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The Potters looked to Folsom native, Cooper Robinson (UC Irvine) to make his second start this season. In two prior outings this season with the Potters, Robinson struck out 13 in only seven innings. After allowing a leadoff triple that nearly left the park, Robinson settled down and struck out three straight to get himself out of the early jam.

On a hot night at McBean Park, the start time was pushed back by 45 minutes. The Potters’ bats were right on schedule, however. A Justin Olson (Austin Peay University) sac fly scored Luke Odden (Georgia Southern University) in the bottom of the first. Odden walked to lead off the ballgame, his ninth of the season in only 22 plate appearances to that point in the season. 

Only allowing two additional baserunners over the next four innings, Cooper Robinson continued to roll. He was eventually replaced by JoJo Villareal (Grambling State University) to take on a few left-handed batters in the sixth. 

Before Robinson exited, however, the Potters put up an extra three runs of insurance on the board in the fourth. Dominic Rodriguez (San Joaquin Delta College) drove in his first run of the season during the inning.

Jaden Bruno (Stanford University) replaced Villareal in the seventh. He promptly loaded the bases on two walks and a hit by pitch. Catcher, Nolan Wilson (University of Nevada) made a nice play on a wild pitch to make the first out of the inning at home, and Bruno followed it up with two strikeouts and managed to escape the bases loaded jam with no damage. Bruno was also consistently throwing in the mid 90s. He could be the hardest thrower the Potters have.

Everything seemed to be going the Potters’ way and that was made only more apparent in the bottom of the inning as they managed to double their four-run lead on a few walks and a few well-timed hits by Tyler Gerety (University of Kansas) and Luke Odden.

After allowing a walk-off double in game two of the series, Sebastian Kirchner (University of New Mexico) was given the opportunity to pitch the eighth, this time with an eight-run lead. Also being given an opportunity in the eighth was Payton Brennan (UCLA), who subbed in at second base defensively. Despite his hot bat, this was Brennan’s first defensive playtime of the season after returning from injury.

The Potters could’ve gone home happy with an eight-run lead, but the bats weren’t done despite the clocks reaching ten o’clock. Justin Olson and Nolan Wilson were each driven in by Zach Chamizo (UC Riverside) who hit his first home run of the season to extend the Potters’ lead to 11-0. 

Chamizo’s new college teammate, Vincent Ciocello (UC Riverside) took over for Kirchner in the ninth. Ciocello took care of business quickly, as the Potters’ bullpen rendered the Stompers hitless over the final four innings of the game. 

Despite dropping the series with the Stompers 1-2, the Potters hold a 4-3 season advantage over the Stompers, which could have huge implications in terms of whose playing in August. The Potters are back at home on Friday night for one game with the West Coast Kings, before beginning another series with the Menlo Park Legends on Saturday.