Inland Empire Moves into Sole Possession of First Place with 10-6 Win at Rancho
Rancho Cucamonga, CA- The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino took sole possession of first place in Low-A West’s South Division with a 10-6 victory at Loan Mart Field on Thursday. The 66ers have now taken the first three games of the six-game set and have won nine of their
Rancho Cucamonga, CA- The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino took sole possession of first place in Low-A West’s South Division with a 10-6 victory at Loan Mart Field on Thursday. The 66ers have now taken the first three games of the six-game set and have won nine of their last ten games.
The 66ers jumped in front in the top of the first as Quakes’ starter Robbie Peto (0-3) walked the first two batters he faced. Braxton Martinez then singled home a run and ran his hit-streak to ten. Jose Guzman made it 2-0 with a sac fly and Gustavo Campero’s RBI single made it 3-0 and chased Peto after 0.2IP. After the Quakes (32-30) got a run in the first the Sixers answered immediately when Julio De La Cruz demolished a solo shot to left, his first homer of the year, and made it 4-1. The 66ers tacked on three more in the sixth on a two-run triple by De La Cruz and a RBI single from Jeremy Arocho. The Quakes cut into the 7-1 advantage with a pair of runs in the sixth but Inland Empire (33-29) got a solid six-inning performance from starting pitcher Jose Salvador who allowed three runs and struck out seven to improve to 5-2. The Quakes made their push with some help from the Sixers in the seventh as with one out, five consecutive batters reached base against IE righty Dakota Donovan with only one base hit as the Quakes took two hit batsmen, a walk and an error put the lead in peril. After a sac fly by Imanol Vargas made it 7-6, another batter was hit to load the bases. Garrett Lawson came out of the pen for the 66ers and squelched the rally with a strikeout of Edwin Mateo. The southpaw tacked on two more Ks in a perfect eighth. The Sixers added three insurance runs in the ninth as Arocho and D’Shawn Knowles singled and Martinez was intentionally walked to load the bags. RC lefty Jose Hernandez nearly escaped the jam after fanning back-to-back batters, but Edwin Yon muscled a two-run single to center for a 9-6 lead. Yon is 8-for-10 over the last two games with 11 RBI. Campero then delivered his third hit of the game, a RBI single making it 10-7. Campero and Arocho each had three hits and two stolen bases.
The series continues at Rancho Cucamonga on Friday at 6:30 pm. The contest can be heard live on 66ers.com.