STOMPERS HOMER 3 MORE TIMES IN 13-3 WIN OVER NAPA FOR 5TH CONSECUTIVE VICTORY

SONOMA, Calif- The Sonoma Stompers scorching hot offense continued to roll on Monday night against the Napa SIlverados, extending their lead in the Pacific Association to 8.5 games over San Rafael. 

The Stompers got on the board first against Napa lefty Elvin Liraino (1-1) in the bottom of the 1st inning. Nick Gotta led off with a gap-splitting double to left-center field to get the offense rolling. Gotta moved to third base on a wild pitch with Matt Hibbert at the plate who worked a walk. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch the brought Gotta home to give the Stompers a 1-0 lead. With Jacob Barfield at the plate Hibbert stole 3rd base as the Stompers continued to threaten. Brent Gillespie doubled the lead 2-0 with a groundout to shortstop, driving in his 35th of the season.

Napa got on the board against Nick Barnese (5-1) in the top pf the 2nd inning for the first time. Barnese walked Bethancourt who then scored on a Dakota Conners double to make it a 1-run game 2-1. 

The Stompers answered back in the bottom of the 2nd inning when Liriano walked the bases loaded and then walked Gotta to bring Nick Kern home, giving the Stompers a 3-1 lead. 

Brent Gillespie led off the bottom of the 3rd inning with a solo home run to left, his 10th of the season, extending the lead 4-1. After a walk to Miles Williams, Liriano was yanked for reliever Devontae Glenn. 

With runners at the corners and 1 out, Bronson Butcher reached on an error by Napa’s Bethancourt, driving in a run and making it a 5-1 ballgame. 

Jordan Anderson homered in the top of the 4th inning off of Barnese to draw Napa closer, 5-2. 

With the bases loaded and 2 outs in the bottom of the 4th inning, Kern was hit by a pitch to drive in another Stomper run, bring in the score to 6-2. Still with 2 outs, Pedro Barrios bounced a 2-run single up the middle, scoring Barfield and Williams, upping the lead 8-2. The big swing in the inning was Butcher’s 3-run homer which he hooked down the left field corner, capping off the 6-run 4th inning and putting the Stompers way out in front 11-2.

In the bottom of the 6th inning Barrios tripled down the right field line, past a diving Justin Byrd and into the corner. With Barrios going into 3rdbase with a head-first slide, Byrd’s throw was way off line, resulting in a little league homerun. It was officially scored as a triple and an error as Barrios extended the lead 12-2. 

Napa got one back in the top of the 7th inning on an RBI double by Nick Ultsch, cutting the lead to 12-3. 

Gillespie launched his 2nd home run of the game, his first multi-homer game of the season, to deep right field, capping off the Stompers huge offensive night as they went up by 10, 13-3. 

Barnese tossed his longest outing of the season Monday night going 7 innings while allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and striking out 7.

Pat Barnett and Ryan Richardson both threw 1-2-3 innings to slam the door, giving the Stompers their 5th straight win.

The Stompers magic number to clinch 1stplace in the Pacific Association is now 8 with 16 games left to play.

The Stompers are on the road Tuesday night in Vallejo. After an off day Wednesday, the Stompers are at home Thursday night at 6:05 against the Salina Stockade. 

STOMPERS BLAST 6 HOME RUNS, SCORE FRANCHISE RECORD 21 RUNS IN MASSIVE 21-8 WIN

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. 

STOMPERS SLUG THEIR WAY PAST NAPA 10-4, BACKING COX’S QUALITY START WITH 3 6TH INNING HOMERS

SONOMA, Calif- The Sonoma Stompers were deadlocked with Napa 2-2 for the majority of the game before homering 3 times in the bottom of the 6th inning before eventually taking the game by a final of 10-4.

Jacob Cox (3-0) took the mound for the Stompers and was out into a jam right away in the top of the 1st inning. A hit and a walk put 2 runners on but Cox induced a strikeout and a pop up to strand runners at second and third. 

Napa got on the board first in the top of the 2nd inning on a 2-run single off the bat of Justin Byrd, giving Napa an early 2-0 lead.

Brent Gillespie roped a leadoff double to open the last of the 2nd inning again Napa starter Billy Felo (4-3). With 1 out, Felo hit Rob DeAngelis to put runners at first and second. Felo then got Pedro Barrios to ground to shortstop but Salas threw the ball away, allowing Gillespie to score to make it 2-1, DeAngelis to go to third, and Barrios to go to second. Bronson Butcher then ripped an RBI single to left to tie the ballgame 2-2. 

Jacob Cox (3-0), in his 2nd quality start in a row, tossed 6 innings while allowing just 3 hits, all of them in the first 2 innings, while allowing just 2 runs and striking out a career high 8. 

His offense erupted in the bottom of the 6th inning off Billy Felo. Chris Kwitzer started the inning with a laser single off the foot of Napa first baseman Josh Montelongo. Gillespie then hit a towering 2-run bomb to right-center to give the Stompers a 4-2 lead, but they were not done yet. Jacob Barfield hit the very next pitch out to left, going back-to-back, extending the lead 5-2. The next pitch from Billy Felo wound up going behind DeAngelis which fired up the New York native, clearing the benches for the second straight night. After cooler heads finally did prevail, DeAngelis went down on strikes for the first out. After finally collecting an out, it was Nick Kern’s turn to pinch-hit against his former team. Kern promptly launched a no-doubt homer to left, his first of the season, giving the Stompers a 6-2 lead. 

Napa Answered right back on Jordan Anderson’s 6th home run of the season to lead off the top of the 7th, cutting the lead 6-3 off Stompers reliever Ethan Gibbons( 2-2).

Napa looked to the bullpen for some help against the red-hot Stomper offense in the 7th, but nothing worked.

Andrew Fuentes came in and the Stompers continued to mash. Kwitzer led off the bottom of the 7th being hit by the pitch. Gillespie lined his second double of the game to left to set the table with runners at second and third with nobody out. Miles Williams pinch-hit for Barfield and drew a walk to load the bases. Tito Fuentes Jr was then forced to bring in the closer Rob Humes in the 7th. 

Humes immediately allowed a 2-run double to DeAngelis who extended the lead 8-3. Kern and Butcher followed with back-to-back RBI groundout to put the Stompers ahead 10-3.

Josh Montolongo greeted Gibbons for the second inning in a row with a leadoff home run in the top of the 8th inning, closing the gap slightly 10-4. 

Ryan Richardson (1-0) slammed the door in the 9thinning, collecting a pair of strikeouts to send the Stompers to their 3rd straight victory. 

With just 18 games left, the Stompers magic number sits at 10 to clinch first place in the Pacific Association.

The Stompers are back in action on Sunday afternoon at 1:05 against the Salina Stockade. 

TEMPERS FLARE EARLY IN SAN RAFAEL, GILLESPIE SLAMS STOMPERS PAST PACIFICS 10-6

SAN RAFAEL, Calif- The Sonoma Stompers traveled to San Rafael on Friday night to take on the second place Pacifics. Chris Kwitzer and Brent Gillespie’s big home runs pushed the Stompers to a big road win, pushing the Stompers Pacific Association lead to 7.5 games, their largest of the season.

Nick Gotta opened things in the top of the first inning with a walk against Andres Hackman (0-1). Matt Hibbert was hit by a pitch to get on base and Kwitzer grounded into a fielder’s choice, forcing Hibbert out at second base, to put men at the corners with 1 out. Miles Williams walked to load the bases for Rob DeAngelis who was at the plate when Hackman’s wild pitch allowed Gotta to score to give the Stompers a 1-0 lead. 

In the top of the 3rd inning Chris Kwitzer demolished his 6th home run of the season to deep right field to extend the lead 3-0. After Kwitzer admired his home run, San Rafael catcher Ermindo Escobar had some choice words for Kwitzer, resulting in the benches clearing and both sides being warned.

With tensions running high, Vijay Patel (6-1) got the first 2 outs quickly in the bottom of the 3rd inning but then fell into some control problems, walking the bases loaded with 2 outs. Corey Dempster then singled home the first Pacifics run and a second run scored when DeAngelis bobbled the ball in left, making it a tight game 3-2.

San Rafael tied the game in the bottom of the 4th inning on Kevin Connolly’s first home run in his first game, tying it 3-3. 

The Stompers went back ahead in the top of the 5th inning. Back-to-back singles by Gotta and Hibbert set the table. Kwitzer hit a deep fly ball to right for the first out, allowing Gotta to go to third base. He then scored on Gillespie’s sacrifice fly to center as the Stompers regained a 4-3 lead. 

Miles Williams and Rob DeAngelis notched back-to-back doubles to open the top of the 6th inning and extend the lead 5-3. Nick Kern got in on the action, driving in DeAngelis with a single to center, upping the lead 6-3. 

The offense erupted in the top of the 7th inning against San Rafael reliever Brad Bero. Gotta picked up his 3rd single of the game to lead off the inning while Hibbert was hit again and Kwitzer loaded the bases with a walk. Brent Gillespie broke it wide open with his first grand slam of the season, his 7thhome run, and the Stompers jumped out in front 10-3. 

San Rafael answered in the bottom half of the 7th inning on a Dempster 3-run home run, bringing the score to 10-6, eventually knocking Patel out of the game.

Patel dazzled Friday night, tossing 6 2/3 innings, while allowing 7 hits and striking out 11. His 11 strikeouts were 1 short of his season high back on June 21stwhen he tied the franchise record with 12 punchouts.

Pat Barnett tossed 1 1/3 innings of relief before Zack Pace handed the ball to the newest Stompers reliever Austin Orvis who slammed the door in the 9th.

With the win, the Stompers are 21 games over .500 with a record of 33-12 and now own their largest lead of the season at 7.5 games.

The Stompers are home for 3 in a row starting Saturday night at 6:05 against the Napa Silverados. 

GOTTA’S KEEN EYE LEADS TO STOMPERS FIRST WALK-OFF OF 2019

SONOMA, Calif- The Sonoma Stompers broke their 3-game losing streak to the Napa Silverados on Thursday night in walk-off fashion when Nick Gotta worked a walk-off walk to beat Napa 7-6.

Napa used their creativity on the base paths in the top of the first inning to get on the board against Stompers right-hander Konner Arnold (5-3). Justin Byrd led off the game with a single and stole 2 bases, including home, on a lackadaisical throw back to the pitcher to put Napa up 1-0.

The Silverados scored once again in the top of the 2nd inning on a Jake Marshall broken bat single into left to score Jordan Garr and make it 2-0 Napa.

The Stompers finally got to the 6’ 7” Napa starter Sean Johnson (2-5) in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Gotta singled to lead off the inning. Johnson then hit Matt Hibbert and walked Chris Kwitzer to load the bases. Back-to-back strikeouts put the Stompers in a hole but Rob DeAngelis singled past a diving Montelongo at first base to bring home a pair of runs and tie the game 2-2. With men at the corners and 2 out, Johnson’s wild pitch allowed Kwitzer to score as the Stompers took a 3-2 lead. 

Napa scored twice more in the top of the 5th inning after Byrd and Salas collected back-to-back singles to open the inning. Montelongo drove in a run with a single to tie the game and Nicco Toni put Napa ahead when he grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to give Napa a 4-3 lead. 

Arnold pitched into the 6th inning but failed to record an out after loading the bases. He went 5 innings while allowing 5 runs, 4 earned, on 8 hits and struck out 5. Willie Ethington (3-0) was the first man out of the bullpen for Zack Pace. 

Ethington did walk in a run to extend the Napa lead 5-3 in the top of the 6th inning. After getting 2 quick outs in the 7th, Ethington allowed back-to-back hits and an error by Kwitzer at third base allowed Napa to load the bases and forced Pace to make another change, going to the sidearm right-hander out of the pen.

Marshall Shill came on and got Jake Marshall to groundout to shortstop to end the inning without allowing another run. 

Hibbert and Kwitzer notched back-to-back singles to open the bottom of the 7th inning against Napa reliever Andrew Fernandez before Brent Gillespie singled to bring home a run, bringing the Stompers within 1 run, 5-4.

Napa got the run back in the top of the 8th inning, stealing home for the second time in the game. This time, William Salas took advantage of the mental lapse by Ethan Gibbons (2-2) and Bronson Butcher to steal a run and go back up 6-4. 

Kyle Chavez came in for Napa out of the bullpen in the bottom of the 8th inning to try and hold the lead. After a quick first out, he allowed a single to Bronson Butcher who then went to second base on a throwing error by Sean Jackson in centerfield. A walk to Rayson Romero put 2 men on for Gotta who singled down the left field line but Ultsch could not play the trick bounce as it got by him, allowing a run to score to make it 6-5 and allowing Romero to go to third and Gotta to go to second. Hibbert then singled softly into shallow right field to tie the game 6-6 and Gotta was thrown out at the plate trying to give the Stompers the lead. 

Entering the 9th inning tied 6-6, Pace pulled out all the stops, bringing in closer Ryan Richardson (1-0) who struck out the side to send the game to the bottom of the 9th tied. 

Rob Humes (2-3) the Napa closer then came on and got a quick strikeout to open the inning. DeAngelis worked a walk to put the winning run on base. Then, with Nick Kern at the plate, DeAngelis stole second and went to third on a throwing error by the catcher Marshall. With the winning run 90 feet away, Kern got the intentional pass to set up a potential double play. With runners at the corners and 1 out, Butcher struck out for the second out of the inning. It was up to Romero now to end the game or extend it. The right-handed batter worked an 8-pitch walk to load the bases for Gotta, the toughest man to retire in the Pacific Association, boasting a .545 on-base percentage. Gotta worked a 4-pitch walk to end the ball game, sending the home fans home happy, and giving the Stompers their first walk-off win of 2019.

The Stompers are back in action Friday night in San Rafael at 6:30. They enter the game with a 6.5 game lead over the Pacifics for 1st place. 

STOMPERS 9TH INNING COMEBACK FALLS JUST SHORT IN 11-10 LOSS TO SAN RAFAEL

SONOMA, Calif- The Sonoma Stompers welcomed the second place San Rafael Pacifics to Palooza Park at Arnold Field on Wednesday night. After a close game early on, San Rafael started to run away. Brent Gillespie’s big 3-run home run in the 9th made it a 1-run game but the Stompers could not come all the way back. 

San Rafael collected 4 hits in the bottom of the 1st inning off Stompers right-hander Nick Barnese(4-1), the big one a 2-run double off the bat of Axel Johnson to give the Pacifics a 2-0 lead.

After 2 quick outs in the bottom of the 1st inning, Chris Kwitzer drew a walk, setting the table for Brent Gillespie’s monster triple to straight-away centerfield, putting the Stompers on the board.  Miles Williams followed with a single to tie the game 2-2 after 1 inning. 

San Rafael regained the lead in the top of the 3rd inning on a Yeiler Peguero solo shot to right to make it 3-2. 

The Pacifics tacked on 2 more runs in the top of the 4th inning on a Mike Annone 2-run home run the other way, extending the San Rafael lead 5-2. 

Barnese exited the game after 5 innings, allowing 5 runs on 6 hits while striking out 6.

Willie Ethington (3-0) was first out of the bullpen for Zack Pace but he did not last long. Ethington allowed 4 hits but the defense collapsed, committing 2 errors on the way to a 4-run San Rafael 6th, growing the lead 9-2. 

The Stompers answered in the bottom half of the inning, scoring 3 runs with help from a wild pitch, an error, and a Rob DeAngelis RBI groundout to inch the Stompers closer, 9-5.

San Rafael added 2 more runs in the top of the 7th inning on a Jacob Columbo 2-run single, putting the Stomper deficit at 11-5.

Kwitzer led off the bottom of the 7thinning with a walk and Miles Williams launched his 9th home run of the season, to bring the Stompers closer 11-7.

Jailen Peguero, the San Rafael closer, entered the game for the bottom of the 9th inning just one day after allowing the walk off home run to Napa’s Nicco Toni. 

Peguero struck out Nick Gotta to open the inning but allowed back-to-back singles to Matt Hibbert and Kwitzer to breathe some air back into the Stompers balloon. On a 1-2 count, Gillespie annihilated a 3-run homer to right-center field to bring the Stompers within 1, 11-10. Williams walked to put the tying run on base but back-to-back strikeouts ended the Stompers threat as they fell 1 run short. 

The Stompers are home again on Thursday night against the Napa Silverados at 6:05 at Palooza Park at Arnold Field. 

MATT HIBBERT RETURNS TO STOMPERS, SPARKS 7-RUN 7TH INNING IN ROUTE TO 8-2 WIN

SONOMA, Calif- The Sonoma Stompers opened up the first of 8-straight games at home Tuesday night against the Salina Stockade, who led for most of the ballgame until the Stompers rallied late.

Joseph Broderick (3-0) took the ball for Zack Pace and tossed his most effective start of the season. 

After a 1-out single by Nick Crouse in the top of the 3rd inning, Cody Bishop pulled his 8th home run of the season out of the park to right field to give Salina an early 2-0 lead. 

Broderick came out of the game after tossing 7 innings, allowing just the 2-run homer on 4 hits while striking out 8. He left the game trailing 2-0, but the offense came to life to earn him the win. 

Eric Gleese (1-6) took the mound for Salina and turned in his best start of the year, holding the Stompers hitless through the first 4 innings. Gleese allowed back-to-back singles to Matt Hibbert and Bronson Butcher and he walked Rayson Romero to load the bases before exiting the game for reliever Max Biedrzycki.

With the bases loaded and nobody out, Nick Gotta bounced into a fielder’s choice to drive in the first Stomper run to cut into the lead 2-1. With runners at the corners and 1 out, Gotta stole second and Butcher scored on the throw down to tie the game 2-2. Jacob Barfield then singled to left to put runners back on the corners for Chris Kwitzer who gave the Stompers a 3-2 lead with a sacrifice fly to center. RBI singles by Miles Williams and Rob DeAngelis extended the lead while the Stompers also took advantage on a couple of wild pitches, as they inflated the lead to 7-2, scoring 7 times in the 7th inning.

Brent Gillespie drove in a run in the bottom of the 8th inning on a sacrifice fly for the final run as the Stompers beat the Stockade 8-2, scoring 8 unanswered runs. 

The Stompers are back home on Wednesday night against the 2nd place San Rafael Pacifics at 6:05 at Palooza Park at Arnold Field. 

STOMPERS PROMOTE CONNNOR LEEDHOLM TO SIOUX FALLS CANARIES

SONOMA, Calif- The Sonoma Stompers have promoted relief pitcher Connor Leedholm to the Sioux Falls Canaries of the American Association.

“We are so excited for Connor! He truly deserves this promotion and we are excited to follow him and his future career!” General Manager Brett Creamer said.

The Colorado native was in his second season of professional baseball and first with the Sonoma Stompers. He was signed on June 14, 2019 as a free agent.

In 19 innings, Leedholm struck out 17 while posting 3.31 ERA while his blazing fastball reached upwards of 97 MPH.  

Leedholm is the eighth Stomper promoted this season since spring training.

 “We love to see our players move on to the next level in their career. That’s what the Sonoma Stompers and the Pacific Association is all about,” Creamer said.

The players going quick so come and see your favorite Stompers tonight as they take on the San Rafael Pacifics at 6:05 PM.

To purchase Stompers tickets and to find more information about the team, visit stompersbaseball.com, call us at (707) 938-7277 or send an email to info@stompersbaseball.com.

STOMPERS ADD TO PACIFIC ASSOCIATION LEAD WITH 10-5 WIN IN SAN RAFAEL

SAN RAFAEL, Calif- On a Sunday matinee from Albert park, the Sonoma Stompers entered with a 4.5 game lead over 2nd place San Rafael and left with a 5.5 game lead after dominant pitching and clutch hitting. 

The Stompers wasted no time getting on the board in the top of the first inning against San Rafael starter Edward Perez (1-1). After 2 quick outs, Chris Kwitzer drew a walk and Brent Gillespie followed with a single to put a man in scoring position. With 2 strikes, Miles Williams singled through the right side of the infield, bringing Kwitzer home as the Stompers struck first, 1-0. 

A huge top of the 4thinning proved to be the difference early on when the Stompers accumulated 6 runs in the inning. Jacob Barfield led off the inning with his 11th blast of the season, a sky-scraper to left, making it 2-0. Bronson Butcher then walked and Rayson Romero doubled into he right field corner to put runners at first and second. With the infield pulled in, Nick Gotta brought both runs home with a 2-run knock, doubling the lead 4-0. Dondrei Hubbard followed the Gotta hit with a walk and Gillespie brought everybody home with a 3-run home run to right field, blowing it wide open 7-0.

San Rafael answered with 2 runs in the bottom half of the 4th inning off Stomper right-hander Jacob Cox (2-0), to put the Pacifics on the board 7-2.

The Pacifics got one more in the bottom of the 6th inning on a Corey Dempster solo home run, making the score 7-3.

San Rafael made it even closer in the bottom of the 7th inning scoring twice and making it just a 2-run game, 7-5.

The Stompers offense answered the call in the top of the 8th inning. Back-to-back, 1-out singles by Kwitzer and Gillespie set the table for a Williams RBI double and a Rob DeAngelis RBI groundout, extending the Stompers lead 9-5. 

Butcher capped off the afternoon with his second home run of the season, this one a moon shot to left field, giving the Stompers the 10-5 victory.

Cox tossed 6 innings while allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and striking out 2.

The Stompers are back home Tuesday night at 6:05 against the Salina Stockade.

STOMPERS PUT UP A DOZEN RUNS IN WIN OVER SALINA

SONOMA, Calif- The Sonoma Stompers scored double digits for the second game in a row in their 12-2 rout of Salina on Saturday night where they launched 5 home runs.

The Stompers got out to an early lead against Salina starter Ridge Ackerman (1-1) when Brent Gillespie doubled home a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning, scoring Nick Gotta and Dondrei Hubbard to go ahead 2-0 early. 

The offense never slowed, and in what is likely his last home game as a Stompers, Hubbard took advantage of the warm night, hitting a 3-run blast to right-center field, taking on to bring the score to 5-0. 

Home runs were the theme of the night, after the Stompers improv home run derby the night before. Solo home runs by Miles Williams in the 3rd and Hubbard’s second of the game in the 4th extended the lead to 7-0. 

Salina finally cracked the scoreboard in the top of the 5th inning against Stomper starter Vijay Patel (5-1), when Nick Crouse unloaded a solo shot to left-center to out the Stockade on the board 7-1.

Rob DeAngelis joined the party in the bottom of the 5th inning with a solo shot of his own to make it 8-1, while for the first time this year the Stompers scored at least 1 run in each of the first 5 innings. 

Salina got one more back in the top of the 6th inning. Cody Bishop doubled with one out and scored on a pair of wild pitches, narrowing the gap to 8-2.

Patel tossed 7 innings while allowing just the 2 runs on 4 hits and he struck out 5.

In the bottom of the 7th inning, a hit-by-pitch to Gillespie and a walk to Williams set up a Jacob Barfield RBI single to left, extending the lead to 9-2. With 2 men on, Bronson Butcher went the other way to right field for his first homer of the season, a 3-run shot, upping the routing to 12-2.

Pat Barnett and Ryan Richardson slammed the door in the 8th and 9th, giving the Stompers their 20th home win, and improving their record to 29-11. 

The Stompers are on the road on Sunday afternoon against 2ndplace San Rafael at 1:00pm.