By Jordan Kimball
Seventy-two hours together isn’t much time, and for the Stompers, it showed. After a brief team meeting on Monday, the new wave of Stomps — most of whom had recently arrived from their respective schools — took their first steps onto Arnold Field on Tuesday for batting practice.
Then, on Wednesday, the season began.
Facing a non-league foe like the Bercovich Honors allowed Sonoma a chance to find its footing. Despite the Stomps leading most of the contest, the Honors pulled ahead late with seven walks in the ninth inning and never looked back, claiming an 8-7 victory.
Following an impressive third-place finish in the California Collegiate League in 2024, Sonoma’s loss increased its hunger to begin its campaign on the right foot. Thursday’s matchup with the Petaluma Express offered another opportunity to enter the win column.
However, a three-run third inning by Petaluma paired with a complete-game gem from pitcher Luke Dillon powered the Express over Sonoma (0-2, 0-0 CCL) 3-2. After tossing six innings and striking out eight in a 2024 outing against the Stomps, Dillon went the distance Thursday, fanning nine and allowing just six hits.
Despite Wednesday’s defeat, Sonoma had already solidified much of its starting nine, including its lineup’s top five hitters. They had flashed potential, with Anthony Scheppler driving a triple into the outfield and Nic Sebastiani building off his 2024 season in which he hit .324.
Though on Thursday, that momentum looked like a distant memory. The Stomps were retired in order in the opening frame via a Landon Akers flyout, Colton Boardman popout and a Sebastiani lineout.
On the other end, Sonoma’s Devon Laguinto matched Dillon pitch-for-pitch. In the first inning, Laguinto fanned Jelani Mason and Lucas Schaefer, with J.T. Summers grounding out in between. He added two more punchouts in the second.
When the Stomps returned to the dish, they had a prime opportunity to strike ahead with their three-, four- and five-hole due up. But the inning started flat. Esteban Sepulveda and Scheppler were retired on grounders to the pitcher and first baseman. A two-out rally seemed unlikely until Kieran Baker extended the inning after being hit by a pitch.
From there, Baker stole second and advanced to third on an error by Express catcher Mason Cox. But Adam Alharbi struck out to end the threat.
Had the Stomps scored in the second, the momentum might’ve flipped. Instead, Petaluma escaped the jam and seized it in the third. Cox overcame his earlier mistake with a dribbler over the mound he beat out for an infield single.
Laguinto retired the next hitter, but with one on and the top of the order due up, Petaluma was poised to capitalize. Mason grounded out, while Kalen Clemmens reached on a hit-by-pitch. Summers followed with a walk after falling behind 0-2 to load the bases.
Schaefer returned to the dish, and on the first offering, he popped it into shallow left field. A miscommunication between Sebastiani and Scheppler led to the ball bouncing off Scheppler’s glove, allowing two runs to score.
Caze Derammelaere then singled off Scheppler’s glove down the third base line, driving in the Express’ third run. Summers was thrown out trying to take third to end the inning, but the damage was done.
The three runs were all Petaluma needed to hold off the Stomps. Dillon remained dominant, recording two strikeouts in the third despite giving up his first hit to Akers. He then induced a double play the following inning to erase a Sebastiani single.
Sonoma generated some life in the fifth, as Connor Pawlowski, Boardman and Baker all walked alongside an Akers single. However, the rally produced just one run, with Alharbi, Paul Lizzul and Sebastiani retired.
The Stomps added their final run down to their last out with a 102-mile-per-hour 343-foot solo home run for pinch-hitter Trent Keys. But Pawlowski worked the following count to 2-2 and went down on strikes to close the game.
The Stomps will look to bounce back and earn their first win of the 2025 season Friday when they rematch the Express at 6 p.m. at Arnold Field.