Storm Pull Away with Big Seventh Inning, Even Series with 6-1 Win

LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. — The Ontario Tower Buzzers couldn’t keep their momentum going on Wednesday night, taking a 6-1 loss to the Lake Elsinore Storm at The Diamond.

Lake Elsinore wasted no time getting on the board. In the first inning, Luke Cantwell smacked a two-out double to left-center, driving in Kerrington Cross after he walked and swiped second. That run was just one of two allowed by Ontario starter Mason Estrada.

Estrada, who’s been putting together solid outings lately, gave Ontario four innings of two-run ball, scattering four hits and striking out four. He had to get himself out of trouble a few times, walking three and throwing a couple of wild pitches, but he kept the damage down and rarely let the Storm square up the ball.

His biggest jam came in the third. With the bases loaded and one out, Estrada fanned Cross and then got Cantwell to foul out, shutting the door to keep it 1-0.

The Storm’s second run came in the fourth, this time without them even logging a hit. Bradley Frye walked, moved up two bases on wild pitches, and scored on Jorge Quintana’s sac fly for a 2-0 lead.

Ontario’s pitchers kept things close, but their hitters ran into a buzzsaw in Lake Elsinore’s Jesus Castro. The 19-year-old looked dominant, punching out 12 in just 4.2 innings, letting just three balls drop in for hits. The Buzzers never got much going, striking out 15 times in all.

Ontario did have a shot in the fifth. Bryan Gonzalez cracked a double, Landyn Vidourek worked a walk, and Ching-Hsien Ko lined a single to left after Castro left the mound. Gonzalez tried to score from second, but Conner Westenburg relayed the throw to third, and Frye fired home to nail Gonzalez at the plate. Instead of tying things up, Ontario left the inning empty-handed.

Easton Shelton kept swinging a hot bat, racking up two doubles for Ontario. Joendry Vargas reached twice, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and swiping two bases.

It all unraveled for Ontario in the seventh. Jose Cabrera came out of the bullpen and never really found his rhythm. Three wild pitches, two walks, two steals, and a big double by Cross added up to four quick runs for the Storm, even though they only managed one hit that frame. The Storm made Ontario pay with their speed all game, swiping eight bases total—Wideman, Cross, and Westenburg each snatched multiple bags.

Ontario avoided the shutout in the ninth thanks to Shelton’s double and Vargas’ RBI single, but by then, the gap was too wide.

The Buzzers finished 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position but stranded seven and just couldn’t find the knockout hit.

With the series now tied and four games left, Ontario sits at 30-29, still in the hunt in the South Division. Next up: game three Thursday night at The Diamond at 6:05 PM