Howard’s start, Shannon’s 2-out hit boost Stompers to 5-1 win over Legends

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

The Stompers opened CCL play with their strongest start since joining the league in 2022. The reason is pitching.

Brady Shannon’s two-out two-RBI single in the sixth inning became the game-winner as Sonoma defeated Menlo Park 5-1.

Sonoma manager Zack Pace said on Friday that his squad has the best staff in the league. He knows that. His pitchers know that. And that confidence on the mound has translated to wins. There’s an energy in Sonoma that fuels destructive victories and aids in tight losses.

In the CCL North, the Stompers’ pitchers stack up well against just about anyone. Nick Santivanez and Jaxen Rowland lead the league in wins (three), Santivanez places second in strikeouts (22) and Devon Laguinto ranks third in ERA (4.77). But another piece of Sonoma’s core is David Howard, who hasn’t allowed a run since his first start on June 6.

Howard got the nod again Friday and helped the Stompers (15-11, 12-9 CCL) get back on track with a 5-1 win over the Legends. He surrendered just two hits in five innings, lowering his batting average against to .175, which ranks second on the team for qualified pitchers over 15 innings (Harun Pelja, .157).

“We’ve been going hard every day. They’ve been working their tails off,” Pace said postgame. “We took care of the ball and pitched pretty good.”

On June 14, Sonoma faced Menlo Park for its second game of a four-game series. The Stompers had scraped a win the night before on a Connor Pawlowski walk-off single. They had the momentum but quickly lost it when the Legends scored nine runs in the first five innings.

But even in a gloomy night, Howard provided Sonoma with a positive, striking out five batters in the final two innings. His performance was key, as the Stompers nearly mounted a comeback despite falling 9-8.

Howard had dominated that lineup, and he was out to do it again. Through three innings, Howard was sharp, allowing just one hit. Sonoma hadn’t scored yet, but the game remained a deadlock.

In the fourth, Menlo Park broke the scoring open, though. Dane Most singled and stood on second after an error by Paul Lizzul. Most pressured Howard by stealing third and later scored when Colton Boardman chose to get an out over the runner.

From there, it was all Sonoma. Howard’s day was done after the fifth with just 67 pitches. Rowland relieved him with two innings, while Brandon Leon and Braden Guentz pitched the final two.

Offensively, the Stompers got out front in the sixth with an explosive three-run inning. Landon Akers started things with a walk, and Pawlowski was hit by a pitch. But with two outs, the odds remained in Menlo Park’s favor. Nic Sebastiani then loaded the bases with another walk, bringing Brady Shannon to the plate.

Shannon was a highly touted recruit out of Ursuline High School (Ohio). He displayed power and speed, and while he was slumping as of late — going 0-for-7 in his last two games — Shannon delivered on Friday.

Akers first scored on a wild pitch. Then, Shannon ripped a single into right field to score Pawlowski and Sebastiani, giving Sonoma the lead.

“That’s just baseball, to be honest,” Shannon said postgame of overcoming his recent struggles. “You’re grinding every day, and body’s going through it. So, really just trying to stick it out and swing my way out of it. I just stuck to my (approach), and it worked out.”

Shannon’s base hit became the game-winner, but Boardman and Lizzul added insurance in the seventh and eighth innings to cap the win.

The Stompers will take on the CCL North-leading Crawdads on Saturday at Arnold Field, with Santivanez looking to lead Sonoma to victory once again.

“Excited to go to battle tomorrow. Hopefully, we can even up the week and even up our series against Walnut Creek,” Pace said.

Stompers collapse in series finale, fall 10-1 to Crawdads

The Stompers made three errors and allowed six unearned runs in their 10-1 rubber-match loss to the Crawdads Wednesday.

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

Command’s not the same as control. For a pitcher, command is when you throw strikes. It’s when you paint the zone, disrupt your opponent’s timing and will your team to victory. Command often correlates with control. But when energy levels are low, hits are minimal and errors are being made, teams can have no control, even when their pitcher has complete command.

The Stompers returned home Wednesday for the rubber match of a three-game set against the Crawdads. They’d flashed both command and control in the first two games — one a win, one a loss. But on Wednesday, Sonoma (14-11, 11-9 CCL) lacked the former and completely lost the latter, falling 10-1 to Walnut Creek in the series finale.

“Just keep on grinding it out. It’s one pitch, one at-bat at a time,” Stompers manager Zack Pace said postgame. “(We can’t) get too far ahead of ourselves. Just gotta take it (slowly).”

Most of the Stompers’ games are defined by the early innings. It was the same Wednesday. Yet instead of Sonoma jumping to its common immediate lead, it was the Crawdads that struck first.

Devon Laguinto’s been one of the Stompers’ most consistent pitchers. His two last games were nearly lights out, as Laguinto pitched 11 total innings and allowed just two runs, both resulting in Sonoma victories. When Laguinto shoves, the Stompers win.

On Wednesday, he didn’t shove. It was that simple. He struggled to hit his spots. Esteban Sepulveda — who was absent from previous games — didn’t help Laguinto, displaying “rustiness,” Pace said, behind the dish on simple throws back and balls in the dirt.

Between the battery, the Stompers were in shambles. Each batter Laguinto faced in the first inning worked the count to at least three balls. He walked two, and a passed ball scored the first run of the game. Though Laguinto settled down for the second inning, his semi-disastrous first inning foreshadowed the remainder of the game from the third inning on.

“He didn’t come out sharp like he’s been in the past. Kinda had a rough first inning, but he settled in after that,” Pace said. “Pitch count went up in a hurry, though, and couldn’t extend him.”

In the second inning, Sonoma tied things up. It found life when Trent Keys and newcomer Cameron Hegamin — in his first Stompers at-bat — pushed Keys to third and reached on an error by third baseman Ryley Leininger. Sepulveda knocked Keys home with a sacrifice fly, but that was all the Stompers would get.

From then on, it was all Walnut Creek. On three hits and one official error, the Crawdads extended their lead by four runs in the third inning. Laguinto pinned the zone slightly more than the first, but his defense did him no favors.

A run was scored when a ball went under Brady Shannon’s glove in right field. Nic Sebastiani — who played one game at third base in 2024 — struggled at the hot corner with a ball that ate him up. Another ball was hit to Shannon soon after, which he fired home, but it popped out of Sepulveda’s glove on the tag.

As the Stompers attempted to claw back from the 5-1 deficit, runners in scoring position were not in their favor. With two outs both times, Shannon popped out and struck out in the situation to end the innings.

“He was getting his swings off but just couldn’t get it done,” Pace said of Shannon. “We want him to be successful, and we know he’s not gonna be successful every time, but he’s just gotta get it next time.”

On the mound, Chris Albee relieved Laguinto and shut down the Crawdads from gaining insurance. He pitched two innings and allowed zero runs, lowering his season ERA to 1.08. Micah Marquez replaced Albee for two more and allowed just one run, which came unearned after he missed an underhanded toss from Keys at first base.

That was just the way Wednesday’s contest was playing out. Plays that would result in easy outs nine out of 10 times were miscues. The body language showcased that. As Sepulveda struggled to get into a groove in the squat, he overshot Sebastiani at third base after a strikeout and bounced a few balls into second base on throw-downs.

The game looked decided, but Walnut Creek wanted to make sure. In the eighth, facing two-way sidearm reliever Heeryun Han, the Crawdads teed off. They added their final four runs, extending their lead to nine, as Han allowed two hits and two walks. However, while Han’s outing looked poor on the scoreboard, each run was marked unearned with an error from shortstop Colton Boardman on a transfer that sent the Stompers packing.

Sonoma’s greatest threat came in the ninth. It had bases loaded with one out. But to follow the game’s script, Ben Sebastiani grounded into a soft double play to end the game.

The Stompers will receive a day off on Thursday before returning to Arnold Field Friday for a matchup with the Legends.

“We have a nice off day tomorrow to regroup, and we’ll be ready for the weekend series,” Pace said.

Crawdads solidify 4-2 win over Stompers with 2-run 8th inning

The Crawdads tallied more hits and capitalized on the Stompers’ lone error to defeat them 4-2 on Tuesday.

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

Momentum is essential in all sports, but in baseball, it can make or break a season. Coaches often emphasize keeping the line moving at the plate. They drill into their team how crucial it is to let go of mistakes out in the field. Stompers manager Zack Pace echoes that sentiment, stressing the importance of energy in the dugout and its translation to performance.

Pace preaches not letting one bad play turn into a second. Whether Sonoma’s up five or down five, he wants his squad to keep the same competitive spirit. That was displayed Tuesday against Walnut Creek, where Trent Keys replaced first baseman Paul Lizzul due to his poor plate presence.

Anthony Scheppler — who’s struggled as of late — was kept out of the starting lineup Sunday so Ben Sebastiani could get a chance at third base. Changes like these sometimes build positive momentum. Other times, they backfire.

On Tuesday at Monte Vista High School, the Stompers (14-10, 11-8 CCL) fell 4-2 to the Crawdads. Despite making three substitutions, Pace struggled to crack the code to Sonoma’s overall rhythm.

“Just (need to) control what we can control,” Pace said postgame. “The umpires try to do their job. I’m trying to coach. The player’s job is to play… just gotta do the little things right.”

After winning Sunday’s matinee matchup with the Crawdads, Sonoma was in the driver’s seat. It showcased a lively offense with 10 runs in the first six innings. Its pitching staff struggled at times, but it was mostly the defense that contributed to Walnut Creek’s four runs. Still, it was a positive after the Crawdads ended the Stompers’ season in 2024.

But Pace barely believes in momentum when it comes to complete games. He knows it can impact the team within the day, but he thinks each day is a new opportunity to perform at a high level. That was shown on Tuesday. Walnut Creek battled back from its uncharacteristic performance in the series opener and tallied more hits, made fewer errors and struck out more batters than Sonoma.

It seemed like the Crawdads were going to win the entire time. Their energy level was higher, and they came out of the gates strong. The Stompers nearly scored in the first inning when Nic Sebastiani reached third base after being hit by a pitch. Landon Akers also singled. But Colton Boardman, McCann Libby and Brady Shannon were retired to send Walnut Creek to the plate.

It immediately took the lead. The first play of the bottom half saw Jared Mettam reach on an error by Scheppler. He stole second before scoring on a Joey Donnelly base hit. It was just one run, but it deflated Sonoma. Connor Pawlowski, Lizzul and Scheppler were all punched out swinging to bring the Crawdads back to the dish.

On the mound for the Stompers was Charlie Malton. Although he struggled in the first, he settled in to retire Walnut Creek for the next three innings. Malton finished allowing just the lone first-inning run. He only struck out two batters, but his three hits surrendered limited the Crawdads’ offense.

Sonoma’s staff gave it a chance even when Malton was replaced. Lucas Alaniz pitched an inning, and Cole Pacheco, Ryan Seo and Kyle Seo followed him up, each with one more.

Pace was impressed with Malton and thought the four relievers gave the Stompers the best chance to win. But he also knows it should’ve been a tied game if Sonoma could’ve “played catch” in the early going and limited its errors.

On the offensive side, the Stompers continued to struggle. They had three singles in the third inning but couldn’t score. They had another base hit and a hit-by-pitch in the fifth, yet were soon retired. Walnut Creek’s staff was making things interesting, but it continued to limit Sonoma’s lineup.

Opened by Kody Perry and followed by Carson Timothy, the two right-handed pitchers anchored the Crawdads through 5.1 innings. Noah Zirkle and Kam Croghan relieved through the eighth. Their offense even enlarged their cushion in the bottom half of the eighth, scoring two more runs to hold a four-run lead.

The Stompers had one last try. They’d shown almost no energy at the plate, but a little bit of fight surfaced. Keys was hit by a pitch, and Ben singled. An error put Boardman on, and two straight walks from Nic and Akers plated Keys and Ben. However, Pawlowski and Heeryun Han flew out, and Libby grounded out to halt any momentum and end the game.

Pace doesn’t think the two runs in the ninth will translate to Wednesday’s series finale. But he knows Sonoma has just as good a chance as Walnut Creek back at Arnold Field at 6:05 p.m.

“Tomorrow’s a whole new day. We gotta go reestablish everything,” Pace said. “If we have any momentum, cool. Hopefully, we go play better tomorrow.”

Stompers erase 2024 playoff loss with 10-4 statement win over Crawdads

Harun Pelja pitched five innings of one-run baseball as the Stompers defeated the Crawdads 10-4 Sunday.

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

On July 31, 2024, the Stompers traveled to Monte Vista High School for a key playoff matchup against the Walnut Creek Crawdads. Sonoma had tied the eight-game season series with Walnut Creek. The latest chapter in their rivalry had been six days earlier, when the Crawdads scored four runs in the ninth inning to take down the Stompers in shocking fashion.

But that’s the way Walnut Creek played. It was 23-14 in the regular season, leading the CCL North. Sonoma sat in third at 21-15. The Crawdads found ways to win. The Stompers grew accustomed to faltering late.

In that July 31 playoff contest, the same thing happened. It was a 0-0 ballgame in the fifth inning. But for the next four innings, the Crawdads scored. They added one in the fifth, sixth and seventh, before adding two more in the eighth. The whole time, Sonoma’s offense stood quiet. It finally scored twice in the top of the ninth, but its two total hits were far too few to compete with the league’s best squad.

Sunday was a revenge game for the Stompers. The Crawdads had ended their season the previous year and were amid another strong campaign, sitting in first place in the league at 8-4. However, Sonoma (14-9, 11-7 CCL) put that playoff loss in the rearview mirror, as it handily defeated Walnut Creek 10-4 at the same field from 326 days prior.

“We beat them in free passes and I think that’s what it boiled down to,” Stompers manager Zack Pace said postgame. “That’s not gonna happen everytime, but it’s definitely good to win the week and win the first one over here.”

Sonoma’s struggled to produce on both sides of the ball simultaneously. It’s often a good pitching game when the Stompers’ offense sits stagnant. The staff has also struggled when their offense explodes. With almost complete command and control, both parts of Sonoma’s game were working on Sunday.

Harun Pelja got the nod for the Stompers in the matinee matchup. In his four games this year, Sonoma’s won three of them. In three of his four outings, he’s pitched at least four innings. He’s allowed just two total earned runs.

Pelja’s dominance continued Sunday. After he made an error in the first inning that resulted in an early lead for the Crawdads, Pelja settled down. The trend of the Stompers’ pitchers going into the fifth inning continued.

Pelja allowed four hits and only struck out two batters, but he relied heavily on his defense behind him. And despite them making four errors, they held their ground when it mattered, helping Pelja into the fifth inning, while giving up just that one first-inning run.

“(Lots of) high-pressure situations. He came through with his pitches,” Pace said. “When it came down to crunch time, he got it done and held the runs from scoring. He did an outstanding job for us today. Well-needed to get a quality outing out of him.”

Sean DeBoard relieved Pelja in the sixth and surrendered a run in his lone inning, again unearned. Kieran Baker had trouble fielding a ball in right field, which scored Brandon Clizbe for Walnut Creek. But as the Crawdads added to the scoreboard, so did Sonoma.

It bounced back when Walnut Creek scored in the first, plating Trent Keys when a pitch hit Baker. In the fourth, the Stompers exploded for five runs on just two hits, scoring each run on a free pass.

McCann Libby scored on an error by third baseman Ryley Leininger. Nic Sebastiani cleared the bases on another error, this one on left fielder Casey Leavitt-McGee. Before Sebastani’s huge knock, Colton Boardman walked with the bases loaded to add one more.

Sonoma added two more in the fifth and sixth, scoring on a Paul Lizzul two-RBI single and Keys and Connor Pawlowski’s fielder’s choices. It was an avalanche for the Stompers’ offense. Ten runs in six innings hadn’t come too often for the squad.

With the final four innings split between Dylan Adelman, Chris Albee and Braden Guentz, Sonoma held on to take the first of nine games this season against Walnut Creek.

The Stompers will have an off-day Monday before rematching the Crawdads back at Monte Vista High School on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.

Stompers bounce back from Friday loss with 9-0 demolition over Legends

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

Consistency. It’s what every baseball team strives for. Some players have been consistent for Sonoma. But as a whole, the squad defines inconsistency. Friday’s game against the Saints was the latest chapter in the Stompers’ back-and-forth season.

The Stompers scored eight of their nine runs with two outs, fueling their 9-0 bounce-back win over the Legends Saturday.

Coming off two inspiring wins — one against the Blues and the other versus the Philippines — Sonoma seemed to find its rhythm. But against interleague rival Arroyo Seco, the Stompers collected just one hit, resulting in a 1-0 loss. Would Sonoma follow with another stumble or return to the win column Saturday against a familiar opponent in the Legends?

The answer was simple. The Stompers (13-9, 10-7 CCL) returned to form to take a commanding 9-0 victory over Menlo Park at Arnold Field Saturday. Behind eight hits — a stark contrast from the day prior — and a five-inning outing from starter Nick Santivanez, Sonoma showcased its versatility.

“We had a good approach at the plate,” Stompers manager Zack Pace said postgame. “Let (Menlo Park) throw, see (its) stuff and put a good swing on a good pitch, and we started doing that.”

While Friday’s contest heavily showcased dominance from the mound — Luke Ballantyne opened for the Saints and struck out five, and David Howard pitched five shutout innings for Sonoma — it was offense that sparked the Stompers’ controlling win on Saturday.

Pace said Sonoma started with a poor approach at the plate. He thought they were giving Menlo Park starter Quinn Robertson strikes by chasing pitches out of the zone. After going down in order in the first and nearly scoring but being held in check in the second, the Stompers opened the scoring in the third.

The first two batters of the inning, Colton Boardman and Nic Sebastiani, were retired on 10 pitches. But to begin the trend of two-out hitting that followed, Landon Akers singled before McCann Libby drove him home to take the early lead.

On the bump, Santivanez continually set down the Legends. He allowed a base runner in four of his five innings but held Menlo Park without a run, never letting a runner enter scoring position. Santivanez’s day concluded with a season-high nine strikeouts, one hit allowed and two walks, lowering his ERA to a team-low 0.64 for qualified pitchers over 10 innings.

“Just getting ahead of hitters. First-pitch strikes are huge,” Santivanez said postgame. “I was just trusting my stuff.”

Back to the batter’s box, the Stompers scored one in the fifth but opened the floodgates in the sixth, tallying five runs on just two hits. However, when Sonoma had runners on base, it found other ways to drive them home.

Ben Sebastiani reached first on a walk, yet Anthony Scheppler and Boardman were put away. Two straight hit-by-pitches loaded the bases, and Libby grabbed his second RBI with a base hit. Brady Shannon was hit right after to drive another run in, and Connor Pawlowski slapped a deep double into right field to clear the bases.

All five of the Stompers’ runs in the inning were scored on two outs, highlighting their clutch hitting. Of Sonoma’s nine RBIs Saturday, eight were in a two-out situation.

“Those are clutch hits. Two-out hits win championships. We always say and preach it,” Pace said. “Connor’s hit was a big blow that really helped us out and opened it up.”

With Jelani Mason, Heeryun Han, Christian Klostermann and Luke Duncan relieving Santivanez on the rubber and combining to allow just one hit, the game was pretty much iced.

In the seventh, though, Nic joined the fun. After a slow start to the 2025 season, he’s really found his stride and is playing a key role when the Stompers’ offense surges.

With Han and Scheppler quickly out, Boardman reached on the Legends’ sixth hit-by-pitch. Nic made them pay, blasting a two-run home run to left field to give Sonoma a 9-0 lead, which it never relinquished.

The Stompers will attempt to stay consistent with a Sunday matinee matchup against the CCL North first-place Walnut Creek Crawdads. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. 

“They know it’s going to be a good matchup, and we know it’s going to be a good matchup,” Pace said. “We look forward to going to compete.”

Stompers held to 1 hit, fall 1-0 in pitching duel against Saints

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

The Stompers’ offense was silent Friday, tallying just one hit in their 1-0 loss to the Arroyo Seco Saints.

McCann Libby came to the plate with one out in the bottom of the ninth; Landon Akers stood on first. It was a pulse in a game so lifeless. On Saints pitcher Andrew Citron’s first offering, Libby took a strike outside. Pitch No. 2 came around as another strike low and away.

Libby stepped out of the box and rearranged his batting gloves. He stepped back in and tapped the plate with the bat’s end. The Stompers needed a hit; it was as simple as that. They had to keep the line moving, something they hadn’t done. The next pitch, a fastball slightly outside, rang Libby up. Akers was on the move.

Arroyo Seco catcher Matthew Mainord jumped up from his squat and one-hopped second baseman Keon Moseni, who tagged Akers on his headfirst slide into second. It was a strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out to end the game, a fitting finish to a contest where Sonoma (12-9, 9-7 CCL) tallied just one hit in its 1-0 loss to the Saints Friday.

“You can’t expect to win many ballgames when you have one hit,” Stompers manager Zack Pace said postgame. “That’s the bottom line. (The Saints) had some good arms, we didn’t hit the ball today and that’s what happens.”

Sonoma entered Friday’s matchup against Arroyo Seco with the upper hand. It had a better record. It was at Arnold Field. And it was coming off a commanding 8-1 victory over the Philippines from the day before.

The Stompers were never down badly Friday, yet Pace said postgame it felt like his squad was trailing by seven or eight runs. They nearly matched the Saints in all categories, but they couldn’t get the bat on the ball, the ultimate deciding factor in the defeat.

Sonoma had one more error and one fewer walk and strikeout. But it lost the hit battle 9-1. And the Stompers’ lone knock came in the first inning, when Nic Sebastiani grounded a single past the outstretched dive of Saints shortstop Jax Ryan.

After Sebastiani’s base hit, it was a duel between Arroyo Seco and Sonoma’s pitching staffs. Biola University lefty Luke Ballantyne had been one of the Saints’ strongest arms. He had earned a win in his first CCL appearance on June 8 against PBG and hadn’t allowed a run in his six innings entering Friday.

His tear continued. Ballantyne’s surrendered hit to Sebastiani was his lone baserunner. And after shutting down Akers and Libby on strikes, he cruised through the rest of the Stompers’ order. Ballantyne ended with five strikeouts and no free passes in three innings. 

His success mainly stemmed from his command. He threw 30 of his 46 pitches for strikes, a 65.2% clip. Sonoma’s often relied on control issues to reach base and score soon after via a wild pitch or passed balls. With Ballantyne painting the zone, it had to look elsewhere for offense.

“We gotta find a way to grind it out and be tougher,” Pace said. “Find a way to get on base, win those at-bats and get a guy in.”

On the Stompers’ side, David Howard got the nod. He hadn’t pitched more than 3.1 innings until Friday. But against the Saints, Howard went five innings, marking the third straight game Sonoma’s starter pitched to at least that point.

Howard’s stuff was on fleek each time he was on the bump. He notched seven strikeouts and allowed just four hits. Arroyo Seco only hit .205 against him, as Howard built off his best outing — two innings with five strikeouts — from June 14 against the Legends.

However, Howard’s work was shadowed by the disarray at the dish for the Stompers. Sonoma had a runner in scoring position in just the first and eighth innings. Brady Shannon was ejected in the fifth inning for arguing strike calls. Connor Pawlowski made an errant throw that scored the Saints’ lone run.

And even with the Stompers’ bullpen of Cole Pacheco, Patrick Richardson and Brandon Leon allowing zero earned runs over the final four innings, their bats were silent, capping a disappointing 1-0 loss to end Sonoma’s two-game win streak.

“We don’t need to do anything extra,” Pace said. “It’s just about staying within yourself and trying not to do too much.”

The Stompers will host the Menlo Park Legends at Arnold Field on Saturday, looking to return to the win column. First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m.

Rowland gem, Akers home run lift Stompers over Philippines 8-1

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

Behind Jaxen Rowland’s six-inning gem and Landon Akers’ two-run home run, the Stompers cruised to an 8-1 victory over the Philippines Baseball Group on Thursday.

One-sided affairs have been rare for Sonoma this summer. The Stompers won 11-3 over the Legends, demolished the Seagulls 14-0 and 14-3 to claim their first CCL series win and opened league play with a 7-1 victory over the Blues. Aside from those games, though, Sonoma entered Thursday with five wins of just two runs or less.

That wasn’t the case against the Philippines Baseball Group; the Stompers (12-8, 9-6 CCL) dictated the pace from start to finish, defeating PBG 8-1. Its performance left the Philippines reeling, and, though not as notable as its other matchups, dominance like that displayed Thursday is exactly what Sonoma needed.

“I liked our approach to the game. We started a little sluggish, but the guys came out and did a good job,” Stompers manager Zack Pace said postgame.

Whether it was Sonoma’s 9-to-1 edge in walks, its 8-to-5 advantage in hits or its 40-pitch gap in workload, the Stompers paced the Philippines with efficiency in every category. And it started on the mound.

One day after Devon Laguinto’s masterful performance — the first time a Stompers pitcher went six-plus innings this season — Jaxen Rowland matched him. The Modesto JC freshman lowered his ERA to 0.90 with a six-inning scoreless outing.

He put away PBG in order in four of his six innings pitched and displayed confidence in his defense, recording just three strikeouts while relying heavily on those behind him. His one walk also marked Sonoma’s second straight game giving up only one free pass, an impactful adjustment from its constant control issues in previous series.

“(Rowland) did an outstanding job. He filled up the zone. His breaking ball was working good, and he kept (the Philippines) in defensive mode the whole time,” Pace said.

“No free passes. When we do that, we have a really good chance to win every night,” he added.

Micah Marquez replaced Rowland in the seventh, but the dealing from the bump continued. He struck out one of the four batters he faced, nearly pitching a 1-2-3 inning before Stefan Leo reached on an error by third baseman Anthony Scheppler.

After Marquez, Chris Albee toed the rubber for a scoreless eighth. Albee had allowed at least one hit in each of his three appearances prior to Thursday. But against the Philippines, he was nails. The Jessup University senior forced two quick flyouts and a popout to escape the eighth unscathed.

In the ninth, Nicholas Poulus surrendered his first earned run of the season. He gave up two hits, yet the damage was nothing compared to Sonoma’s thrashing on the offensive end.

Like Pace mentioned, the Stompers’ hitters were stagnant early. Whether it was their late return home from San Luis Obispo, the limited practice before first pitch or little-to-no batting practice, it was a distant thought by the third inning.

Momentum swung in the Stompers’ favor after a Max Handron single drove in Trent Keys. Sonoma recorded four base runners in the frame and punished PBG starter Andres Perez, who’s now allowed six-plus hits and two-plus runs in each of his three starts.

In the fifth, Landon Akers added to the party. He’s been a key contributor in the Stompers’ lineup but has yet to showcase the power and plate presence that earned him All-Atlantic Sun Conference honors. After his first home run of the summer came on June 7, he added a second on Thursday.

Following Heeryun Han’s leadoff single, Akers took two balls before launching a 373-foot, no doubt homer over the left field fence. He finished the game with three hits, three RBIs and reached base four times.

“(The homer) was cool. I knew it was out right off the bat,” Akers said postgame. “(I’m) just trying to stay in my zone. I just saw two inside fastballs and decided to turn on them.”

Sonoma nearly hit around in the seventh — a three-run effort — courtesy of two runs walked in and a sacrifice fly. In the eighth, it produced five base runners to add two more, again on walks.

Thursday’s win became a blueprint for the future. In a season so far defined by tight margins, the Stompers proved they can produce with discipline, depth and power.

Sonoma will look for its third straight win on Friday in an interleague contest with the Arroyo Seco Saints, with first pitch set for 6:05 p.m. at Arnold Field.

Laguinto shoves 6 innings in Stompers’ 3-2 win over Blues

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

Few pitchers have solidified their spot in the Stompers’ rotation three weeks into the season. Jayden Harper’s started twice. Same with Nick Santivanez. And rounding out the trio is Devon Laguinto. On June 12, Laguinto willed Sonoma to a 7-5 win over the Merchants.

But before that matchup, his previous start was against San Luis Obispo, where he struggled tremendously. In three innings, Laguinto allowed three runs on five hits. He walked a batter and exited the game with zero strikeouts. The Blues hit .417 off him, raising his ERA to 9.00.

Since then, Laguinto’s ERA has dropped to 3.21, largely because of his revenge performance against SLO Wednesday. Laguinto went six innings, gave up zero earned runs and struck out four batters, fueling the Stompers’ (11-8, 8-6 CCL) 3-2 victory over the Blues.

“I was feeling it. I knew (my teammates) were gonna ride me. I had faith in my teammates. So we were all good from there,” Laguinto said postgame.

Laguinto was locked in from first pitch. After a back-and-forth battle the night before ended in a Sonoma loss, he became the X factor in securing the series split. He kept hitters off balance and runners quiet, stranding threats and walking off the mound inning after inning with a zero still on the board.

After the Stompers went down in order to open the game, Laguinto matched Blues starter Erik Kvidahl. He got Ethan Royal — Tuesday’s walk-off hero — to ground out. Cade O’Hara and Mason Ashlock were also set down to complete the first. The right-handed pitcher’s dominance was showcased again in the second, with another 1-2-3 inning.

In return, Sonoma’s bats woke up. After loading the bases with one out in the second but coming up empty, Colton Boardman started the third with a single. He advanced to third on an error by third baseman Brendan Comerford. Max Handron walked before McCann Libby, on Kvidahl’s second offering, launched a sacrifice fly to right field to score Boardman.

It was a low-scoring affair, but the Stompers’ early lead gave Laguinto just enough breathing room. After Eli Henderson singled, he was gunned down at second by backstop Connor Pawlowski. Sebastian Lopez went down swinging, and Charles Caruso grounded out to Boardman, wrapping up yet another scoreless frame.

Sonoma’s lead then began to grow. Two straight walks put Anthony Scheppler and Ben Sebastiani on first and second. Handron and Libby then followed with an RBI single each, scoring Scheppler and Sebastiani.

“Libby’s the RBI guy. Those guys come through clutch. Max is one of our best hitters, if not the best,” Stompers manager Zack Pace said postgame. “They’re up there in the order for a reason, because they do produce. They do a good job.”

In the bottom half, Laguinto pitched his fourth straight 1-2-3 inning. Each out came with authority, the kind that made the Blues search for undetectable answers. He punched out two batters in the frame, picking up strikeouts No. 3 and 4.

While that was all the batters Laguinto would retire on strikes, he found other ways to get outs. He allowed a single in the fifth, but behind him, Sonoma’s defense produced a 6-3 double play. In the sixth, he finally reached trouble but escaped the jam with the Stompers still in front.

Lopez reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced to third after a Boardman error. Caruso moved into scoring position on the same play, and Royal brought them both home with a single. But Laguinto’s final outs — on five combined pitches to retire O’Hara and Ashlock — ended the inning on a high note.

“Really proud of the way (Laguinto) pitched today. He did an outstanding job,” Pace said. “Had those hitters on defense mode. He was just pound, pound, pound.”

Laguinto came out for a seventh frame, but he struggled by allowing two singles. Though Harun Pelja — who started on June 13 and pitched four innings against the Legends — cleaned up Laguinto’s mess, striking out Comerford before showing off a masterclass with runners on base. He picked off Donovan Jordan at second and caught Andrew Rayment stealing soon after.

Pelja pitched a scoreless eighth, and while the Stompers’ bats stayed quiet, Braden Guentz earned his first save of the season with two strikeouts in the ninth.

“It’s a long year and it’s a grind,” Pace said. “But that’s baseball… you do the best you can, try to get some rest and be ready to go.”

Sonoma returns home to face the Filipino National Team on Thursday, with first pitch set for 6:05 p.m.

Blues walk off Stompers 7-6 in 12 innings to take series opener

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

A doubleheader sweep in which the Stompers outscored the Menlo Park Legends 15-4 gave Sonoma a boost of confidence heading into its furthest road trip of the season. Spirits were high on the bus down to San Luis Obispo Tuesday morning, not just because of recent success, but because the Stompers were set to face the Blues, a team they outscored 10-5 in an early June series.

When the ride ended, the team was locked in and ready. The contest at Sinsheimer Stadium even began slightly early. But 12 innings later, the palpable energy from four hours before had vanished.

Lifted by a three-run ninth inning and an extra-inning walk-off, the Blues took Game 1 of a two-game set against the Stompers (10-8, 7-6 CCL) 7-6 Tuesday. Sonoma jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but SLO battled back with timely hits and pressure on the basepaths.

“Unfortunately, we couldn't get enough runs and pull it out,” Stompers manager Zack Pace said postgame. “You win some, you lose some. We lost today, and hopefully we go get them tomorrow.”

When Pace talked about the inability to pull it out, he was referring to runners left on base, an issue that’s killed opportunities in Sonoma’s previous games. It deflated the Stompers once again on Tuesday. They left 14 runners on, including three in extra innings. 

In the 10th, Nic Sebastiani started on base with the CCL’s ghost runner rule. He made it to third but was thrown out at the plate a few plays later, ending a chance to take the lead. 

An inning later, the Stompers scored a run, but Max Handron, whose clutch double plated Colton Boardman, was stranded in scoring position when Kieran Baker struck out.

Finally, in the 12th, Brady Shannon reached third on a sacrifice by Anthony Scheppler. However, Sebastiani and Paul Lizzul were retired on strikes to silence the threat.

“We're just gonna keep on grinding, try to do our thing, get our swings off with runners in scoring position,” Pace said. “We keep on giving ourselves chances to succeed, and we're gonna come through.”

The question for the Stompers is no longer how. Handron, Connor Pawlowski, Esteban Sepulveda and Heeryun Han are just a few of the players who’ve displayed a clutch factor. The question’s shifted to when. Each loss for Sonoma follows the same script. Score early. Falter late.

That’s precisely what happened against the Blues. To open Tuesday’s contest, the Stompers punished Riley Marcotte, taking a quick 2-0 lead. Lifted by a hard hit ball by Landon Akers that scored Boardman and a hit-by-pitch on Scheppler with the bases loaded, Sonoma had firm control.

Charlie Malton — making his first start in CCL play — held it down on the mound, as the Stompers extended their lead in the third. Shannon — just days after crushing a ball 385 feet at Arnold Field — scored McCann Libby on his second triple of the season.

While the floodgates should’ve opened, they instead shut.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Blues put together a two-spot. Malton was replaced by newcomer Lucas Alaniz — making his first appearance of the summer — and he allowed two runs in one inning of work. A double and a single plated Ethan Royal and Mason Ashlock, to cut the Blues’ deficit to one.

In the seventh, the Stompers pulled their special, advancing on a passed ball. Akers returned their lead with a two-run base hit to score Boardman and Handron — who notched three hits, two runs and one RBI, showcasing his aggressive plate presence in one of his first games of the summer.

“He's a great ball player, and he’s come up clutch when we needed him,” Pace said. “He can swing the bat really well, so I look forward to seeing more out of him.”

Holding a 5-2 lead in the ninth inning, the victory looked all but sealed for Sonoma. The Blues, however, had another idea. Despite tallying just one hit, they punished Kyle Seo and Nikolas Haas with two walks and two hit-by-pitches. On top of that, SLO advanced seven bags in the frame, split between stolen bases and wild pitches.

“We gotta start calling picks if that's needed,” Pace said. “We need to get those guys dirty and get them thinking about the picks, and we're just not doing it enough.”

The shocking rally swapped the momentum to SLO’s side. And despite being retired in the 10th inning, the Blues responded to the Stompers’ run with one of their own in the 11th. Then, in the 12th, Royal delivered a walk-off winner to end the night.

The Stompers will aim to overcome their heartbreaking defeat Tuesday with a 6:05 p.m. rematch against the Blues back at Sinsheimer Stadium on Wednesday.

The Seo brothers’ competitive bond shaped their college baseball journey

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

In the driveway outside their grandparents’ Sacramento home, Ryan and Kyle Seo didn’t just learn to play baseball — they figured out how to beat each other.

Armed with a 27-inch wooden Red Sox bat, the brothers belted tennis balls into neighbors’ backyards or hit their grandparents’ cars stashed in the garage.

They became so forceful over one another that their grandparents covered their automobiles with blankets for protection. Their mother, Audrey, grew accustomed to asking neighbors if she could search their backyards to find missing balls that had been launched.

The days filled with playful fights and back-and-forth smack talk continued, but when Ryan turned 11 and Kyle turned 9, they ramped up. One time, Kyle, facing his brother, went “absolutely mondo” on him, Ryan said, striking a pitch a few houses down the block.

Kyle’s first instinct was to run inside and grab a Sharpie. He sprinted back outside, signed the Red Sox bat — where the signature still sits — and proceeded to let Ryan hear it for the rest of the day. 

“They are not shy about digging into each other, talking smack to the other one,” Audrey said. “I think they always (were like that) and they will always continue to (be like that).”

Now, over a decade later, that competitive fire has forged Ryan and Kyle’s relationship with baseball. Ryan is entering his second year at Cal State Fullerton. Kyle is set to begin his first season at Chaminade University of Honolulu. Though they’ve taken different paths, their growth has always been rooted in each other.

“If (Ryan) wins, I win. And vice versa. Every good outing, I felt like I was right out there with him,” Kyle said.

When Ryan was 8 and Kyle was 7, there was potential for more than their front-yard baseball battles. One day, the brothers were walking with their mom through Sports Authority when they approached a table.

At the front sat a poster advertising their local baseball program. The brothers were unsure if they wanted to sign up, but when the two people at the table mentioned they looked like baseball players, they were hooked. Ryan signed up first, while Kyle came around a year later.

Ryan and Kyle Seo smile with their father, Derek, on picture day in 2015. The brothers played for the UNLV Rebels Majors team, while Derek was the head coach. Courtesy of Audrey Seo.

In his first season, Ryan fell in love with the sport, he said. He would practice with his father, Derek, while Kyle watched from the side. That’s all it took for Kyle to decide to give sanctioned baseball a try.

His passion was just as intense as Ryan’s. While he didn’t qualify for T-ball in their Pony League because of his age, Kyle’s skills matched other kids as soon as he stepped on the diamond. 

Years of practices in opposite directions and games at different times briefly ended when Ryan and Kyle were both on the UNLV Rebels Majors team at ages 12 and 10, Audrey said.

Derek was the team’s head coach, and Audrey was a team parent and served on the North Natomas Little League board. But the grind remained the same, and the odd schedule for the Seo family still existed.

“When you've got kids that play sports, your lifestyle revolves around that,” Audrey said. “Dinner time is either at 4 p.m. before practice or 9 p.m. after games.”

Even after years of Little League, Audrey wasn’t convinced baseball would last. She never forced the boys to play; it had to be their decision. They had a “natural athletic ability,” Audrey said, so staying committed to the sport came easily.

At age 15, Ryan began playing travel ball for the Sacramento Sports Center. It was an all-in-one facility that had in-house physical therapy, batting cages, a pitching lab and more. Kyle joined him soon after.

They began attending showcases while at Inderkum High School, and baseball became a serious endeavor. Ryan entered high school, knowing he wanted to play college baseball. If he couldn’t play Division I, he’d stay close to home at Sacramento City College, he said.

Kyle’s junior season and Ryan’s senior year marked the only time they shared the field at Inderkum, though. After months away from baseball during COVID-19 — when both had shifted their focus to golf — the two were unsure of where their baseball future lay.

However, one talk between Ryan and his dad rekindled his love for the sport.

“It was my dad saying, ‘Hey, don’t give up on this yet,’ and I think that really sparked the fire again,” Ryan said. “That might’ve been the conversation that honestly changed my life.”

Ryan and Kyle Seo pose with their parents following a game during their time at Inderkum High School. Though both went on to play college baseball, the brothers only shared the field for a handful of games during their high school careers. Courtesy of Ryan Seo

Kyle, who his teammates considered a better golfer than a baseball player, was also on the fence. But he followed his heart, which was an easy choice.

“There’s something you just can’t get anywhere else than on a baseball field. That feeling when you’re in a banger game and you’re on the mound and you get the job done,” Kyle said. “There’s no better feeling. That’s what keeps me coming back, and that’s why I love it.”

In one of the few games they played together, Ryan caught the first five innings with Kyle on the mound. They then switched roles. It was the only time they formed a battery in high school, and while the result against TCU’s Braeden Sloan-led Woodcreek wasn’t worth noting, they joked, they still say nothing can top that moment.

When Ryan graduated from Inderkum, the offers he hoped for hadn’t materialized. So he enrolled at Sac City, aiming to develop for two years and earn another shot. The first step was to boost his velocity. While pitching over the top, Ryan was sitting at 86-88 miles per hour. His pitching coach referred to him as “vanilla ice cream,” pushing him to find something different.

Ryan’s coach wasn’t asking for a “gourmet pistachio ice cream.” He just wanted some “sprinkles.” So with a background as an infielder, Ryan began experimenting with a lower arm slot. The shift to a sidearm delivery helped him stand out in a way traditional mechanics hadn’t.

But just a week after the adjustment, Ryan tore his UCL. It could’ve been a sign to abandon the experiment, but instead, Ryan continued, considering it one of the best gambles he ever made.

Meanwhile, at Inderkum for Kyle’s senior season, he started feeling elbow pain. After getting checked out, he discovered he also sustained a UCL tear. The brothers were in the same spot at different stages, but they rehabbed together.

They’d attend Optimum Athletes, a training program based out of SSC, where they rebuilt their strength. Despite being out for a season, they’d participate in practices and events for their respective teams to the best of their ability. But the whole time, they were itching for their return.

“Going from the top of your game to instantaneously, on the bench, sitting there with your arm in a brace was not easy for either one of them,” Audrey said. “Being unable to physically participate was challenging.”

Ryan Seo chats with Cal State Fullerton teammate Jayden Harper before a Stompers game in early June. In his lone season with the Titans, Seo posted a 2.12 ERA over 17 innings pitched.

The script for Kyle continued to follow Ryan’s. Following his graduation from Inderkum in 2023, Kyle played for Sac City. It was the first real time since 2015 with the Rebels, coached by their father, that they were on the same team.

And the duo showed out. In 20 appearances, Ryan struck out 40 batters and sported a 3-1 record. Kyle held the team’s second-best ERA at 2.91 and allowed a team-low 12 runs for qualified pitchers over 20 innings.

The result was a deep playoff run where the Panthers won the Super Regional Championship. Kyle pitched two innings in the first round against Modesto and four in the second round against Feather River. Ryan watched from the bullpen with pride.

With Ryan’s new delivery opening D-I opportunities, he committed to Cal State Fullerton. After one of their worst records in recent memory — 16-38 — Ryan wanted to return the Titans to glory.

He completed his first season there with a 2.12 ERA through 15 appearances, even pitching at Angel Stadium on April 29 with his whole family in the crowd. CSUF finished its season with renewed success, finishing third in The Big West.

As Ryan begins another year with the Titans, Kyle will take his talents across the Pacific to Chaminade University of Honolulu, which plays its home games at Les Murakami Stadium — home of the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

But first, the two will enjoy one last time playing in the same bullpen with the Stompers this summer. And even when they leave, their love for baseball and their competitive bond — shaped by front-yard battles in Sacramento — remains stronger than ever.

“We’re always gonna be brothers,” Kyle said. “It’s always gonna be competitive… It’s always good to see him succeed and have a good day, and I’ll always be a huge supporter of his, but it’s nice to one-up him once in a while, too.”