Inland Empire Wins Sixth Consecutive Game, Scires Collects Three Hits, Three RBI

San Bernardino, CA- The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino made it six consecutive wins with a 7-1 victory over the Visalia Rawhide at San Manuel Stadium on Saturday. The victory put the 66ers as 30-28 on the season matching their high-water mark of two games over .500 for the year. The loss was Visalia’s 13th straight defeat.

The Rawhide (13-46) took a 1-0 lead in the first when SP Chen drilled a solo homer, his third of the year, to right against IE starter Coleman Crow (3-0); Crow allowed little else. The righty went on to dominate in only his third professional appearance tossing six innings giving up just one more hit, a hit batter, three walks and fanning ten batters. The Sixers captured the lead quickly in the bottom of the first against Rawhide starter Junior Mieses (1-4) as Caleb Scires singled with one out and promply stole his fifth base of the season. Braxton Martinez then doubled Scires home to tie the game. Jose Reyes followed with a RBI double and a 2-1 lead. Inland Empire tacked on two more in the third when with two on, Scires delivered a two-run double to center. Inland Empire made it 5-1 in the fourth when Gustavo Campero blasted a solo shot off the video board in righty for his first round-tripper of the season. Later in the in frame Julio De La Cruz walked and stole second; he was driven home on Caleb Scires third hit and third RBI of the game when the Farfield, TX native singled sharply to center and notched his first three-hit game of the year. Scires made it 7-1 in the frame on a bizarre play in which he was picked off at first base but the Rawhide first baseman Alexander Hernandez dropped the ball, he then threw it in to left field allowing Scires to head to third. The left fielder then had the ball get by him and Scires scored on a play single play that featured three Visalia errors. Righty Dakota Donovan tossed three shutout frames allowing two hits, no walks and striking out four to tally his fifth save of the season for Inland Empire.

The series concludes Sunday at 5:35 pm. The contest can be seen and heard live on 66ers.com.