Buzzers Let Late Lead Slip in 10-9 Walk-Off Loss to Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. — The Ontario Tower Buzzers kept grabbing the lead Friday night, four different times, but every time, Fresno clawed right back. In the end, the Grizzlies finished the comeback with a 10-9 walk-off win in the bottom of the ninth at Chukchansi Park.

Ontario (41-38) put up nine runs on 11 hits, with Jaron Elkins, Brendan Tunink, and Landyn Vidourek all collecting multiple hits. Still, Fresno (43-36) never stayed down for long, rallying from behind at 4-2, 6-3, 8-5, and even 9-6 to even up the series.

The final blow came with two outs in the ninth. Ashly Andujar and Cameron Nelson drew walks, then Roldy Brito walked to load the bases. With Yeiker Reyes at third, Luis Mendez got hit by a pitch from Dailoui Abad, sending Reyes home for the win.

Ontario’s bats were hot from the jump. Landyn Vidourek hit a two-run single in the first inning to open the scoring. Then, in the second, Brendan Tunink lined a two-run double, pushing the lead to 4-2.

Fresno chipped away, but every time, Ontario found an answer. Mairo Martinus tripled in the fourth to bring home Elkins. Then Jaron Elkins crushed his 10th homer of the season, a two-run shot in the fifth, to stretch the lead again. In the sixth, Vidourek stayed hot, lacing a triple into the right-field corner to score Martinus, making it 9-6 Ontario.

Jaron Elkins led the charge with three hits in five trips, finishing just a home run shy of the cycle. He scored three times and drove in three, collecting both a solo homer and an RBI double.

Vidourek turned in one of his best nights yet: three hits, including a double and a triple, three RBIs, a walk, and a stolen base. Tunink chipped in two hits and two RBIs. Martinus crossed the plate twice and brought in a run with his seventh triple of the year.

But no matter what Ontario did with the bats, they couldn’t keep Fresno’s lineup in check.

The Grizzlies smacked three home runs. Cameron Nelson’s two-run blast in the fourth, Wilder Dalis’ solo shot in the fifth, and Jeremy Ciriaco’s leadoff homer in the sixth.

Fresno took advantage late, too. They scored twice in the sixth, tied things up in the seventh on Yeiker Reyes’ sacrifice fly, and walked it off after drawing four walks and taking a hit by pitch in the final two innings.

Jesus Tillero gave up six runs (four earned) over 4.2 innings for Ontario and didn’t factor into the decision. Peter Bonilla gave up two more in relief. Accimias Morales coughed up the tying run in the seventh for a blown save, and Abad took the loss after three walks and plunking the winning run in the ninth.

Austin Newton started for Fresno but allowed seven runs before turning it over to the bullpen. Manuel Olivares held things together with four solid innings despite giving up two, and Dylan Crooks tossed a clean ninth for the win.

Ontario has scored 49 runs in the first four games of this series, but they've given up 36, and every game feels like a slugfest.

Now, with the series tied, the Buzzers will try to bounce back in Game 5 on the 4th of July and keep their road trip on track against Fresno.

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Media Contacts:

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Diamond Baseball Holdings

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