BOX SCORE #28 Sonoma State 5, Academy of Art 2 -- Box Score

ROHNERT PARK -- Jackson Stogner continued to torture opposing pitchers, going 2 for 3 with a double and two RBI and ten different pitchers combined to allow just one hit to lift the Sonoma State baseball team to a 5-2 non-conference victory over the Academy of Art on Sunday afternoon at Seawolf Diamond.  The Seawolves, who broke into the NCAA Division II Top 30 Coaches' Poll for the first time this season, debuting at No. 28, rise to 19-10 overall.  The Urban Knights fell to 10-25.

With 12 games rained out already this season for SSU, Sunday's non-conference tilt with a fellow West Region member in AAU was scheduled this past Wednesday to allow for the Seawolves to get more games under their belt with just three weeks left in the regular season.

Sonoma State got off to a quick start offensively, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning.  Stogner scored Jourdan Weiks on a double down the left field line, Eric Ehlow singled home Daniel Caresio, then Dallas Seidel brought home Stogner and Ehlow on a groundball up the middle to put the Seawolves up 4-0.  Another run came home in the second inning on another Stogner RBI to put the hosts up 5-0 early on.

However, the SSU lineup would be shut down by Academy of Art reliever Maclane Brady, who came in to start the bottom of the third inning.  Brady gave up just one hit to the Seawolves in his final six innings of work, striking out four batters.

Meanwhile, a committee of Sonoma State pitchers -- one each inning through the first eight -- allowed just one hit and it was a two-out single by Ryan Ramirez in the top of the seventh inning off of Stevan Zaharias that scored Joseph Marchini, who reached on a fielding error to lead off the frame.  Trailing 5-1, the Urban Knights got the first two batters aboard via back-to-back walks.  Both moved into scoring position with one out after a sacrifice bunt, but then another walk loaded the bases. 

SSU's Blake Aldrete was called upon to stop the bleeding and he did just that.  With the bases juiced, Aldrete got Ramirez to fly out to right field, and while it allowed the runner on third to score, the relay in was cut off and the Seawolves were able to double up the runner on second, who was trying to tag and advance on the play as well.  The out ended the game and Aldrete earned his first save of the season in helping the Seawolves hold on for the 5-2 win.

Taylor Toccalino (1-0) got the start for Sonoma and he was followed by Blake Sack, Matt Hammonds, Haydon Turpin, Jayson Richards, Aaron Gillis, Zaharias, Ricky Clark, Anthony Pezzola and then Aldrete.

Academy of Art's Yoshi Uemura (0-2) was tagged with the loss; he started the game and lasted just one-third of an inning, giving up four runs on three hits and two walks.

Sonoma State will return to CCAA action on Thursday at 2:00 pm when it plays host to Cal State Monterey Bay for the first game of a four-game series at Seawolf Diamond.  A doubleheader on Friday will follow before the series wraps up with a single game on Saturday.