By Elakai Anela, Beat Writer
Relief pitcher right-hander Alec Murray throws the ball Tuesday. Murray pitched two innings but allowed two earned runs and three hits in the Stompers 6-0 loss to the Blues at Sinsheimer Stadium in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Photo Curtesy of Karsen Kadien / Sonoma Stompers
The Sonoma Stompers (5-6 in the California Collegiate League) were held to one hit and struck out 18 times Tuesday as their season-high losing streak reached three games with a 6-0 loss to the San Luis Obispo Blues (11-2 in the CCL) at Sinsheimer Stadium in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Making his first start of the year, Blues right-handed pitcher Connor Mendez (Oregon State) struck out 11 of the 15 batters he faced and held a perfect game through five innings before being pulled from the contest.
Stompers manager Zack Pace said postgame that Mendez’s three-pitch mix was “tough on the hitters.”
Sonoma’s starting pitcher right-hander Jake Andreas (University of San Francisco) matched Mendez through four scoreless innings and picked up seven strikeouts. The Saint George, Utah, native has yet to allow an earned run in two starts this season.
“It was an outstanding job out of him,” Pace said. “He had their hitters on the defensive mode and that’s what you want from your starter.”
After Andreas exited the contest, San Luis Obispo opened the scoring in the fifth. Two singles and a sacrifice fly by outfielder Cesar Chavez (Cal State Los Angeles) pushed the Blues ahead 1-0.
Sonoma ended the Blues combined perfect-game bid with a walk and broke up the no-hitter attempt later in the inning when infielder Bryson Ayala (Tulane University) reached on an infield single.
Sonoma loaded the bases with one out in the sixth but failed to score. Infielder Tino Vasell (University of San Francisco) struck out looking and catcher Hunter Carlson (Georgia State) — the CCL RBI leader with 16 in 11 games — flew out to right field to end the threat.
Pace called the inning a "tipping point."
"It was a big point in the game, for sure," Pace said. “It was our chance to get something rolling and we didn’t come through. Hopefully we can do it next time.”
In the bottom of the sixth, catcher Miles Mador (Indiana University) hit a solo home run to make it 2-0. Sonoma right-handed pitcher Alec Murray left the contest after he surrendered three hits and two earned runs.
The Blues added to their lead with two RBI singles and two RBI groundouts in the eighth inning to blow the game open. Sonoma right-handed pitcher Gage McCown (Cal State Northridge) recorded only two outs and allowed four earned runs while facing six hitters.
Sonoma struck out three times in the top of the ninth to end the contest. The Stompers suffered 18 total strikeouts in 33 batters and had only six base runners reach safely.
Pace said the Stompers hitters will “have to keep on working” on their approach and in the cage to get back to the early-season offensive success.
The Stompers will finish their four-game road trip Wednesday against the Blues. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
“We have to put the ball in play. We have to get more than one hit. We have to get more than zero runs,” Pace said. “We have to score to win tomorrow, you know ... we gotta find a way to put runs on the board.”