Staff Strikes out 14 as Tower Buzzer Edge 66ers 3-2
ONTARIO, Calif. - The Ontario Tower Buzzers bounced back on Saturday night, shaking off Friday’s loss and beating the Inland Empire 66ers 3-2 at ONT Field. This win pushed Ontario to a 45-41 record and kept them on top of the California League South. Pitching told the story. Ontario rolled
ONTARIO, Calif. - The Ontario Tower Buzzers bounced back on Saturday night, shaking off Friday’s loss and beating the Inland Empire 66ers 3-2 at ONT Field. This win pushed Ontario to a 45-41 record and kept them on top of the California League South.
Pitching told the story. Ontario rolled out six different arms over nine innings, and together they punched out 14 batters and held Inland Empire to just six hits. The 66ers scratched out an early run in the second. Dustin Crenshaw walked, advanced on a single and a wild pitch, and scored on Starlin Aguilar’s groundout. But that was all the damage they’d manage against Ontario’s first four pitchers.
Cam Leiter opened the game. Jholbran Herder, Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz, while Will Gagnon followed, keeping the 66ers quiet. Gagnon impressed, striking out four in his 2.1 innings, then handed things off to Accimias Morales in a tough spot with two on and one out in the seventh.
In the middle innings, fans got a real boost when Edwin Díaz took the mound again. It was his first rehab outing since going on the 60-day injured list back on April 22 after surgery to clean out his right elbow. He looked sharp: one inning, one hit, two strikeouts, all on just 11 pitches. Eight of those were strikes, where his fastball topped at 98.
Morales came up huge. After Aguilar doubled to tie the game at two and moved a runner to third, Morales shut the door. He struck out George Feliz and got Brady O’Brien to fly out, snuffing out the threat. He threw a scoreless eighth, too, and picked up his third win of the season.
In the ninth, Jecsua Liborius slammed the door, striking out two in a perfect inning for his eighth save.
Ontario’s offense didn’t light up the scoreboard, but came through at the right moments. Easton Shelton stayed hot, hitting his league-best 25th home run in the fourth, tying the game at one. Shelton also walked twice and now has 80 RBIs this year.
The Buzzers grabbed the lead in the fifth. Oswaldo Osorio led off with his first triple of the year and scored when Javier Herrera singled to left. Inland Empire tied it again in the seventh, but Ontario pulled ahead for good in the eighth, without a hit. Jaron Elkins walked, Joendry Vargas walked, and after an out at second, Brendan Tunink drew another walk to load the bases. Landyn Vidourek patiently worked a bases-loaded walk, bringing home Elkins with the deciding run.
Ontario managed just six hits but drew seven walks, putting enough runners on to work around three double plays turned by Inland Empire. Elkins led the way with two hits and a walk. Shelton finished his night 1-for-2 with his homer, an RBI, and two walks. Herrera chipped in with a key RBI single, and Osorio’s triple set Ontario up in the fifth.
It was a night where Ontario’s bullpen and some well-timed patience at the plate made the difference. With this win, they at least split the series, and they’ll try to take it outright on Sunday.
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Media Contacts:
Adam Serrano
Regional Marketing Director
Diamond Baseball Holdings
Jeff Woolson
Play-by-Play Broadcaster