Sixers Open Road Trip with 6-3 Win at Stockton

Stockton, CA- The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino opened a seven-game road trip to the Cal League's Northern Division with a 6-3 win at Stockton's Banner Island Ballpark on Monday. The Sixers had three players with three-hit nights and improved to 6-5 against the Ports this season.
Inland Empire (51-57, 21-17) threatened against Stockton starter Angel Duno in the first two innings but could not crack through. In the third however Brennon Lund legged out an infield single and was balked to second. Lund made it 1-0 as he scored on Jared Walsh's RBI base hit into center. Walsh has now hit safely in 13 consecutive games. Lund tallied his third hit of the game in the fourth inning for an RBI making it 2-0 Sixers. Inland Empire made it 3-0 a batter later when Jordan Zimmerman's ground out knocked another run home. The Ports (52-56, 16-22) tied it up in the fourth against Sixers starter Jesus Castillo as Eli White doubled to open the frame and then scored on Sandber Pimentel's tenth homer of the year. Two batters later Seth Brown tagged a solo shot, his 15^th, to tie it up. Those were the only runs against Castillo who improved to 8-3.
Jordan Serena's RBI single for the Sixers in the top of the fifth broke the tie giving the Sixers a 4-3 lead. In the eighth the 66ers added a cushion as Brandon Sandoval's chopper over a drawn-in infield scored two for a 6-3 advantage. Sandoval, promoted from Rookie-level Orem before the game, had three hits in his Cal League debut joining Lund and Connor Justus with three-hit affairs. Samil De Los Santos was excellent out of the pen for the Sixers allowing a hit and a walk in 2.1 innings with five Ks. Sam Holland tossed a perfect ninth for his seventh save of the season capped by a running catch down the leftfield line by Serena to end the game.
The series continues Tuesday at 7:10 pm. The contest can be heard live at 66ers.com.