Ontario Survives Late 66ers Rally Behind Soldra’s Big Night

San Bernardino, Calif. – The Ontario Tower Buzzers came out swinging Thursday night at San Manuel Stadium. They jumped ahead early, then hung on as the Inland Empire 66ers nearly pulled off a wild comeback, squeaking out a 13-10 win.

Ontario’s bats looked unstoppable. They racked up 18 hits and scored in six different innings. Things got tense late, though, when Inland Empire erased what was once a 10-run gap over the last few innings. AJ Soldra was the main event. The outfielder tore it up, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, a homer, four RBIs, and three runs.

The 66ers got the first punch in. Ontario starter Hyun-Seok Jang gave up a leadoff double to Ricardo Cova, then Aiden Taurek knocked in a run with another double. The inning got messier when Cesar Quintas reached on a wild throw from shortstop Mairo Martinus, letting Inland Empire jump out to a quick 2-0 lead.

But Ontario wasted no time striking back. In the second, Landyn Vidourek doubled, Javier Herrera brought him home, and Soldra smoked his own double. Martinus drove in two more with a single, and Ontario snatched the lead at 3-2.

To say this game was unorthodox would be an understatement. Jose Romero balked twice, set Ontario up nicely, and Javier Herrera hit a two-run triple while Soldra followed up with another RBI double. To cap it off, Martinus drove in his third run with a single, growing the lead to 7-2.

The offense stayed on trend in the fourth. Chase Harlan tripled, Easton Shelton brought him in, and Conner O’Neal capped another big inning with a two-run double. Now Ontario was up 10-2. They just didn’t let up.

Jang really settled after his rocky start. He tossed five solid innings, scattered six hits, allowed just two runs (one earned), and piled up six strikeouts. By the end of his outing, he’d retired seven out of eight and kept the 66ers quiet through the middle stretch.

Ontario padded its lead in the sixth. A throwing error from reliever Ray Cebulski gave them extra outs, and Soldra once again cashed in, this time with a two-run single. At 12-2, the game looked locked up.

Inland Empire gave the Buzzer a scare in the seventh. Reliever Jhonny Jimenez ran into trouble: Taurek singled in a run, Estevan Moreno doubled home another, and after Wuillians Herrera took over, Quintas and Ryan Picollo chipped in RBI during a four-run burst. Suddenly, Ontario’s lead was 12-6.

The eighth took the chaos up a notch. Ontario’s bullpen lost the strike zone, and Sebastian De Andrade got on after being plunked, stole a base, and scored after a throwing error. More wild pitches, a stolen home plate by George Feliz, and in what felt like a blink, Inland Empire was just two runs back, 12-10, with the tying run in scoring position before Robby Porco bailed them out.

Ontario needed breathing room, and Soldra delivered. He hammered a first-pitch solo shot in the ninth off Will Armbruester, stretching the lead to 13-10. Porco came in for the last outs, nailed it down, and bagged his second save of the year.

It looked like Ontario might blow a huge lead, but their relentless offense got them through. Ontario now has a 3-1 series lead, looking for the kill on May 22nd.