Storm Win in Walkoff Fashion Against Quakes
Following a 5-0 start to the season in which the Storm looked utterly unstoppable, they have played 10 games since then and have instead been mostly beatable. Tonight seemed to be no different as they never led for a single moment before the last. The Storm seemed primed for yet
Following a 5-0 start to the season in which the Storm looked utterly unstoppable, they have played 10 games since then and have instead been mostly beatable. Tonight seemed to be no different as they never led for a single moment before the last. The Storm seemed primed for yet another loss in Lake Elsinore, however, timely hitting led them to yet another walk-off win.
The change in momentum began in the bottom of the 8th inning when Jack Stronach doubled with two outs while the Storm trailed by 3. Brandon Valenzuela followed that double with a loud enough single to score Stronach. In the top of the 9th, things seemed dire as Duilio Ochoa walked three straight batters to load the bases with 0 outs. He would then move to a slow-rolling curve that was good enough to strike out two of the next three and induce a ground out to get out of the inning unscathed.
The bottom of the 9th is where the Storm's magic season continued to reveal itself. Three straight singles from Matthew Acosta, Alison Quintero, and Kelvin Alarcon would score Acosta and put pinch-runner Joshua Mears at 3rd base. The then ever clutch Robert Hassell lll sauntered into the box and hung a ball to deep left field to score Mears and tie the game. The Storm would go on to load the bases, however, they could not get the winning run across.
So, in the top of the 10th with the auto-runner at 2nd, the Storm called upon infielder Kelvin Alarcon to try and pitch a clean inning. Alarcon would allow just one hit while striking out the final batter he faced to roaring applause and an even more raucous celebration from Alarcon.
Then, in the bottom of the 10th, the Quakes would intentionally walk Yordy Barley setting up Acosta to lay down the sacrifice bunt to shift the runners to 2nd and 3rd. The Quakes would again intentionally walk Ripken Reyes to load the bases. Gilberto Reyes would then see one pitch and that one was all he needed as he hit a single up the middle to walk it off at the Diamond.
The Storm again avoid dropping to under .500 on the season and pick up some much-needed momentum at the halfway point to this series.
The Storm play the Quakes again tomorrow night at 7:05 hoping to put a win streak together.
-Written by Justin Jett