After two losses in four days to the San Rafael Pacifics, the Sonoma Stompers rebounded Wednesday night, coming from behind twice to claim a 3-2 victory.
Juan Espinosa started the game for the Stompers and had his best outing of the season, throwing six innings of one-run ball, while giving up just five hits and striking out six.
Once his outing was complete, Stompers manager Zack Pace turned to Robert Maislin, D.J. Sharabi and Jacob Cox to record the final nine outs of the game.
The Pacifics struck first in the fourth inning, taking a 1-0 lead that held until the bottom of the sixth when Miles Williams crushed his fifth home run of the season to tie the game at 1.
San Rafael answered in the seventh to take a 2-1 lead, but their lead didn’t last long. With two outs and a runner on, Kam Stewart blasted a home run deep to left field to give the Stompers a 3-2 lead.
For Stewart, it was his third hit of the day and first homer of the season.
“I was looking for a pitch middle in and I gave it a ride,” Stewart said. “After any big blast like that late in the game, that gives your team the lead, it definitely boosts the confidence and the morale of the club, it gives our pitchers more confidence too, knowing they’re going out there with a lead.”
After Sharabi retired San Rafael in the eighth, Cox set down the Pacifics easily in the ninth, en route to his league-leading fourth save of the year.
Tuesday, looking to bounce back from their Saturday loss against the Pacifics, the Stompers returned to Albert Park, but a half inning was the difference and the Stompers fell to San Rafael 5-2.
Starter Ty’Relle Harris pitched a quality start for Sonoma, allowing two runs and five hits over five innings while walking just one batter and striking out nine.
Kenny Meimerstorf continued his hot hitting, crushing his fourth home run of the season to left field in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game at 2. His homer, which tied Mitchell Ho and Williams for the team lead, scored Stewart from first, who reached on his second hit in as many games.
Eight of the nine Stompers in the lineup reached base, with seven collecting hits and Williams picking up his fifth multi-hit game of the season.
San Rafael sent all nine hitters to the plate in the bottom of the sixth and the Pacifics scored three runs to take a 5-2 lead that would hold for the remainder of the game.
Vijay Patel pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless relief, striking out five to tie his single-game high, but the three-run lead was too much for Sonoma to come back from.
The Stompers host the Martinez Clippers Friday. First pitch at Palooza Park at Arnold Field will be 6:05 p.m. Friday.
After Friday, the Stompers hit the road for a week as they travel to San Rafael Saturday, Pittsburg on Sunday, Vallejo for a two-game series Tuesday and San Rafael on Thursday before returning home on Friday, June 22 to face Martinez.
To purchase Stompers tickets and to find more information about the team, visit stompersbaseball.com, call 938-7277 or email info@stompersbaseball.com.
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