Go-Ahead Run in Ninth Gives Ports 4-3 Win

VISALIA, Calif. – The Ports (8-4) first come-from-behind win of the season was a 4-3 victory over Visalia (3-9), erasing a 3-0 deficit in the middle of the game before taking their first lead in the top of the ninth to go up three games to none in the series.

It was a solid start for right hander Aidan Layton, but he would allow his first home run of the season in the second inning that put Visalia up 1-0. Layton would issue his first walk of the season to start the third inning, and that runner would come around to score on a single down the first-base line for a 2-0 game. He would commit an error on a play at first when he couldn’t haul in a throw that was a little behind him from first baseman German Ortiz for a 3-0 deficit.

But Layton would shut down Visalia from there, who were playing as the Oaks in their throwback, forest green jerseys. Layton would allow just two earned runs over five frames, on two hits and one walk with a pair of strikeouts.

The Ports would get on the board in similar fashion to how the Oaks started the scoring, when Pedro Pineda ripped a line drive 347 feet over the fence in right for a solo home run (3) to make it a 3-1 game in the fourth.

In the fifth, Gunner Gouldsmith led off the inning with a walk after making two terrific plays at second base in the bottom of the fourth. That was followed by an Ali Camarillo single and an error at first to allow C.J. Pittaro to reach and load the bases. Myles Naylor would single to left to score a run and a Cameron Leary sac fly would tie the game at 3-3.

Stockton took their first lead of the game in the ninth, when Tommy Takayoshi and Gouldsmith singled into center to put two on with one out. Joseph Rodriguez pinch ran for Takayoshi and came around to score when the Oaks not only couldn’t turn two on a ground ball to third off the bat of Camarillo, but also had the throw from second sail wide and allowed Rodriguez to score for a 4-3 lead.

Wei-En Lin entered the game in the sixth and continued his dominance to start the season. He pitched four perfect innings, striking out the side in the eighth, and finishing with nine punch outs, closing out the game to get his first win.

It was the Ports first win when trailing after seven or eight innings, though they had only found themselves in that situation twice this year, and they are now 1-3 on the season when the other team scores first. Stockton is 7-2 when they outhit their opponents and when they keep the other side to four runs or less.

Naylor extended his on-base streak to 10 games and Leary’s up to seven.

UP NEXT: RHP Jefferson Jean will start for the Ports, who has let to allow a run in eight innings, with the Rawhide yet to announce their starter for another 6:30 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].