Mavs remain half-game back of Quakes for wild card

SAN BERNARDINO • The last two nights the High Desert Mavericks have had an opportunities to vault back into the lead in the California League's South Division's final postseason berth.

On Friday and Saturday, wild-card front-runner Rancho Cucamonga lost to South Division leader Lancaster.

The Mavs could have moved ahead of the Quakes with just a win but they failed to do so.

On Saturday, Inland Empire scored three runs in the third and two very big insurance runs in the seventh to hold on for a 7-5 win over the Mavericks at San Manuel Stadium.

High Desert trailed 5-1 after the fourth inning but began chipping away at the 66ers' lead. The Mavs scored two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth but when Inland Empire pushed across two runs in the seventh, it was too much for them to overcome.

Jordy Lara went 3-for-4 with a run scored for High Desert. Also, Michael Dowd and Guillermo Pimentel each had two hits while Patrick Brady, Jabari Henry and Anthony Phillips all had RBIs.

The Mavs and the 66ers continue their four-game series in San Bernardino on Sunday and Monday. High Desert then heads to Rancho Cucamonga for a pivotal three-game series. Those three games with the Quakes could decide the wild-card winner.

The Mavs close out the regular season with a five-game series at home against Lake Elsinore.

Story courtesy of the Daily Press

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