Nine Is Fine: Ports Hammer JetHawks 10-2

LANCASTER, Calif. - The Stockton Ports continued their winning ways on Wednesday afternoon at The Hangar. The Boys of Banner Island netter their ninth straight victory in a 10-2 win over the Lancaster JetHawks to complete their second straight series sweep and remain perfect in the second half.

The Ports offense was off and running in the first inning. JetHawks starter Kent Emmanuel (3-2) issued back-to-back walks to Daniel Robertson and Matt Olson before surrendering an RBI single to Renato Nunez and a sac-fly to Ryon Healy that gave the Ports an early 2-0 advantage.

Stockton built on its lead in the second using the long ball. Wade Kirkland led off with a home run to right-center. After two in a row were retired, Robertson reached on an infield single and Olson followed with a two-run homer to make it 5-0. Nunez came up next and hit the first of his two home runs on the afternoon out to left-center field to make it a 6-0 lead.

The JetHawks got one of the runs back in the bottom of the second. With runners at the corners and one out, Jobduan Morales hit a sac-fly to center to score Rio Ruiz and put the JetHawks on the board at 6-1. Ports starter Chris Lamb would go on to issue back-to-back walks to load the bases, but escape eth jam by getting Chan-Jong Moon to fly out to right field.

Lancaster picked up its second and final run of the contest in the fourth on a leadoff home run hit by Conrad Gregor to make it 6-2. It was the final run allowed by Lamb whose pitch count expired just short of qualifying for the win. Lamb received a no-decision, going 4.2 innings and allowing two runs on five hits while walking five and striking out two.

Jonathan Joseph (3-3) came on in relief for Lamb and retired all 10 batters he faced as he pitched three-and-a-third perfect innings en route to earning the victory.

The Ports padded their lead in the sixth. With two on and one out, Boog Powell lined a two-run double to right to score Billy McKinney and Ryon Gorton who'd singled earlier in the frame to increase the Stockton lead to 8-2. Powell, who wound up at third after the throw from the outfield came home, scored on an ensuing groundout by Robertson to make it a 9-2 score.

Powell's double knocked Emmanuel from the game as he went on to suffer the loss, going five-and-a-third innings while allowing nine runs on 10 hits.

Stockton's final run came in the ninth as Nunez hit his second home run of the game off reliever Patrick Christensen. The home run was Nunez' third of the series and fifth of the second half and gave the Ports a 10-2 cushion.

Nolan Sanburn came on to pitch the ninth and pitched around a one-out single, striking out Jack Mayfield to end the ballgame and punctuate Stockton's ninth straight victory.

After sweeping the JetHawks, the Ports head to Bakersfield to begin a four-game series with the Blaze on Thursday night. Yeiper Castillo (0-0, 36.00 ERA) makes his first start and second overall appearance for Stockton, opposed by Bakersfield right-hander Mikey O'Brien (0-0, 7.50 ERA). First pitch is set for approximately 7:45 p.m. PDT.