Ports Strand 12, Drop Series Opener 8-4

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The Stockton Ports stranded 12 baserunners over the first five innings on Friday night at Sam Lynn Ballpark. The Ports left the bases loaded three times over the first four innings in what became an 8-4 loss to the Bakersfield Blaze to open the final regular season series ever in Bakersfield. The loss deprived the Ports of what would've been their second four-game win streak of the season.

The Ports scored the first run of the game in the first inning as Jose Brizuela chopped a single into left field to score Richie Martin who singled with one out. With two outs, Mikey White drew a walk to load the bases but Justin Higley struck out to end the inning.

Bakersfield tied the game in the bottom of the first as the Blaze loaded the bases with one out. Gianfranco Wawoe reached on a fielder's choice force play that scored Jordan Cowan, who walked to open the inning. The Blaze took the lead in the bottom of the second. With two on and two out, Drew Jackson hit a two-run double down the left field line to give Bakersfield a 3-1 advantage.

Stockton got one run back in the third but left more on the table. With the bases loaded and one out, Seth Brown struck out looking. Iolana Akau followed and was hit by a pitch allowing a run to score to make it 3-2, at which point Blaze starter Art Warren was lifted for Vinny Nittoli (4-5), who struck out Melvin Mercedes to escape further damage.

Warren did not factor into the decision, going 2.2 innings and allowing two runs on four hits while walking five and striking out four.

Nittoli would pitch the fourth inning and find himself in a bases-loaded, one-out jam after John Nogowski singled, Brizuela doubled and Sandber Pimentel walked. Nittoli would strike out Mikey White looking and get Higley to hit into a fielder's choice force play to end the inning and his outing.

Nittoli would be credited with the win, going an inning-and-a-third scoreless while pitching around two hits and a walk.

Ports starter Casey Meisner (1-14) pitched through the fourth inning but allowed two more runs in his final frame. With two on and two out, Chantz Mack hit a two-run single to left to make it a 5-2 contest. Meisner suffered the loss, going four innings and allowing five runs on six hits while walking four and striking out four.

Victor Veliz took over for Stockton in the fifth and gave up a one-out double to Wawoe, followed by a two-run homer to Austin Wilson that ran the Blaze lead to 7-2. Stockton got a run back in the top of the seventh when White homered to right to make it a 7-3 game, but the Blaze countered with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the seventh from Mack to bring the lead back to five runs at 8-3. It was the final run scored by the Blaze and the final run allowed by Veliz who allowed two homers in two-and-two-thirds innings of work.

After three scoreless innings worked by Spencer Herrmann beginning in the fifth, Kody Kerski took over in the eighth and worked the final two frames. Kerski allowed a one-out homer to Pimentel in the ninth, but retired the next two batters to close out the ballgame.

Koby Gauna pitched the final inning-and-a-third scoreless for Stockton.

The Ports and Blaze play the middle game of their three-game series on Saturday night at Sam Lynn Ballpark. Grant Holmes (9-7, 4.78 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by Bakersfield right-hander Osmer Morales (4-5, 3.69 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:15 p.m. PDT.