Hibbert powers Stompers to sweep

10th-inning walk-off home run seals 6-5 win over Diamonds.|

The Sonoma Stompers swept a three-game series with the Pittsburg Diamonds this weekend. Sonoma is undefeated in the second half with a 6-0 record and have a three-game lead over the second-place San Rafael Pacifics.

Sunday, the Stompers got a strong start from pitcher Ty’Relle Harris – and a strong finish from center fielder Matt Hibbert who hit a 10th-inning walk-off three-run homer to cap a 6-5 win.

“I’m feeling ecstatic right now … I just visualized myself doing it before I got up there and made it happen,” Hibbert said.

Trailing by two, Hibbert recorded the second walk-off hit of the series.

“He was fired up. He had to show me results and he did,” said manager Takashi Miyoshi.

Harris pitched eight innings, allowing one earned run. He held the Diamonds scoreless through six and issued just two walks. Despite spending time on the inactive list, Harris has 48 strikeouts on the season.

“(The pitching staff) is just giving us whatever they’ve got. Guys might be banged up or sore or whatever else, but when they come to the mound they’re going to compete,” Hibbert said. “On the offensive end, we just want to do our part.”

Isaac Wenrich recorded one of five hits for the Stompers and scored the first run of the game, stealing home on a wild pitch. Yuki Yasuda also homered in the game, delivering a “Yuki Bomb” to left field in the sixth inning.

The Diamonds responded quickly, scoring runs in both the seventh and eighth to turn the matchup into an extra-inning showdown.

“Everybody thinks we’re going to win the second half. We’re not going to try to go for the one game playoff. We know we’re good enough to win the second half too. Everybody just needs to keep grinding for that,” said Miyoshi.

Saturday, left fielder Brennan Metzger smacked the first walk-off hit of his baseball career to give Sonoma a 6-5 victory over the Diamonds.

“There’s a first time for everything and that was it,” Metzger said. “The first three guys got on, they did a good job so I was just trying to follow suit.”

After crushing the Diamonds 10-1 Friday, the Stompers battled through a close contest Saturday. Trailing by one and down to their last three outs and runners on first and second, Marcus Bradley knocked a base hit up the middle to tie the game.

The Stompers’ formidable lineup struck for three runs off of Diamonds starter Corey McDonald, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the efforts of a talented Pittsburg team through the first eight innings.

“We have faith in our team and we just never give up. The game isn’t over until the last out is recorded,” Metzger said.

The Stompers applied pressure in the eighth, coming within one run on a Joel Carranza RBI. Carranza, the Pacific Association home run king, also homered earlier in the game and was responsible for three of the six Stompers runs.

“It always feels good to hit a home run, especially here at home where you have the crowd behind you,” Carranza said.

Friday, the Stompers beat the Diamonds 10-1 as Hibbert put on a show on offense.

Hibbert went four-for-five in the rout and hit his second home run of the year, a seventh-inning solo shot that gave the Stompers a 4-1 lead. He also drove in two runs and made an incredible catch in center, diving forward to rob the Diamonds of a base hit in the fifth.

Stompers starter Taylor Thurber pitched a scoreless ballgame until the sixth, allowing the Sonoma offense to flourish behind him. Thurber came into the game having allowed just three runs in 19 innings pitched as a Stomper this year.

Wenrich homered and picked up two RBIs in addition to contributing to the commanding performances of the Stompers pitching staff.

A six-run eighth inning secured the victory for Sonoma.

With Sunday’s win, Sonoma ties their best start to a half in franchise history at 6-0.

The Stompers improve to 34-11 on the season while the Diamonds fall to 23-22. The Stompers head to San Rafael for a three-game series against the Pacifics beginning Tuesday.

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