By Jordan Kimball
Esteban Sepulveda. A name that’s been commonly used on defense but barely heard on offense. Sepulveda’s gotten the majority of the Stompers’ starts behind the dish, but in his five CCL games prior to Thursday, he was 1-for-10. He was due at the plate, so he made some adjustments. His number was different. His walk-up song was different. He said it was time for a change.
When Sonoma lost to the Merchants on June 5, acting manager Paul Maytorena said the Stompers lacked the “big hit.” On Thursday, though, Sepulveda brought it. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Colton Boardman stood on first, and Trent Keys was on second. Sepulveda was in the box.
Will Bonini had just entered the game on the mound for Alameda, but Sepulveda had already seen enough. He roped a 1-0 offering far over the left-field fence. The home run gave Sonoma (7-6, 4-4 CCL) a 7-5 lead, which it never relinquished.
“I made everything a lot more simple. I was just trying to be aggressive,” Sepulveda said postgame. “If it was over the white, I was swinging.”
The Merchants have caused the Stompers their most trouble in the opening two weeks of the season. Alameda defeated Sonoma 4-3 on June 5 and stole another win on Wednesday in a 5-3 victory. But in each battle, the Stompers have fought to the point where a win seemed more than possible.
It just hasn’t gone their way. In their first matchup, manager Zack Pace was ejected in the first inning. Wednesday’s contest saw Sonoma hold a fourth-inning lead, but the Merchants took it back.
On Thursday, the puzzle pieces finally fell into place. However, it initially looked unlikely.
Devon Laguinto struggled in his last outing, allowing three runs and five hits in a 4-3 loss to the San Luis Obispo Blues on June 4. On Thursday, the Stompers faithful saw an entirely different version of him.
Laguinto ran through the first inning, retiring the Merchants in order while capping it with a filthy slider that rung up former Stomper Ben Giovannetti. Yet in the second frame, Laguinto entered a jam. He allowed a towering 332-foot home run golfed past left field from Jace Jeremiah. Matteo Mendoza then doubled and scored on an RBI single from Kaleb Latimer.
But that was it. Laguinto’s outing ended after five innings while striking out eight. He only allowed two runs in the second inning, showcasing his command, especially on his off-speed pitches.
“He just fills up the zone. Mixing in his off-speed, keeping hitters off balance,” Pace said postgame. “Mainly just that tempo… he’s pounding, pounding, pounding the zone over and over again.”
Sonoma was down early, but it wouldn’t last long. In the fourth inning, Sepulveda led off with a double before McCann Libby immediately singled to score him. The Stomps added another run when Libby scored on a wild pitch two batters later, tying the game at two runs apiece.
From there, it was back-and-forth baseball at Arnold Field. Sonoma added one run in the fifth, courtesy of Sepulveda’s second double.
After allowing three runs in the top of the sixth, the Stompers added four runs in the bottom half. Sepulveda’s long ball was the game-winning knock, but a Boardman single that scored Anthony Scheppler proved crucial in the win.
Heeryun Han silenced Alameda’s lively offense in the seventh and eighth. He repeated in the ninth. The result was the Stompers’ first win over Alameda this season, improving their record to 4-4 in CCL play. It wouldn’t have been possible without Sepulveda’s three hits and four RBIs.
“It’s awesome to see (Esteban) get it done in big moments when it counted. Especially when we put him in the three-hole today,” Pace said. “We obviously think highly of him, even though he didn’t have the results already, it’s good to see him come through in that situation.”
Sepulveda and Sonoma will look to stay hot with a 6:05 p.m. matchup against the Menlo Park Legends on Friday back at Arnold Field.