Late Comeback Fails to Extend Winning Streak

San Bernardino, CA – Despite two runs in the ninth, the Modesto Nuts had their eight-game winning streak ended with a 3-2 loss on Friday night to the Inland Empire 66ers at San Manuel Stadium.

With one out in the ninth, Cade Marlowe walked to spark the late rally for the Nuts (12-4). Alberto Rodriguez blooped a double to put two runners in scoring position. Justin Lavey followed and lifted another bloop into shallow left that scored one run and put runners at the corners.

That’s when the Sixers (7-8) when to their bullpen to bring Justin Courtney (S, 1) into the game. Dariel Gomez, then representing the go-ahead run, launched a high fly ball out to left field that was hauled in on the warning track just a few inches from the wall. It did bring in a run as a sacrifice fly. Still with the tying run on first, Trent Tingelstad grounded out to end the game.

Taylor Dollard (L, 1-1) was good in his start for the Nuts. The righty struck out eleven over 4.2 innings of work. He surrendered two RBI to Kyren Paris – one in the third on a double and another on a triple. Paris later scored on a wild pitch.

Ryan Smith (W, 2-0) was the star of the show for Inland Empire. The lefty retired the first ten batters of the game before Noelvi Marte recorded the first of his two singles. In the sixth, the Nuts loaded the bases with one out, but Smith was able to get a pop out and a strikeout to end the threat. Smith finished with six innings of work, 13 strikeouts, three hits and only one walk.

The Nuts go for a series victory in the fifth game of their six-game series with the Inland Empire 66ers on Saturday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm.