By Elakai Anela, Beat Writer
Stompers outfielder Trent Keys and Menlo Park catcher Ethan Jackson collide at the plate after a close play that tied the game 2-2 in the sixth inning. Keys was replaced by outfielder Connor Johnston in the seventh. The Stompers fell short 5-3 Saturday at Arnold Field. Photo Courtesy of Karsen Kadien / Sonoma Stompers
SONOMA, Calif. — The Menlo Park Legends (1-7 California Collegiate League) scored three runs in the ninth inning Saturday to earn their first win in league play and defeat the Sonoma Stompers (5-4 CCL) 5-3 at Arnold Field.
Sonoma left eight runners on base, went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position and didn’t record a single leadoff hit. The Stompers were also out hit 11-5.
Sonoma’s first hit of the contest came on a double by outfielder Trent Keys (San Joaquin Delta College) in the sixth inning. Prior to Keys’ base knock, only two Stomper batters reached base safely.
Stompers manager Zack Pace said postgame that his team just “needs to do a better job moving forward.”
“Bottom line is, you know, when there’s runners in scoring position, we gotta find a way to bring them in,” Pace said. “It’s tough to win when you only have five hits.”
The problems started early. Two RBI singles — one in the first and the other in the third inning — by Menlo Park infielder Ryan Duron gave the Legends a 2-0 lead.
The score remained the same until the bottom of the sixth inning.
After a walk by outfielder Chase Taylor (University of Connecticut) and Keys’ double, the Stompers had runners on second and third base with one out. Then infielder Hunter Carlson (Georgia State) drew a hit-by-pitch, the second of three hit-by-pitches Carlson took.
With the bases loaded, catcher Angel Garcia (Coppin State) delivered with a two-run RBI single into center-field to tie the game at 2-2. Taylor scored easily but Keys collided with Menlo Park catcher Ethan Jackson. Despite the collision, Keys was safe at the plate.
Keys walked gingerly off the field and back into the Stompers dugout. The Oakley, Calif. native was replaced in the seventh inning by outfielder Connor Johnston (Bellarmine University).
Pace said that Keys was a “little dizzy from the collision at the plate” and that it was an “injury decision” to pull him. However, the skipper also said that Keys “should be good to go” moving forward.
One batter later, Sonoma took a 3-2 lead on a fielding error at second base by Menlo Park infielder Carlos Cruz Mar.
The Stompers bullpen continued to shut down the Menlo Park bats throughout the middle innings.
Right-handed pitchers both from San Joaquin Delta College, Mason Cortez and Jaydn Ramos combined to pitch three scoreless frames. Right-handed pitcher Ethan Rowland allowed one earned run in three innings of work as well.
Pace said that he thought Cortez and Ramos looked “great” despite Ramos only being a “one or two inning guy.”
In the of the ninth, Pace brought in right-handed pitcher Keller Ausbun (Colorado State - Pueblo).
Ausbun, who picked up his first save June 6 in a 14-12 victory over the San Francisco Seagulls, struggled mightily in his fourth appearance. He surrendered the game-tying home run, a go-ahead triple and an RBI single which gave the Legends a 5-3 advantage.
Although Ausbun allowed three earned runs and four hits, Pace said he “still has a lot of faith” in him moving forward.
“He fills it up. He’s going to get a lot of outs,” Pace said. “He didn’t walk anyone, you know what I mean? He did what you’re supposed to do in the ninth inning and attack. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out.”
In the bottom of the ninth, infielder Bryson Ayala hit a one-out triple but Taylor and Johnston struck out consecutively to end the contest.
The Stompers look to take the series in a rubber-match affair against the Legends on Sunday at Baylands Park in Palo Alto, Calif. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
“The mindset is to win the series against these guys and the week,” Pace said. “We have the chance to do a couple of things good. Hopefully we can go get some early runs and get off to a clean start.”