Stompers own an 8-game lead in the Pacific Association and are home again on Monday night against the Napa Silverados at 6:05.