By Elakai Anela, Beat Writer
Utility player Mateo Heredia (Cal State Northridge) and infielder Bryson Ayala (Tulane University) high-five each other coming off the diamond at Arnold Field on June 13. In the Stompers 14-4 win against the San Francisco Seagulls on Sunday, Ayala went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and Heredia pitched a scoreless ninth inning. Photo Courtesy of Karsen Kadien / Sonoma Stompers
SONOMA, Calif. — The Sonoma Stompers erupted for eight runs in the third inning to defeat the San Francisco Seagulls 14-4 Sunday at Arnold Field, extending their California Collegiate League winning streak to eight games.
Stompers manager Zack Pace said that winning is “the best deodorant.”
For the first time in eight contests, Sonoma surrendered the opening run. In the first inning, San Francisco’s outfielder Armando Hurtado (Coppin State) hit a single. On the hit, Stompers infielder Bryson Ayala (Tulane University) booted the ball, allowing the runner to score from third.
Pace joked postgame saying he was “glad” the Stompers “broke the streak” of winning when scoring first.
During the second, the Stompers scored three runs to take the lead.
Sonoma got on the board when a wild pitch allowed a run to score. Then, infielder Misael Uriepero (Youngstown State) grounded out to shortstop, scoring the second runner on the play. Ayala extended Sonoma’s advantage with a jam-shot single over second base and into center field.
Outfielder Wesley Bass (Georgia State) was out trying to advance to third after catcher Angel Garcia's (Bellarmine University) sacrifice bunt and exited the game afterward with what Pace described as a heel bruise.
Pace said he “didn’t know” how the extent injury but called the process a day-to-day situation.
“I think he’ll be okay,” Pace said. “I told him to go see Dr. Adams tomorrow; he better. And then we’ll kind of figure it out from there.”
The Seagulls tied the contest with two runs in the third. Designated hitter Marcus Graham (Missouri Baptist) hit a double into the right center field gap to drive in both runners.
Stompers starting pitcher right-hander Sam Matherly (Bellarmine University) pitched 2.1 innings. In his first start of the season, the Danville, Kentucky, native allowed only one hit but three earned runs and walked three before giving way to Sonoma’s bullpen.
Right-handed pitcher Ken Blankenship (Benedictine University – Mesa) came into the contest in relief for Chapman, escaping the third without any further damage. The Stockton, Calif., native picked up his second win of the season.
In the bottom of the third, the Stompers sent 12 batters to the plate and scored eight two-out runs to take a lead they wouldn’t surrender.
Infielder Trent Keys (San Joaquin Delta College) drew a bases-loaded walk to kickstart the scoring surge. The next batter, Uriepero hit a scorching grounder to San Francisco infielder Bryce Brooks (De Anza College) but the throw to first base went astray to make it 6-3.
Ayala hit his second RBI single, a line drive into right field. Outfielder Chase Taylor (University of Connecticut) drove in Uriepero and Ayala with a two-run single into right. Outfielder Nic Sebastiani capped off the inning with a two-run home run into the left field bleachers.
Pace said there were a “lot of” two out knocks and the at-bats “built on each other.”
“That’s the contagiousness of it,” Pace said. “It started off with a ground ball RBI. And then we had a two-out knock and another two-out knock and the two-run blast to really open it up.”
San Francisco responded with one run in the fourth inning, but Stompers right-handed pitcher Finn Chapman (Saint Mary’s College) stranded the bases-loaded with a strikeout.
Chapman pitched two innings in relief, surrendering an earned run and three walks. The 6-foot-2 right-hander threw 42 pitches and 24 strikes.
Playing in his final game for Sonoma, Garcia homered in the sixth inning before reflecting on his summer after the game.
Garcia said postgame his mindset was to “just play” and whatever “happened would happen.”
“It was a special night,” Garcia said. “There were a lot of lessons learned this summer ... being able to spend it with this group was amazing.”
Six arms covered the final 6.2 innings. Sonoma’s bullpen held the Seagulls to one run on four hits.
The Stompers added two more insurance runs in the eighth. The 13th scored on an RBI groundout and the 14th was aided by an error from Jake Brewer (Cal State Monterey Bay) at shortstop. San Francisco committed five errors in the contest.
In the ninth inning, utility man/right-handed pitcher Mateo Heredia (Cal State Northridge) worked a scoreless ninth during his sixth appearance.
The Stompers improved to 18-13 in the California Collegiate League North Division. The Seagulls fell to 5-25 in league play.
The Stompers have a day off Monday before starting a two-game road trip Tuesday against the Seagulls. First pitch Tuesday is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. and the game will be streamed on YouTube with an audio-only broadcast.
“We’re going to enjoy our off-day and get ready to go for San Francisco on Tuesday,” Pace said. “It’ll be a tough week next week, four road games. Hopefully we can turn our road record around a little bit.”