By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer
Games between the Stompers and Crawdads are always fiercely competitive. After Walnut Creek ended Sonoma’s 2024 CCL playoff run, the Stompers were eager to bounce back in 2025.
In the first of their nine contests this season, Sonoma shocked the Crawdads with a commanding 10-4 win. But over the next three days — with a day off in the middle — Walnut Creek stormed back with 4-2 and 10-1 wins, reclaiming the season series while reminding the Stompers why it’s the top team in the CCL North.
Despite having just three hits ahead of Saturday’s contest, Trent Keys hit a double and triple while tallying two RBIs to help push the Stompers past the Crawdads.
With just one matchup against the Legends on Friday before Saturday’s rematch with the Crawdads, Sonoma had a chance to regroup and sharpen its game to even the season series and the week.
Under Saturday night lights at Arnold Field, the Stompers (16-11, 13-9 CCL) outscored Walnut Creek 6-1 over the final five innings to secure a 10-5 victory. Two-out scoring proved to be the X-factor, with Sonoma plating seven of its 10 runs with two outs.
“There’s a lot of clutch hits, and like we’ve been talking about all year, we always have those (runners left on base),” Stompers manager Zack Pace said postgame. “I feel like we got it done tonight. We got those (runners) in. We always say, ‘Two-out hits win championships,’ so hopefully we continue that trend.”
Sonoma often opens its games with immediate offensive pressure but struggles to maintain it. By the second time through the Stompers’ batting order, they regularly falter, giving opponents a chance to mount a comeback. On Wednesday, Sonoma tied the game in the second inning, but Walnut Creek would score nine unanswered runs.
That wasn’t the case Saturday. In classic Stompers fashion, they took the lead early with a Brady Shannon RBI single before he scored on a wild pitch during McCann Libby’s at-bat.
With Nick Santivanez on the hill for Sonoma, that two-run lead would typically last. This time around, Santivanez couldn’t hold up his end, allowing a season-high four hits and four runs after not surrendering more than one in any of his previous starts. All four of Santivanez’s runs came in the second inning.
His struggles were inevitable, though. Santivanez had started the season nearly perfect for the Stompers, but his 9.75 ERA from his campaign at Cal State Northridge always presented uncertainty.
“He didn’t have his stuff, but he battled and tried his best,” Pace said. “(Walnut Creek) had that big inning, but sometimes you just have to battle through and find a way to get it done.”
Even with Santivanez’s miscues on the mound, Sonoma provided him with run support. Trent Keys tripled, and Colton Boardman doubled in the second to even the game at four apiece.
From there, the Stompers emerged. Jayden Harper relieved Santivanez and pitched three scoreless innings while striking out six batters. In the fifth inning with the game still tied, Paul Lizzul clobbered a solo home run over the right field fence to regain Sonoma’s lead, adding to his impressive week that featured two other extra-base hits.
“I was just looking for a pitch down. (Carson Timothy) was working his off-speed well,” Lizzul said postgame. “When I got that pitch down in the zone, it just clicked right there.”
The one-run lead wasn’t comfortable enough, especially with Walnut Creek boasting some of the CCL’s best hitters in Baylor’s John Youens and Sam Jenkins. But Luke Duncan pitched two more innings to have Nathan Bunyard put the finishing touch on the game in the final two.
After Nic Sebastiani and Shannon helped Sonoma score three more runs in the sixth, Trevor Schlafer tallied his first RBI and run of the summer when he drove in Cameron Hegamin on a fielder’s choice and scored on Keys’ double — his second extra-base hit of the evening.
Now, Bunyard was in an even better spot. Up six runs, the decision was nearly assured. And despite only appearing in one game on June 8, Bunyard seemed like a good option to complete the job.
But his rustiness shone. He pitched 0.0 innings while walking two batters and hitting one. He even started pitching to the next batter, Kam Taylor, but threw two balls, leading Pace to replace him with Heeryun Han.
All of a sudden, the Crawdads were breathing. Han hadn’t allowed an earned run in his three prior outings, but recently surrendered four unearned to Walnut Creek on Wednesday. This time, though, Han dialed in and escaped the jam and more, pitching the final two innings to will the Stompers to victory.
“If there’s one guy on the team that can (battle), it’s Han,” Pace said. “He’s just an ideal guy that’s gonna find a way to help you win the game.”
Energy levels remain high with the win, marking Sonoma’s second straight ahead of a Sunday matinee matchup with the Legends and a chance to win the week.
“It’s electric. These guys are all pulling for each other, and it’s just a great environment to play in,” Lizzul said.