Inland Empire Moves into First Place Tie on Epic Night for Edwin Yon

Rancho Cucamonga, CA- The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino unloaded on the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes at LoanMart Field on Wednesday with a blowout 19-8 win. The Sixers set a season-high in runs, hits (16) and runs in a single inning (11) but Edwin Yon stood tall above the rest with a two-homer, nine RBI contest vaulting the 66ers (32-29) into a tie for first with the Quakes in the Low-A West South Division.

The 66ers got on the board in the first against RC starter Gavin Stone scoring three runs capped by a check-swing infield RBI single by Yon for his first RBI; his night would get more authoritative. The Quakes got to Sixers’ starter Jack Kochanowicz with a run in the second on Diego Cartaya’s tenth homer of the year and then chase the righty with five runs on six consecutive hits in the third to take a 6-3 lead. The Quakes led 7-3 entering the fifth when D’Shawn Knowles doubled off reliever Julian Smith and scored on Jose Reyes’ RBI single making it 7-4. Jose Guzman walked and then Yon walloped a Smith offering out to left center for a 3-run homer, his sixth of the year, and a 7-7 tie. The homer gave Yon his second hit and second through fourth RBI. Jack Dashwood (3-1) held the Quakes down as the UC Santa Barbara product went 5.1IP out of the pen and at one point retired 12 Quakes consecutively. The Sixers busted the game open in the seventh with an avalanche of runs. With two on, Yon singled to break the tie 8-7 and give him his fifth RBI of the game. Caleb Scires followed with a RBI single against righty Daniel Cruz (2-2) to make it 10-8. The Sixers then got a two-run single from Jeremy Arocho and RBI HBP from Jose Reyes, and a RBI single from Jose Guzman to make it 14-7 with the bases loaded. The 6’8” Yon then drilled a reliever Carlos Alejo’s offering out to left for a grand slam and a 18-7 advantage. Yon’s laser to left was his fourth hit of the game, his second homer giving him seven on the season and gave him a total of nine RBI on the night; he entered the game with 11. Carlos Reina homered in the eighth, his first of the year, off Ismael Alcantara to make it 19-7. Alcantara, who began the game in right field, homered off Dashwood in the bottom of the eighth to make in 19-8, he hit the homer while technically still the Quakes’ pitcher. Every 66ers starting position player had at least one hit. Braxton Martinez extended his hit streak to nine games; he’s hit safely in 19 of his last 20. Knowles stole his 17th base in 17 attempts.

The series continues at Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday at 6:30 pm. The contest can be heard live on 66ers.com.