66ers Snap Four Game Skid Behind Bullpen and Bats of Yon, Vera

San Bernardino, CA- The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth on a wild pitch to down the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 6-5 and snap a four-game losing streak. Edwin Yon scored the winning run after tripling with one out in the ninth and came home on Reinaldo De Paula’s (1-1) pitch to the screen to give the Sixers’ their first win in the six-game set after dropping the first three.

After a scoreless first Luis Diaz tagged a two-run homer, his fifth, to left to put the Quakes ahead. Inland Empire bounced back scoring three times in bottom of the second Starlin Gill singled and scored on Yon’s first triple of the affair. Yon then scored on an infield hit by Julio La Cruz. Arol Vera then singled to right, his second base hit of the game, and De La Cruz went to third base and then came home on a throwing error to give IE a 3-2 lead. The teams then scored a single run in every half inning of the third through the fifth with the Quakes (62-50) tying the game in the fifth 5-5 without a hit as a walk, two base error and wild pitch scored to chase Sixers’ righty Jack Kochanowicz. The Sixers bullpen was dominant as Emilker Guzman (1.1IP), Nathan Burns (2.0IP) and Andrew Peters (1.0IP) combined to allow just one hit, one walk and fan ten batters over the final 4.1 innings. In the bottom of the ninth, Yon popped a ball down the right field line but with the outfield deep, Rancho RF Jose Ramos’ effort came up shy and Yon made it all the way to third on his second triple of the night (he also doubled in a 3-for-4 effort). The Quakes brought in a fifth infielder to try to stop the winning run but it was ineffective against a wild pitch as Yon came home on the game-winning miscue. Andrew Peters (2-2) earned the win with his perfect top of the ninth. The 66ers are now 12-16 versus the Quakes this year. Rancho Cucamonga was eliminated from postseason contention with the defeat. Arol Vera finished the game 4-for-4, has nine hits in his last three games and a seven-game hit streak with Inland Empire (54-55).

The series continues Saturday at 7:05. The contest can be seen and heard live on 66ers.com.