Grizzlies Pull Away From Tower Buzzers in 13-4 Loss
FRESNO, Calif. — The Ontario Tower Buzzers just couldn’t keep things rolling on the 4th of July in Fresno. They got thumped by the Grizzlies, 13-4. This loss brings Ontario’s record to 41-39, snapping their hot streak after they’d piled up 28 runs over the last three games. The chances
FRESNO, Calif. — The Ontario Tower Buzzers just couldn’t keep things rolling on the 4th of July in Fresno. They got thumped by the Grizzlies, 13-4.
This loss brings Ontario’s record to 41-39, snapping their hot streak after they’d piled up 28 runs over the last three games. The chances were there; guys kept getting on base, but the big hits just never came when they needed them.
Fresno wasted no time, with Luis Mendez driving in Cameron Nelson in the first inning. Ontario pushed back in the third: Conner O’Neal worked a walk, Jaron Elkins shot a single into left-center, and they tied it up at one. But then Fresno responded immediately, tacking on two more runs off another Mendez RBI and a sacrifice bunt from Jesus Freitez. The Grizzlies were up 3-1 and just kept rolling.
Things really unraveled in the fourth. Fresno sent nine batters to the plate, walked four times, smacked three hits, and totally blew the game open. Jeremy Ciriaco sparked the inning with a triple, Mendez drew a bases-loaded walk, Wilder Dalis came through with a two-run single, and Carlos Renzullo added another two-run hit. Suddenly, it was 8-1 Fresno.
Ontario tried to claw back in the fifth. Ching-Hsien Ko and Easton Shelton both walked, and Joendry Vargas knocked a two-run single into left-center, making it 8-3. Vargas stayed hot, collecting three hits and two RBIs, his second three-hit night in the past three games. Ko chipped in with two hits, including his first triple of the season, and a walk. Elkins reached three times, and O’Neal drew two walks. Overall, Ontario actually drew nine walks, but they went just 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position, stranding a dozen guys.
Mason Estrada took the brunt of it, giving up seven runs in just over three innings. Javier Bartolozzi came in and got through almost three clean frames, but Fresno tacked on four more in the seventh, putting things out of reach for good.
On the night, the Grizzlies finished with 12 hits, 11 walks, and four stolen bases, putting loads of pressure on Ontario. Mendez, Dalis, and Renzullo all drove in three each.
The Tower Buzzers kept threatening, but they just couldn’t cash in. Creating traffic wasn’t the problem; turning those chances into runs was. Fresno nailed that part, and it made all the difference.
So Ontario has one more shot to salvage a split. Sunday’s the series finale in Fresno before the team heads home.
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Media Contacts:
Adam Serrano
Regional Marketing Director
Diamond Baseball Holdings
Jeff Woolson
Play-by-Play Broadcaster