Liberato's Eighth-Inning Single Gives Nuts Thrilling Win

Modesto, CA. - By erasing three multi-run deficits, the Modesto Nuts defeated the Visalia Rawhide 9-8 on Thursday night at John Thurman Field to keep their playoff hopes alive.
After three innings, the Nuts (60-76; 30-36) were down by a pair of runs. In the fourth the Nuts tied it. Joe Rizzo doubled home the Nuts' first run. While he was at third, Beau Branton executed a safety squeeze to bring in the tying run.
The Rawhide (67-69; 30-36) took the lead back in the fifth on a Ramon Hernandez home run.
After a couple insurance runs, the Rawhide carried a three-run lead into the seventh inning. Mason McCaughan walked two before exiting the game. Evan White drove home the first run of the seventh inning with a RBI single. Jordan Cowan scored on a wild pitch. Anthony Jimenez tied the game with a RBI single.
The Rawhide came back to take the lead again in the top of the eighth inning with three straight doubles before Spencer Herrmann (W, 3-0) entered out of the bullpen to strikeout the final two batters.
In the eighth, the Nuts plated four runs to take the lead for good. With Erbert Gonzalez (L, 1-1) checked into the game, he struck out the first batter before walking Jack Larsen. Kevin Santa singled before Cowan delivered a RBI single. White doubled home Santa to tie the game and put the go-ahead runs into scoring position. Luis Liberato smacked the game-winning hit into center field, a two-run single.
In the ninth, Herrmann was able to record two outs but exited with the bases loaded. Danny Garcia (S, 1/2) came in out of the bullpen and issued a bases loaded walk to make it a one-run game. Garcia induced a game-ending groundout by Adam Walton to keep the Nuts' slim playoff hopes alive.
The Nuts head on the road to start a four-game series with the San Jose Giants on Friday night. First pitch is at 7:00 p.m. Coverage on ModestoNuts.com will start at 6:50 p.m. Listen live online on your phone, tablet or PC by clicking HERE.