Rawhide Roll To 8-1 Win Over Ports

STOCKTON, Calif. - The Visalia Rawhide scored six runs over the first four innings and never looked back on Saturday night at Banner Island Ballpark. Stockton Ports starter Jake Brown (6-11) gave up a career-high 12 hits, most of which were broken-bat bloopers and slow-rollers, as the Ports fell to the Rawhide by a final of 8-1.

Visalia scored the game's first run in the first inning on a one-out RBI single from Garrett Weber. The Rawhide added to their lead in the second while taking advantage of the first of two Ports errors on the night. With runners at second and third and one out, Ryan LaPensee hit a sac-fly to center to make it a 2-0 game. Ender Inciarte would follow and reach on a fielding error committed by B.A. Vollmuth, allowing another run to score and make it 3-0. Two batters later, Mike Freeman singled to left to increase the Visalia lead to 4-0.

Brown suffered a bit of bad luck to open the third as Keon Broxton struck out on a pitch in the dirt to start the inning but reached on a two-base throwing error by Ryan Ortiz as his throw to first sailed down the right field line. Broxton scored to bring the Rawhide lead to 5-0. Visalia added another run in the fourth on a one-out RBI single from Weber that made it 6-0.

Brown would suffer the loss, going four innings and allowing a career-high 12 hits, all singles, while striking out one.

Rawhide starter Ray Hernandez (6-9) celebrated his 24th birthday on Saturday night. The Elk Grove native delivered a tremendous performance in front of friends and family as he blanked the Ports over the first five innings. Stockton's only run came in the sixth as Vollmuth reached on a two-out double and scored on an ensuing single from A.J. Kirby-Jones to make it a 6-1 game.

Hernandez went seven innings and allowed just one run on five hits while striking out a career-high 10 batters.

After two scoreless innings from Connor Hoehn, Jonathan Joseph took over in the eighth and set the side down in order. Joseph came back out for the ninth and allowed a solo home run to Gerson Montilla to open the inning, followed by a single to Freeman. Freeman would score on a two-out RBI single from Carter Bell that brought the Rawhide lead to 8-1.

Patrick Schuster took over for Hernandez in the eighth and pitched two scoreless innings to close out the ballgame.

The Ports and Rawhide play the third game of their four-game set on Sunday night at Banner Island Ballpark. Max Perlman (0-2, 7.88 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by Visalia right-hander Anthony Meo (9-8, 4.20 ERA). First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m. PDT.