Storm fall behind early, bats falter in defeat

LAKE ELSINORE, CA - The Lake Elsinore Storm fell victim to a barrage of base hits from the Inland Empire 66ers Tuesday night, as The Eyes dropped game one of a three-game series 8-5 at The Diamond.

The Advanced A Affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim got the scoring started in the third, tagging Storm hurler Ryan Butler (L, 3-2) for three runs on five consecutive singles.

Lake Elsinore got one back in the bottom of the fourth. Marcus Davis launched his third home run of the season over the 36-foot high wall in right field to make it 3-1.

The 66ers made it 4-1 with a run in the top of the fifth, Butler's final inning of work. The Charlotte, North Carolina native allowed a season-high ten hits in his seventh outing of the season. All ten hits were singles.

Genison Reyes took the hill to begin the sixth, but he fared no better than Butler. Inland Empire went single, sacrifice bunt, double, sacrifice fly, single to add a pair and go up 6-1. They put up another run in the seventh to lead 7-1.

The Storm made it a game in the bottom of the seventh. Adolfo Reina reached on a lead-off walk and advanced to second after Donavan Tate singled up the middle. Jose Rondon followed with a two RBI double, his eighth of the season, and was granted another 90 feet due to a throwing error. Auston Bousfield made it 7-4 with an RBI single in the next at-bat, but that was all Lake Elsinore could muster in the frame.

Both teams scored in the eighth. Inland Empire plated a run on three singles from the first four batters of the inning, and the Storm got an RBI single from Kyle Gaedele in the home half to bring the tally to 8-5.

A scoreless ninth sealed the win for Inland Empire, securing their third win in four games against Lake Elsinore.

The 66ers' 19 knocks tied a season-high for the club, but they only managed two extra base hits.

Marcus Davis paced the Storm offense. The former Florida State Seminole went 3 for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI.

The series continues tomorrow night at The Diamond. Zech Lemond (2-1, 3.58 ERA) gets the ball for Lake Elsinore (15-17), while Harrison Cooney (1-2, 5.28 ERA) will go for Inland Empire (15-16). First pitch is set for 6:00pm. 

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