Storm Take Series

A Sunday shutout decided the series in Lake Elsinore

July 29, 2018

LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. - The home team got off to a strong start on Fireworks Friday, taking on the Oakland A's affiliate and First Half Champion Stockton Ports in front of over 6,000 fans.
Behind a solid effort from Michel Baez, the Storm provided plenty of run support after plating five runs in the eighth to cushion the lead for the final frame.
Baez set the tone early, striking out five of the first six Ports hitters. He finished his night after five innings, allowing one earned run on five hits while tallying eight punchouts.
Eguy Rosario, Luis Torrens, Jorge Oña and Ruddy Giron all had two hits apiece, including a double to each of their lines. Cody Tyler picked up the win, while David Bednar recording the final nine outs to earn his seventh save.
Saturday night's game ended with a different result despite a developing comeback that wouldn't quite come to full completion. The Ports put up a crooked number in the first inning thanks to a grand slam and would then put up three more in the fourth due to a costly wild throw from the pitcher to the catcher on a groundball comebacker that would've gotten the team out of the jam. Instead, two runners would cross the plate and the double play would have to wait for the following hitter.
Lake Elsinore would score three of their own in the bottom of the fourth and two in the seventh, but that would be all as Stockton would go on to win, 8-6, and even the series at one game each.
In front of a large Sunday crowd, the combination of Adrian Morejon, back from injury, and Pedro Avila silenced Stockton's bats. In his first game of the season in a Storm uniform, A.J. Kennedy broke the scoreless game with a double in the bottom of the fifth. Two more runs would score in the seventh as the home team went on to shut out the Ports, 3-0, and take the series.
Lake Elsinore hits the road for three games at Rancho Cucamonga before continuing on to San Jose. They are back in town Tuesday, August 7^th for a three-game home stand against the Arizona Diamondbacks affiliate Visalia Rawhide.