Inland Empire Loses 4-3 to Visalia in Ten Innings

Visalia, CA- The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino dropped its series-opener at Visalia 4-3 in ten innings on Tuesday night at Valley Strong Ballpark. Glenallen Hill Jr.’s game-winning walk-off single in the tenth against Inland Empire reliever Emilker Guzman (2-4) was the Rawhide’s one and only hit in the game with a runner in scoring position as the club had gone 0-for-its-previous-14.

Hill, already 1-for-1 in the game drew a bases loaded walk in the second against IE starter Coleman Crow to knock in the first run of the game. Ryan Bliss followed with a sac fly to make it 2-0. Inland Empire (39-39) got a run back in the third on a RBI groundout from Jeremy Arocho against Visalia starer Junior Mieses. After two quick outs in the fifth, Arocho singled and then Braxton Martinez drilled a two-run homer to right on a 3-2 count for his tenth round-tripper of the season and a 3-2 advantage. The game remained 3-2 until the bottom of the eighth when Hill Jr. led off the inning with a grounder to third but reached on Sixers’ 3B Paxton Wallace’s throwing error. Hill moved to third on a single and came home on a one-out RBI fielders’ choice by Neyfy Castillo to tie the game. In the tenth, after Guzman coaxed a ground out moving the extra inning automatic runner from second to third, Hill came through with the game-winner to right. Hill finished 3-for-4 with a walk. The 66ers got a strong game from Gabe Matthews in the DH role; the University of Oregon product finished 2-for-3 with a double and a pair of walks and has hit safely in all four games he has appeared in as a professional baseball player. The Sixers were 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

The series continues on Wednesday at 6:00 pm. The contest can be heard live on 66ers.com.