Inland Empire Drops Second Straight to Modesto

Modesto, CA- The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino fell to the Modesto Nuts 11-5 on Wednesday night in the second of a six-game series at John Thurman Field. The Sixers took an early 2-0 lead but Modesto used a six-run outburst in the third and Nuts’ pitchers struck out 18 to improve to 6-2 versus the 66ers in 2021. Inland Empire dropped below .500 at 50-51.

D’Shawn Knowles go the Sixers on the board in the first with a one out single. The native of the Bahamas then stole second and third and came home on a throwing error by Modesto’s catcher for a 1-0 lead vs Bryce Miller. The Sixers made it 2-0 in the top of the third when Alexander Ramirez tripled to center, his first hit with the 66ers, and then scored on Arol Vera’s RBI single. After two scoreless frames, Modesto (58-46) chased Sixers’ starter Kelvin Caceres (0-3) scoring six times in the home half of the third as the Nuts sent ten men to the plate in the frame. Modesto Leon Hunter Jr. (5-1) tossed three perfect innings prior to a walk to Bryce Teodosio to open the seventh with the Nuts leading 10-2. Carson Matthews followed by smoking a two-run homer to left, his first as a professional, making it 10-4. The Nuts added a run in the bottom of the frame on a RBI single by Alberto Rodriguez, his third hit of the game making it 11-4. In the eighth, Nuts reliever Matthew Willrodt hit two batters and walked another to load the bags. Teodosio then drew a run-scoring walk making it 11-5 with the bases still loaded and no outs but reliever Juan Mercedes came in and quelled the threat. Colin Davis was 3-for-4 with two doubles, a walk, four RBI and a steal to pace the Nuts. Carson Matthews finished 2-for-4 for the Sixers while Knowles is now 28-for-29 in stolen base attempts. The Nuts have scored in nine of the 16 innings they have batted in this series.

The series continues Thursday at 7:05pm. The contest can be heard live on 66ers.com.