Inland Empire Takes Game One of Playoff Series

Lake Elsinore, CA - The Inland Empire 66ers, second-half champions of the Cal League's Southern Division opened playoff action with a comeback 4-2 win over wild-card winner Lake Elsinore at The Diamond on Wednesday. The Sixers took a one-game lead in the best-of-three series as Inland Empire tries to defend its California League title.

Inland Empire got on the board in the first when Dennis Raben took a two-out walk from Lake Elsinore starter Bryan Rodriguez. With Raben on the move on a 1-2 pitch Angel Rosa lifted a drive to the spacious gap in left-center. Raben scored from first on the double to give the Sixers the 1-0 advantage.

Ray Hanson held Lake Elsinore down through the first five innings. The Long Beach, CA native allowed just three hits and struck out eight Storm batters through five but ran into trouble in the bottom of the sixth. He surrendered a game-tying RBI single from Jeremy Baltz. Lake Elsinore took a 2-1 lead when Benji Gonzalez, who had walked prior to Baltz' single, came home on Dane Phillips' RBI grounder.

Inland Empire's bullpen was magnificent. Southpaw Chris O'Grady extricated the Sixers from the trouble in the sixth and then tossed a scoreless seventh. His work set the 66ers up for late-inning heroics.

In the top of the eighth, Chad Hinshaw earned a walk from San Diego Padres prospect Tyron Guerrero (0-1). Dennis Raben followed with a double to left-center that scored Hinshaw to tie the game at 2-2. Guerrero got a strikeout of Angel Rosa but then walked Cal Towey (who was perfect at the plate on the night, three singles and the walk). The Storm turned to its ace lefty Brandon Alger who got Mark Shannon to foul out for the second out of the frame. After Alger walked Zach Wright, Exicardo Cayones stung a liner to left to score Raben and give the Sixers a 3-2 lead.

Righty Jake Boyd tossed a perfect eighth for the defending California League Champs. The West Palm Beach, FL native induced three consecutive ground ball outs tossing just eight pitches in the frame.

Dennis Raben provided an insurance run in the ninth in improbable fashion. With two-outs in the top of the ninth, Raben blistered a sinking liner to centerfield. Alberth Martinez' diving attempt at a catch came up empty and Raben trucked around the bases for an inside-the-park homer to give the 66ers a 4-2 advantage. Raben, the Univeristy of Miami (FL) product, blasted a 31 homers in 2014 with Inland Empire, tying the franchise record; none were inside-the-park homers.

Mark Sappington nailed down the save with a perfect ninth punctuated by a strikeout of Duanel Jones for the final out of the contest. Sappington was five-for-five in saves in the regular season for Inland Empire. O'Grady earned the win.

The series shifts to Inland Empire's San Manuel Stadium on Thursday. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm. The contest can be heard live at 66ers.com. Tickets are available for purchase at 66ers.com as well.