Stompers show staying power atop standings

Talking about performing under the pressure of being in the national spotlight as the first openly gay player to enter the pro baseball ranks, right-hander Sean Conroy stepped up in an historic moment and delivered a pitching gem for the Sonoma Stompers in last Thursday’s “Pride Night” game at Arnold Field.

Conroy, who usually serves as the team’s top reliever, took the mound for his first Pacific Association of Professional Baseball League start with Sonoma and pitched a complete-game three-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts and only one walk in the Stompers’ 7-0 victory over the visiting Vallejo Admirals.

Also leading Sonoma were Joel Carranza’s three-for-four with a double and two runs scored; Isaac Wenrich’s two-for-four, including a homer, two RBIs and one run; player-manager Fehlandt Lentini’s home run, two RBIs and a run; TJ Gavlik’s single and RBI; Danny Baptista and Matt Hibbert’s single and run each; and Mark Hurley’s run.

In Friday night’s opener of a three-game series in Pittsburg, the Stompers fell into a 2-0 first-inning hole and would end up being out-hit by a 16-11 margin, which, usually, would translate into a losing effort.

But having, by far, the top offense in the PAPBL, Sonoma quickly erased a 2-0 first-inning deficit with a seven-run top of the second and never looked back in outlasting the Diamonds for an 11-8 victory.

The Stompers were led by winning left-handed starting pitcher Jeff Conley’s five innings of mound work, scattering nine hits, yielding four earned runs, striking out four and walking four; Wenrich’s three-for-five, including a double and two runs; Hibbert’s two-for-four with an RBI; Baptista’s double, three RBIS and run; Gered Mochizuki’s single, two RBIs and a run; Hurley’s single, two runs and an RBI; Carranza’s single and two runs; Gavlik’s double and run; Sergio Miranda’s single and run; and Lentini’s run.

Back in Pittsburg Saturday night, the Stompers again struck with a big inning, scoring five runs in the third, but found themselves tied at 5-5 heading into the top of the seventh.

Sonoma’s offense then tallied a pair of runs, added another two-spot in the eight, and held off a Diamonds’ ninth-inning rally for a 9-7 triumph, which also marked a franchise record seventh straight win.

Right-hander Mike Jackson Jr. picked up the pitching win for Sonoma with six innings of mound work, yielding five runs on nine hits, striking out four and walking two.

Leading the Stompers’ league-leading offense were Carranza’s three-for-five, including a double, an RBI and a run; Wenrich’s two-for-five with a double and RBI; Miranda’s two-for-three with a run; Mochizuki’s loaded-bases-clearing double with a seasonh-high five RBIs and a run; Hibbert’s single and three runs; Baptista’s single and two runs; and Hurley’s run.

In Sunday’s series finale, Sonoma’s right-handed ace Matt Walker took the same Pittsburg mound where he threw a one-hit shutout two weeks ago, but, unfortunately, this time around the Diamonds got some payback by rapping out 10 hits and scoring six earned runs en route to a 9-6 win.

Pacing the Stompers were Gayday’s two-for-four with a run; Wenrich’s two-for-five with a run; Baptista and Andrew Parker’s homer, RBI and run each; Yuki Yasuda’s double and two RBIs; Mochizuki’s single and RBI; Lentini’s single and run; Hurley’s single; and Carranza’s run.

With the loss, Sonoma had its best-ever seven game winning streak snapped, but with its 18-4 first-place record have a seven-game cushion atop the PAPBL standings, followed by defending champion San Rafael’s 11-11, Vallejo’s 9-15, and Pittsburg’s 8-16.

The Stompers remain on the road with a three-game series at San ?Rafael’s Albert Park starting at 6:05 p.m. tonight and continuing at the same first-pitch time tomorrow, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings, July 1 and 2.

Tickets are available online at StompersBaseball.com and at the Stompers Fan Shop located at 234 West Napa Street in Sonoma, and for more information, call 938-7277 or email at info@StompersBaseball.com.