66ers Smack Three Solo Homers, Dominate on Mound Versus Visalia

San Bernardino, CA- The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino rode the power of three solo homers and stifling work on the mound to down the Visalia Rawhide 3-2 on Wednesday night in front of 4,336. The victory was the 66ers' first of the year after opening the season-series 0-9 against the Rawhide with all prior games taking place at Recreation Park.
Inland Empire (35-61, 9-18) put a run on the board its first batter of the night as Orlando Martinez smoked Shumpei Yoshikawa's second pitch of the game out to right for a 1-0 advantage. The shot was Martinez fifth of the season. Gareth Morgan crushed a solo shot over the batter's eye in center two batters later giving the Sixers a 2-0 advantage. Gareth now has 17 homers on the year and 16 in 32 games with Inland Empire. Yoshikawa did not allow another hit in his next 4.2 IP. Visalia (59-34, 15-12) tied the game in the third against Travis Herrin in an inning that began with Anfernee Grier reaching on a fielding error by IE third sacker Gleyvin Pineda. With one out in the frame, Blake Swihart, with the Rawhide on a MLB Injury Rehab for Arizona, hit an automatic double to left. LT Tolbert then followed with a two-run double tying the game 2-2. Herrin went six innings for Inland Empire and allowed the two unearned runs on six hits with no walks and five Ks. The Sixers took a 3-2 lead on DC Arenda's solo homer, his first of the season with the Sixers, in the seventh off Cole Bartlett (6-5). Nate Bertness (3-3) was tremendous out of the pen for the Sixers. After two perfect frames he allowed a one-out single in the ninth but immediately erased it by coaxing a game-ending double play to secure the win. Bertness and Herrin combined to allow just seven hits and no walks with seven Ks as the Sixers have their first three-game winning streak since May 9^th through 11^th.
The series continues Thursday at 7:05pm. The contest can be seen and heard live at 66ers.com.