Morgan's Ten Total Bases Powers Sixers Against His Former Club

Modesto, CA- The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino snapped a four-game losing streak on Sunday night with 7-5 win over the Modesto Nuts. The 66ers got impressive offensive nights from a handful of players highlighted by Gareth Morgan's two-homer night at the plate against his former club.
The Nuts (43-52, 13-12) took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first against RHP Cooper Criswell (3-6) when Cal Raleigh homered to right field with a man aboard. It was Raleigh's second straight game with a dinger and his Cal League best 22^nd of the year. The Sixers answered in the second with an RBI double from DC Arendas making it 2-1. Morgan, who played for Modesto all of 2018 and opened this year with the Nuts, then tied the game in the third with a missile out to left center against Ljay Newsome (6-6). DC Arendas' second RBI double of the game gave Inland Empire (33-61, 7-18) a 3-2 lead in the fourth. With the game tied in the fifth, Morgan struck again with a soaring homer to center. The two-run shot gave the Sixers a 5-3 lead and was Morgan's 16^th homer of the year, his 15^th in 30 games with Inland Empire. The Sixers made it 6-4 in the eighth when another former Nut, Ryan Scott, delivered a RBI single to right but Joe Rizzo homered in the bottom of the frame, his eighth of the year, to trim the Sixers lead to 6-5. In the ninth, the 66ers snagged an insurance run with a double steal of second and home by Jordan Zimmerman and Mike Stefanic for the 7-5 lead. It was Stefanic's second steal of the game and the fifth of the night for the Sixers whose previous high had been two. Oliver Ortega allowed a baserunner in the bottom of the ninth but struck out Seattle prospect Jerred Kelenic to end the night and secure a four-inning save, his second save of the year. Morgan and Devin Davis finished with three hits apiece for the Sixers while Stefanic and Arendas each had two.
The series concludes on Monday at 7:05 pm. The contest can be heard live at 66ers.com.