Ports Rally For 4-3 Win Over Rawhide

STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Ports scored the final four runs of the night on Saturday at Banner Island Ballpark, the last of the four in the bottom of the eighth. Stockton rallied for a 4-3 win over the Visalia Rawhide and in doing so, gained the upper hand in their four-game series with Visalia heading into the finale on Sunday.

Visalia scored the first three runs of the game early I the contest. Austin Byler reached on a bunt-single to open the second and would end up a third after a one-out single by Joe Munoz. With runners at the corners, Munoz took off for second and was caught stealing, but on the play Byler advanced home from third to give Visalia a 1-0 lead.

Matt Jones doubled to lead off the third and, two batters later, scored on a double by Colin Bray. Bray would go on to steal third with one out. After Ports starter Casey Meisner struck out Chad Oberacker, Bray would score on a wild pitch to give the Rawhide a 3-0 advantage.

Meisner allowed a leadoff single to Byler in the fourth, but then Ports pitching would go on to retire 15 consecutive batters taking them through the eighth inning. Meisner retired the final six batters he faced and went on to receive a no-decision, going five innings and allowing three runs on five hits while striking out three.

Visalia starter Justin Donatella did not allow a hit through four innings and gave up an infield single to Mikey White to begin the fifth, but set down the next three batters in succession. Donatella issued a one out walk to Jose Brizuela in the sixth and, with two outs, had Sandber Pimentel reach on an infield single, a line drive that knocked Donatella's glove off his hand. John Nogowski came up next and, on a 3-2 pitch, hit a three-run homer to left to tie the game at 3-3.

Nogowski's home run signaled the end of the night for Donatella, who received a no-decision after allowing three runs on three hits while walking three and striking out four.

After Myles Smith pitched a scoreless inning-and-a-third for Visalia, Bud Jeter (8-3) took over in the eighth. Jeter gave up a one-out double to Joe Bennie and then issued back-to-back walks to Pimentel and Nogowski that loaded the bases. White came up next and hit a ground ball deep in the hole to shortstop on which a force out was recorded at third, but on the play Bennie scored the go-ahead run and gave Stockton a 4-3 lead.

Jeter would suffer the loss after allowing the one run in his lone inning of work.

Matt Sergey (1-0) took over for Meisner to begin the sixth and retired the first nine batters he faced taking him through the eighth inning. In the ninth, Sergey issued a leadoff walk to Oberacker and then got Socrates Brito to hit into a fielder's choice force play. With two outs, Sergey walked Henry Castillo to put the possible-tying run into scoring position, but he got Joe Munoz to ground out in front of home plate to end the contest and preserve the victory.

Sergey picked up his first ever win in affiliated ball, going four scoreless innings without allowing a hit, pitching around two walks and striking out six.

The Ports and Rawhide play the finale of their four-game set on Sunday at Banner Island Ballpark. Mike Murray (1-1, 9.35 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by Visalia left-hander Alex Young (0-3, 5.79 ERA). First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m. PDT.