Aggressive Offense and Clean Defense Leads to 6-4 Win

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – Some timely hitting – and bunting – helped propel the Ports to a 6-4 win over Inland Empire on Saturday night, setting up a chance to split the series on Sunday.

It was a pitcher’s duel through the first four innings before the Ports (16-16) broke the stalemate in the fifth. Jared Sprague-Lott got a fly ball to drop in left center when the two outfielders each thought the other had it and it turned into a double. Stockton narrowly avoided hitting into a triple play on a popped-up bunt by German Ortiz, as Tommy Takayoshi was doubled off first and Sprague-Lott got barely got back to second. It was a good thing he did, because a base hit through the left side by Gunner Gouldsmith scored Sprague-Lott for a 1-0 lead.

Myles Naylor had a similar double to Sprague-Lott’s when his fly ball to right center got lost as the evening turned to dusk in the sixth. Naylor got to third on a wild pitch before Cameron Leary bunted for a hit and Naylor dashed home to go up 2-0. The 66ers (11-21) would eliminate that lead on one hanging changeup from Riley Huge for the first home run he allowed this season, when Raudi Rodriguez drilled a line drive over the fence in left with a runner on to tie it 2-2.

Stockton answered immediately in the seventh when Ortiz walked and Gouldsmith singled into left center. The Ports again ambushed the 66ers defense again with a bunt, this time on a push bunt up the first base line from Luis Freitez to score Ortiz and go up 3-2. Naylor would then single to right to score Gouldsmith and Stockton took a 4-2 lead.

They got another in the eighth when Leary stole third and an error on the play allowed him to score for a 5-2 advantage. They tacked on another in the ninth when Naylor drove in Gouldsmith again with a base hit right up the middle for a 6-2 lead.

Those last two runs proved critical as things got tense in the bottom of the ninth. Felix Castro loaded the bases with two out in the ninth and walked in a run to make it a 6-3 game. Another run came in on an infield single that backed up Naylor at third to cut it to 6-4. Tucker Novotny came in and ended the ball game on one pitch for his first professional save as Leary ran down a line drive into the corner to seal the 6-4 win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: The Ports improved to 13-4 when they score first and are a perfect 5-0 when they don’t commit an error. Stockton is now 15-2 when they’re leading after eight innings. Catcher Carlos Franco had his eight-game hit streak snapped, tying him for the longest streak for the Ports this season with Pedro Pineda.

UP NEXT: Inland Empire will start LHP Francis Texido (1-2, 7.23) versus the Ports RHP Jefferson Jean (2-0, 1.19) in the series finale scheduled for a 2:05 PM first pitch.

Single game tickets, mini plans, and group outings are all on sale for the 2025 season. For more information, call the Ports front office at 209-644-1900 or email at [email protected].