The Stompers’ offense recorded 15 hits, 10 walks and seven hit-by-pitches, fueling their 17-13 victory over the Legends.
By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer
Complacency was a word echoed through Arnold Field Saturday. The Stompers were facing the Legends in their penultimate matchup before the All-Star break, and Sonoma had Menlo Park’s number. It led the season series 7-1 entering the final contest between the two squads.
But manager Zack Pace emphasized his squad couldn’t express contentment. To jump back up to first place in the CCL North, it’d need to keep its foot on the gas the entire game. In its two matchups against the Crawdads this week, it found itself clawing back from behind after allowing five and two runs in the first innings.
Both contests resulted in losses, dropping the Stompers from solely in first place to less than two games from not reaching the playoffs. With consistent success over the Legends all season, Saturday was a chance for Sonoma to get back on track.
“We’re playing baseball. We’re trying to do a good job today,” Pace said pregame. “Focus on ourselves. Hopefully, we just stay in the moment and stay locked in on every pitch.”
Four hours and four minutes after Pace’s sentiment, the Stompers (24-15, 19-13 CCL) returned to the win column. Twenty-four hits, 13 pitchers and 71 at-bats later, Sonoma found itself ahead 17-13 when Devon Laguinto recorded the final out.
“We did a good job of winning our at-bats and keeping the line moving,” Pace said postgame. “We took what (Menlo Park) gave us and strung it together.”
Right from the get-go, it looked like the Stompers’ bats would be the game’s storyline. Nick Santivanez was on the mound for Sonoma, but after shutting down the Legends’ first three hitters, the Stompers’ offense exploded.
Hit-by-pitches have been a hot commodity in Sonoma all summer. The Stompers have been hit 95 times. Next up in the CCL is the Merchants, who have been beaned just 56 times. At first, it meant free base runners for the orange and blue. Now, it’s putting Sonoma’s lineup at risk.
In that fashion, Colton Boardman led off the first inning by getting hit on the second pitch from UCSB’s Paul Wheeler. Max Handron singled to push Boardman to third, and McCann Libby walked to load the bases.
What followed for the Stompers was a mix of highs and lows. Matthias Haas fouled a ball off his hand. He never returned to the game. After Brady Shannon singled to score two runs and continue to pace the lineup in RBIs, Anthony Scheppler was hit in the back. Pace was livid.
“We got guys dropping. They’re getting hurt from these things,” Pace said. “I had to stand up for them. If you’re still hurting our guys, you gotta throw outside. You can’t throw inside if you can’t control it.”
Pace went to speak with home plate umpire John Pierce, but the situation didn't change. The next batter, Heeryun Han, was hit. Will Marlin replaced Wheeler, but Sonoma added three runs off him, bringing its first-inning run total to eight.
Santivanez stayed in control, and when the Stompers came back to the plate, they kept punishing Menlo Park’s mistakes. Trent Keys — who leads Sonoma with 17 hit-by-pitches — was nailed. Esteban Sepulveda also succumbed to the trend, this time with the bases juiced to score a run.
“We’re ball magnets out there,” Pace joked.
The third inning saw the Stompers’ lead continue to grow. Handron led off with a single and moved to second when Paul Lizzul walked. A wild pitch advanced them both 90 feet, and the UC Berkeley senior scored on Shannon’s sacrifice fly to left field. Han then singled to score Lizzul but ended the inning when he tried to stretch it into a double.
An 11-0 lead indicated dominance. Lopsidedness. Over an hour had passed, and Menlo Park had already used three arms. Then, the Legends began to mount a comeback.
In the top of the fourth, Santivanez walked the first two batters. Will Anderson cranked a home run to left field to cut Menlo Park’s deficit to eight. Jaden Mason replaced Santivanez but wasn’t much better.
He allowed two singles and a run scored on a fielding error by Libby in left field. Mason then threw a ball Sepulveda couldn’t handle, which plated another to cut the lead to six.
For the first time after the Legends’ five-spot, Sonoma didn’t score. But in the fifth, after Keys was hit for the second time, Han doubled to drive him home. The Stompers hadn’t lost a seven-run lead all season, yet each time Menlo Park was up, it looked more and more likely.
The following frame saw Quincy Via double and Charlie Deggeller walk off Kyle Seo. Mitchell Birdsall then smoked his first home run of the summer over the left field trees. But Sonoma kept fighting. It added five more in the bottom half when Boardman, Handron and Lizzul singled.
“I don’t really change much when I go up there,” Handron said postgame following his eventual five-hit performance. “I just see the baseball and put a move on it.”
After the three base hits, Shannon drove them in with a three-run home run, his third long ball in six games.
The lead was built, but Menlo Park responded with five of its own. Ryan Seo faced five batters, allowed four runs and didn’t record an out. He was replaced by catcher Connor Pawlowksi, who escaped the inning after giving up just one base hit and a run.
Three hours had passed. But all at once, both offenses came to a halt. The Stompers went with Luke Duncan and Laguinto on the bump to close out the game. Duncan allowed a double in the eighth but struck out three. Laguinto recorded two Ks and went 1-2-3 in the ninth to seal the victory.
With the win, Sonoma returns to first place in the CCL North, where it’s currently tied with the Merchants. Therefore, the stakes on Sunday are massive as the Stompers travel to Alameda College for the season series rubber match.
“You never know (what’s gonna happen) in this game after tonight,” Pace said.