Modesto, CA- The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino missed an opportunity to notch their first three-game win streak of the year as well as their first sweep as the Modesto Nuts downed the Sixers 6-5 on Thursday. Modesto (7-14) snapped a five-game losing skid with the win. The Nuts
Modesto, CA- The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino missed an opportunity to notch their first three-game win streak of the year as well as their first sweep as the Modesto Nuts downed the Sixers 6-5 on Thursday. Modesto (7-14) snapped a five-game losing skid with the win.
The Nuts took a 4-0 lead in the first inning against Inland Empire (10-11) starter Nate Bertness but on Logan Taylor's grand slam to left field. It was Taylor's third dinger of the year and his second against the 66ers. Bertness settled down however and pitched into the fifth inning without allowing another run. Modesto starter Rand Bell mowed through the Sixers' lineup with three perfect innings but then got smacked around in the fourth as Inland Empire drilled him for five runs on seven hits in the frame to take a 5-4 lead. Kevin Williams Jr. launched a homer to center in the onslaught, his first of the year. That score stood up until the seventh when with the bases loaded against IE reliever Zac Ryan, Modesto's Joe Rizzo legged out a RBI infield single to tie the game and the go-ahead run came home on second baseman Jahmai Jones' throwing error on the play for a 6-5 lead. Jeffeson Medina (2-0) got the win with two scoreless out of the pen for Modesto while Aaron Cox (0-1) was saddled with the loss for the 66ers. Seth Elledge tossed a clean ninth with two strikeouts to notch his first save of the year. Bryson Brigman had three hits and a steal for Modesto while Williams, Brandon Sandoval and DJ Jenkins (IE's starting outfield) all had two-hit games for the Sixers; Jenkins had his second steal of the year while SS Luis Rengifo added a triple.
The 66ers open a series at Visalia on Friday at 7:00 pm. The contest can be heard live at 66ers.com.
