Storm Shutout 66ers 3-0

San Bernardino, CA- The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino were shutout by the Lake Elsinore Storm 3-0 on Saturday night at San Manuel Stadium. The loss marked the fifth time this season that the Sixers have failed to score in a contest this season while the Storm pitching staff notched their second shutout of the year. Inland Empire fell to 48-47 while Storm improved 41-53.

The Storm scored a run in the first against Sixers’ starter Kelvin Caceres (0-2) after Matthew Acosta walked to open the game and Euribiel Angeles followed with a single. After a double steal, Acosta scored on an error made by Sixers’ shortstop D’Shawn Knowles for a 1-0 lead. Jhosua Mears was hit in the helmet by a Caceres’ pitch with one out in the fourth and then moved to third on Jarryd Dale’s double to left. Mears scored on a wild pitch and Dale came home on Lucas Dunn’s RBI single for a 3-0 lead. The Sixers’ bullpen of Brandon Dufault (2.0IP, 0H, 0R, 1BB, 3Ks) and Nathan Burns kept Inland Empire in the game. Burns, making his Low-A West debut, tossed two perfect innings with three Ks. The Storm pitching corps stymied the Sixers all night, as starter Levi Thomas went four frames giving up three hits and two walks while matching his season-high with seven Ks. Keegan Collett allowed a hit and two walks in his inning of relief but fanned two. Jason Reynolds (5-1) was credited with the win giving up two hits and striking out six in 3.0IP. Alek Jacob earned his first save with a perfect ninth to complete the shutout. Inland Empire was 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Myles Emmerson had the only multi-hit game for the Sixers going 2-for-4. Kyren Paris had Inland Empire’s only extra-base hit, a triple in the first inning; Paris now has six triples (tying him for the league-lead) in only 27 games played. Angeles had two hits for the Storm who improved to 12-17 against the Sixers in 2021.

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