Laguinto’s complete game shutout powers Stompers to 2-0 victory over Legends

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

Menlo Park didn’t score. It hardly even threatened. Most nights, the Stompers’ pitchers need run support. CCL games have been high-scoring affairs. On Tuesday, Devon Laguinto was in his own league.

He was ahead in counts. He painted the zone. He worked each inning like clockwork, and the Legends never settled in. Following a game on Sunday that was filled with many storylines, Tuesday’s matchup at College of San Mateo had just one: Laguinto’s outing.

In his complete game shutout Tuesday, Devon Laguinto surrendered just three hits and struck out 10 batters.

Fueled by a complete game shutout — Sonoma’s first of the season — the Stompers (18-11, 15-9 CCL) defeated Menlo Park 2-0. Runs were scarce on both sides, but Laguinto didn’t care. With him on the mound, there was no way Sonoma would lose.

“Just being aggressive out there. I had command in my fastball. I could trust all my stuff,” Laguinto said postgame. “The slider was slipping out a bit early, but I got that dialed in.”

CCL play started almost as poorly as possible for Laguinto. On June 4 — his first start in league play — Laguinto surrendered three runs on five hits. He walked just one batter, but the Blues hit .417 off of him. The result was a tight 4-3 defeat for the Stompers, which Laguinto earned the loss in.

Following the contest, he visibly expressed frustration. Sonoma’s offense was outhit. Its defense made more errors than San Luis Obispo. Its bullpen allowed SLO to score one more run — the eventual game-winner. But Laguinto still took the blame.

At the time, Laguinto was in the transfer portal. Stompers right fielder Brady Shannon called the portal “a very dark place.” A place “where you wanna get in and get out as quickly as you can.” Maybe Laguinto was feeling the effects of the uncertainty. Perhaps it was just an off day.

Either way, Laguinto’s squad lost, and he was supposed to give his team a chance to win. So his next start, he did. It was a five-inning performance from the right-handed pitcher. He allowed just two runs and struck out eight. Sonoma’s offense came alive, and the factors blended into a 7-5 victory.

Since then, it’s been an uphill climb for Laguinto. He’s shown potential, with a six-inning, two-run outing against the Blues on June 18. He’s also faltered, giving up five runs in three innings in a 10-1 loss to the Crawdads on June 25.

On Tuesday, Laguinto’s best version emerged. Before the game, he found a home. Laguinto announced his commitment to San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California. With his name officially on a roster, Laguinto was calm.

“It definitely took a lot of weight off my shoulders,” Laguinto said. “I didn’t know where I was gonna go this fall semester, but everything’s now lifted off.”

In the first inning, Laguinto struck out one batter but hit James Bose. Bose was stranded at first, which ended up as one of the Legends’ best chances.

The next inning, Will Anderson led off with a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch and then 90 feet more on a sacrifice. Anderson remained on third, though, with Emilio Feliciano striking out on four pitches before Ryan Cartwright was put away in three.

Through two innings, Laguinto had punched out three hitters, yet Sonoma’s offense stayed silent. In the third, the Legends were retired in order. Same with the fourth.

In the top half of that inning, the Stompers finally opened the scoring. Nic Sebastiani began the frame with a single and got to second on a stolen base. A McCann Libby base hit brought Sebastiani in, and Libby then crossed home when Trent Keys singled.

A two-run inning was good. On a regular night, it may have kept Sonoma ahead for an inning or two. On Tuesday, it was enough for the game.

The fifth saw Feliciano threaten when he was hit by a pitch. He tested Luke Duncan’s arm, though, and was caught stealing second base. In the sixth, Bose was also beaned. He went nowhere.

The seventh and eighth innings contained more Laguinto dominance. He earned strikeout No. 6 to close the former — sitting Gavin Shaddix on three pitches — and cruised through the latter with two more Ks. 

Laguinto closed the eighth with 85 pitches. Sonoma’s lead wasn’t much, but it would only be right for Laguinto to finish what he started.

“I knew he wanted the ball. I was gonna try and talk him out of it, and he wouldn’t let me,” Stompers manager Zack Pace said postgame. “It’s tough to take him out in that situation. It’s his ballgame.”

Bose opened the ninth with a single. Pace considered replacing Laguinto with a new arm, he said. But he kept the workhorse in. After Mitchell Birdsall’s at-bat started with a 2-0 count, Laguinto set him away on four more pitches. Dane Most went down on a fielder’s choice. And Laguinto capped the masterful performance with a four-pitch punchout of Anderson.

“He just got into that rhythm and started filling up that zone,” Pace said. “Really overpowering with his strike throwing… and he did a really good job.”

‘GREEK GOD’: Back in Youngstown, Brady Shannon is living his two-sport dream

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

After receiving next-level opportunities to play baseball and football individually, Brady Shannon decided to return home to play both at Youngstown State, where he's a right fielder and quarterback for the Penguins. Courtesy of Brady Shannon

Some athletes balance packed schedules. Brady Shannon lives in overdrive. Little sleep, nonstop communication and two Division I sports are the root of it all.

After growing up 65 miles southeast of Cleveland in Youngstown, Ohio, Shannon’s returned home as a dual-sport athlete at Youngstown State. Once playing Friday nights at Stambaugh Stadium while at Ursuline High School, Shannon now stands in the pocket there on Saturday afternoons. When he’s not on the gridiron, he’s likely at Eastwood Field, fueling the Penguins’ lineup with power or making plays in right field.

“I was definitely very fortunate to have a school like Youngstown State,” Shannon said. “For them to give me opportunities and care for me on the athletic side and also on the academic side. I always think I got lucky.”

A deep baseball bloodline runs through Shannon’s family. His grandfather, Andy Kosco, played Major League Baseball for seven teams over 10 years. Shannon’s uncles, Bryn and Dru, followed in their father’s path, both drafted in the 1980s.

Shannon worked hard to seize a similar opportunity. During his junior year at Ursuline, his efforts began to pay off.

He traveled to Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati for a showcase with the Reds. Shannon went through infield drills, took batting practice and threw bullpens. His performance was so impressive it sparked conversations about the upcoming MLB Draft.

There was only one problem. He’d need to give up football, a love of his since attending Penguins games at a young age. Shannon couldn’t pull the trigger.

“Brady said, ‘If I don’t give football a try, I’ll have a regret, and I don’t wanna have regrets. I know I can still (play football), and I know that’s what I want to do,’” Shannon’s father, Dan, said.

Brady Shannon pitches during a game at Ursuline High School. While he's now a right fielder for Youngstown State and the Stompers, Shannon played third base and took the mound during his high school days. Courtesy of Brady Shannon

Outside of his Youngstown home as a kid, Shannon and his brother Nolan took ground balls, pop-ups and practiced pitching under the streetlights. Even at age 10, Shannon refused to come inside after hours of work.

When Nolan worked at Sports World, Shannon used the batting cages to get in extra swings. His power increased, and by age 15, he’d crushed 460-foot home runs for his travel team — Release Baseball — which garnered interest from Cincinnati and Bowling Green.

During the spring, Shannon’s favorite sport was baseball. The second the leaves turned, he liked football more. Upon entering Ursuline, he possessed the skills to play basketball, too.

Two weeks before Shannon’s first football season, the Irish’s starting quarterback broke his leg. Shannon was about 6-foot, 180 pounds and a junior still sat ahead of him on the depth chart. That teammate played one series, and Shannon never lost the job after that, Dan said.

He wasn’t handed success, though. Ursuline went 1-10 in Shannon’s first year under center. Three years later, he led the Irish to their first state title game since 2010. Shannon broke passing records held by former NFL quarterback Daryll Clark, which earned him offers from Massachusetts, YSU, Akron and Kent State.

“Larry Bird could see the court. Wayne Gretzky or Sidney Crosby can see the ice. Brady can see the field. He can look at his five receivers in 2.5 seconds,” Dan said.

Larry Bird could see the court. Wayne Gretzky or Sidney Crosby can see the ice. Brady can see the field. He can look at his five receivers in 2.5 seconds.”
— Dan Shannon, Brady Shannon's Father

On the court, Shannon averaged 17 points per game but felt basketball “wasn’t in the cards he was dealt.” Come spring, Shannon had little time for more than training but still dreamed of college baseball.

His high school career kicked off with a home run in just his second at-bat. In Shannon’s sophomore year, his recruitment expanded, with the Yankees and Rockies coming to Youngstown to watch him play.

Just months before his senior year, Shannon announced his commitment to play D-I baseball at the University of Central Florida. But during his first year with the Knights, something was missing.

On Saturday mornings, Shannon would turn on the television and think he could make the same throws as those college quarterbacks. He’d speak with John Rhys Plumlee — a center fielder and QB at UCF — about the two-sport life. Shannon envisioned that for himself, but he wondered if he’d be able to achieve all he wanted to at UCF. The answer was no.

When longtime head coach Greg Lovelady left the Knights, Shannon saw the opening he needed to rethink his future.

“College sports is really turning into a business, and when someone’s investing their time and money into you, and that person leaves, there’s not much of an investment there anymore,” Shannon said.

Though his stint at UCF was brief, Shannon still played in 25 games. In his first two, he hit home runs — one, a walk-off — and became one of 11 Knights with multiple homers in the season.

Brady Shannon poses with John Rhys Plumlee at a 2023 UCF game. Plumlee — now a Seattle Seahawks wide receiver — served as a blueprint for Shannon’s decision to pursue both football and baseball. Courtesy of Brady Shannon

The stats were there. Now, Shannon just needed to make it known he was serious about two sports. He received numerous offers for baseball or football, but few were for both.

That was until Youngstown State reached out to him. Shannon practically lived on YSU’s campus growing up. He learned of Jim Tressel’s legacy, idolizing his four National Championships, with hopes to bring a fifth.

To Youngstown State, Shannon was “the hometown kid.” His first phone call with YSU baseball head coach Trevor Charpie was straightforward. Charpie expressed his interest, Shannon asked where to sign and the rest of the call was about throwing touchdown passes.

When Shannon entered Charpie’s office in person, the excitement escalated. Charpie saw Shannon as a “cool guy,” but most importantly, someone with a “crazy athletic ability.”

“He’s a freak. He looked like a Greek god,” Charpie said of their first interaction. “This guy is what you dream an athlete’s body would be. You could just tell right away he was gonna be a hell of a baseball player.”

Shannon’s arrival was during his sophomore spring, but it was too late to join the baseball team. He’d flipped to football and participated in spring practices and workouts. The whole time, though, Charpie had his eye on Shannon. They talked about Shannon’s health, but Charpie let him “do his thing.”

Football season crept up, and Shannon didn’t play much baseball but attended practices on Mondays — his football off-day. His appearances weren’t often, but Charpie said Shannon had a “natural aura” about him.

Sept. 7, 2024, against Valparaiso proved he’d chosen the right path. Before the game, the football team walked through the same parking lot where Shannon grew up tailgating. Hundreds of fans were already there to welcome the Penguins. Shannon spotted his entire family, but what made him most grateful was seeing nearly “100” other familiar faces.

Shannon said it “was the best” and comforted him in a hectic time. YSU ended the season 4-8, and he played in just three games, but he was halfway to his dual-sport dreams. The baseball team took advantage of Shannon’s time playing football, taking recruits to the games and pointing out that Shannon was their right fielder. Now came baseball time.

Unlike baseball’s workload in the fall, football is pretty much a year-round sport. Meanwhile, Shannon was trying to get back into baseball after a year off. His first at-bats came during the Fall World Series, so it was difficult for Charpie and his staff to analyze his talent.

Still, the grind quickly began. Shannon grew accustomed to returning to school after a baseball road trip at 2 a.m. while having a football workout at 6. His daily routine consisted of waking up around 5:30 a.m. and heading to the football facility for 7 a.m. meetings. Football practice was from 8-11 a.m., followed by class from 12-1:45 p.m. Then, Shannon would go straight to Eastwood for 6 p.m. games, and bedtime was around 10 p.m.

It was everything I imagined it to be and more. It was a lot, but it was something where you can’t complain about it because you’re doing two things you always wanted to do.”
— Brady Shannon, Youngstown State Quarterback and Outfielder

“It was everything I imagined it to be and more,” Shannon said. “It was a lot, but it was something where you can’t complain about it because you’re doing two things you always wanted to do.”

Shannon also had to juggle the NCAA’s weekly hour limitations, which note athletes can only participate in 20 hours of team activity per week, regardless of how many sports they play. Charpie worked with YSU football head coach Doug Phillips to discuss when Shannon would work with the team and independently.

But through it all, Shannon stayed composed. When Charpie called his name, Shannon was ready. He hit 10 home runs, the third most on the team, while having the eighth most at-bats.

On May 10, everything clicked. In the ninth inning with YSU down one, Shannon smoked a walk-off two-run home run over the right field fence to give it a 13-12 win over Oakland. The following day — Mother’s Day — Shannon blasted a solo shot to left field with his mom, Kerry, in the stands. He received the ball postgame and immediately gave it to her.

“He’s just cool as a cucumber. Ninth inning, down one, whatever the case may be, if Brady Shannon’s up, we’re good,” Charpie said. “I’ve never had the opportunity to coach a guy like Brady Shannon. I think he’s 1-of-1. I don’t think I’ll ever have another athlete like him.”

Watching Shannon play on the same field where he grew up, Dan calls his son’s path “wild” and “surreal.” But Shannon’s far from finished. After spending last summer with YSU football, he’s now giving baseball his full attention, showing the Stompers exactly what Youngstown State sees every day.

“Did I expect him to be this good? You always expect your sons to reach for the stars, and I think he hasn’t reached his ceiling in either sport,” Dan said. “He never ceases to amaze me.”

Complete effort propels Stompers past Legends 13-6

The Stompers received 22 free passes in Sunday’s matchup with the Legends, which played a key role in their 13-6 win.

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

Sunday’s game against the Legends featured no shortage of storylines. Anthony Scheppler tallied a hit for the first time in 17 at-bats, Nic Sebastiani notched his first multi-home run game of the year, Harun Pelja pitched five one-hit innings and the Stompers received 22 free passes.

Sonoma manager Zack Pace has said it all. He knows Scheppler has struggled but commends him for his hard work pregame and away from Arnold Field. Pace thinks Scheppler — who’s currently in the transfer portal — has the potential to help several Division I programs.

Pace has emphasized the revival of Sebastiani’s play at the plate after a strong end to last season. Sebastiani was one of the younger players on last year’s squad, but he’s emerged as a leader this time around. After a rough start to the summer, Sebastiani’s found his groove, raising his batting average to a season-high .275 while carrying an .891 OPS.

The Stompers’ pitching staff has been one of their greatest assets, and Pelja added to the success on Sunday. He’s now surrendered an earned run in just one start this season — Sonoma’s 6-5 win over Menlo Park on June 13 — and he has a sub-one ERA.

To wrap up the storylines, Pace hasn’t been shy about his team’s pitch selection and ability to have quality at-bats. As the most hit team in the CCL this year, Pace said, the Stompers continue to earn free base runners. Against the Legends, they walked 14 times, alongside eight hit-by-pitches.

When these pieces mix, good things are expected to happen. On Sunday, they did. Sonoma (17-11, 14-9 CCL) played a complete baseball game to defeat the Legends 13-6. The win marks the Stompers’ sixth in seven matchups between the two teams so far.

“(We’ve) just been doing our quality Stompers baseball,” Pace said postgame. “Filling up the zone on the mound and playing good defense and taking our quality at-bats. It’s about putting those three together.”

Just doing those three would be an understatement to describe Sonoma’s win over Menlo Park. Everything they’ve been doing consistently was displayed Sunday; nothing was left out.

The Stompers were the first team to score. It’s become a constant trend, and Sonoma held its own on offense all game. After a 1-2-3 first inning, Scheppler finally reached base via a hit, as previously mentioned, with an RBI double to score Sebastiani. Scheppler would score soon after when Ben Sebastiani walked, and a pitch with the bases loaded hit Colton Boardman.

The floodgates opened from there. With two outs in the third inning and the bases loaded, Esteban Sepulveda cleared the bases with a single ripped into center field. Then, the Stompers showed off their “special,” with Sepulveda coming home on a passed ball.

Holding a six-run lead looked safe, but Nathan Bunyard struggled the night before, and Sonoma had a chance to lose it. This time around, Pelja continued to shove. In the fourth, he retired Menlo Park in order. In the fifth, he did it again.

“I feel like every outing, we’re about to fight to get (Pelja) out of the game because he wants to stay in,” Pace said jokingly. “He does a really good job of getting a lot of outs and having quality outings every time he’s out there.”

As Pelja dealt, the Stompers added more runs. Sebastiani struck his first home run in the fourth, and Brady Shannon scored Tyler Schlafer on a sacrifice fly the following inning.

Then came Sonoma’s bullpen effort. Sean DeBoard, Justin Jones and Nikolas Haas struggled in their innings, each allowing two runs, but Jaden Mason and Christian Klostermann stepped in and shut the Legends down. 

It was the Stompers all the way. They scored one more when Cameron Hegamin plated Heeryun Han on a sac fly in the seventh. As a bit of insurance, Sonoma scored four more runs in the eighth, with a Shannon single and Sebastiani’s second home run — a three-run shot — to give the Stompers their 11th, 12th and 13th runs.

Menlo Park applied pressure in the eighth and ninth with four of its six runs coming then. But Sonoma’s lead was too large to overcome.

“Our approach has been pretty good the last couple days. I feel like we’ve definitely been improving,” Pace said. “It was definitely nice to see our guys come through.”

The Stompers will receive their regular Monday off-day before taking on the Legends again on Monday at 5 p.m.

Stompers even season series with 10-5 victory over Crawdads

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

Games between the Stompers and Crawdads are always fiercely competitive. After Walnut Creek ended Sonoma’s 2024 CCL playoff run, the Stompers were eager to bounce back in 2025.

In the first of their nine contests this season, Sonoma shocked the Crawdads with a commanding 10-4 win. But over the next three days — with a day off in the middle — Walnut Creek stormed back with 4-2 and 10-1 wins, reclaiming the season series while reminding the Stompers why it’s the top team in the CCL North.

Despite having just three hits ahead of Saturday’s contest, Trent Keys hit a double and triple while tallying two RBIs to help push the Stompers past the Crawdads.

With just one matchup against the Legends on Friday before Saturday’s rematch with the Crawdads, Sonoma had a chance to regroup and sharpen its game to even the season series and the week.

Under Saturday night lights at Arnold Field, the Stompers (16-11, 13-9 CCL) outscored Walnut Creek 6-1 over the final five innings to secure a 10-5 victory. Two-out scoring proved to be the X-factor, with Sonoma plating seven of its 10 runs with two outs.

“There’s a lot of clutch hits, and like we’ve been talking about all year, we always have those (runners left on base),” Stompers manager Zack Pace said postgame. “I feel like we got it done tonight. We got those (runners) in. We always say, ‘Two-out hits win championships,’ so hopefully we continue that trend.”

Sonoma often opens its games with immediate offensive pressure but struggles to maintain it. By the second time through the Stompers’ batting order, they regularly falter, giving opponents a chance to mount a comeback. On Wednesday, Sonoma tied the game in the second inning, but Walnut Creek would score nine unanswered runs.

That wasn’t the case Saturday. In classic Stompers fashion, they took the lead early with a Brady Shannon RBI single before he scored on a wild pitch during McCann Libby’s at-bat. 

With Nick Santivanez on the hill for Sonoma, that two-run lead would typically last. This time around, Santivanez couldn’t hold up his end, allowing a season-high four hits and four runs after not surrendering more than one in any of his previous starts. All four of Santivanez’s runs came in the second inning.

His struggles were inevitable, though. Santivanez had started the season nearly perfect for the Stompers, but his 9.75 ERA from his campaign at Cal State Northridge always presented uncertainty.

“He didn’t have his stuff, but he battled and tried his best,” Pace said. “(Walnut Creek) had that big inning, but sometimes you just have to battle through and find a way to get it done.”

Even with Santivanez’s miscues on the mound, Sonoma provided him with run support. Trent Keys tripled, and Colton Boardman doubled in the second to even the game at four apiece.

From there, the Stompers emerged. Jayden Harper relieved Santivanez and pitched three scoreless innings while striking out six batters. In the fifth inning with the game still tied, Paul Lizzul clobbered a solo home run over the right field fence to regain Sonoma’s lead, adding to his impressive week that featured two other extra-base hits.

“I was just looking for a pitch down. (Carson Timothy) was working his off-speed well,” Lizzul said postgame. “When I got that pitch down in the zone, it just clicked right there.”

The one-run lead wasn’t comfortable enough, especially with Walnut Creek boasting some of the CCL’s best hitters in Baylor’s John Youens and Sam Jenkins. But Luke Duncan pitched two more innings to have Nathan Bunyard put the finishing touch on the game in the final two.

After Nic Sebastiani and Shannon helped Sonoma score three more runs in the sixth, Trevor Schlafer tallied his first RBI and run of the summer when he drove in Cameron Hegamin on a fielder’s choice and scored on Keys’ double — his second extra-base hit of the evening.

Now, Bunyard was in an even better spot. Up six runs, the decision was nearly assured. And despite only appearing in one game on June 8, Bunyard seemed like a good option to complete the job.

But his rustiness shone. He pitched 0.0 innings while walking two batters and hitting one. He even started pitching to the next batter, Kam Taylor, but threw two balls, leading Pace to replace him with Heeryun Han.

All of a sudden, the Crawdads were breathing. Han hadn’t allowed an earned run in his three prior outings, but recently surrendered four unearned to Walnut Creek on Wednesday. This time, though, Han dialed in and escaped the jam and more, pitching the final two innings to will the Stompers to victory.

“If there’s one guy on the team that can (battle), it’s Han,” Pace said. “He’s just an ideal guy that’s gonna find a way to help you win the game.”

Energy levels remain high with the win, marking Sonoma’s second straight ahead of a Sunday matinee matchup with the Legends and a chance to win the week.

“It’s electric. These guys are all pulling for each other, and it’s just a great environment to play in,” Lizzul said.

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.