Late Surge Lifts Ports Past Mavs 2-1

ADELANTO, Calif. - The Stockton Ports offense picked the appropriate time to come to life on Saturday night at Mavericks Stadium. Trailing 1-0 heading into the eighth inning, the Ports got a leadoff home run from Iolana Akau and an RBI double from B.J. Boyd to steal the lead and steal the third game of their four-game set with the High Desert Mavericks by a final of 2-1.

Matt Stalcup made his second start of the season for Stockton and got burned by the only walk that was issued all game by Ports pitching. Stalcup issued a one-out walk to Michael De Leon, who would score on a two-out RBI single by Luke Tendler to give High Desert a 1-0 lead.

Stalcup went three innings and allowed three hits while issuing a walk and striking out one.

Joey Wagman (2-3) took over to begin the fourth and would pitch five scoreless innings and be the game's winning pitcher. Wagman allowed just three hits while not issuing a walk and striking out four.

High Desert starter Collin Wiles dominated the Ports bats over his six innings of work. Wiles did not allow a run while scattering three singles and striking out three.

Felix Carvallo (4-1) took over for High Desert in the fifth and pitched around a two-out walk and single that put runners at the corners with two outs. In the eighth, however, Carvallo would give up the game-tying home run to Akau to open the inning. Akau's first home run of the season knotted the game at 1-1. Two batters later, Seth Brown doubled to right to knock Carvallo from the game. Cody Palmquist came on in relief and gave up a single to Richie Martin that put runners at the corners, and Boyd followed with what would be the game-winning double to left that scored Brown and gave Stockton a 2-1 advantage.

Both runs in the eighth inning were charged to Carvallo, who suffered his first loss of the season after allowing three hits and walking one in an inning-and-a-third. Palmquist would pitch an inning-and-two-thirds scoreless for High Desert.

After Wagman set the side down in order in the eighth to conclude his outing, Carlos Navas (SV, 4) took over in the ninth. Navas set the side down in order, including back-to-back strikeouts of California League All-Stars Jose Trevino and Travis Demeritte to open the inning. Navas notched his second save of the series and his fourth save of the season.

The Ports and Mavericks wrap up their four-game set and the first half of the season on Sunday night in Adelanto. Heath FIllmyer (3-4, 2.93 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by High Desert right-hander David Ledbetter (2-5, 5.23 ERA). First pitch is set for 5:05 p.m. PDT.