Grizzlies Pull Away Late, Hand Buzzers Tough 12-2 Loss.

ONTARIO, Calif. — For a while, it looked like Thursday’s game might go either way. But the Fresno Grizzlies put it out of reach late, piling on seven runs across the last two innings and beating the Ontario Tower Buzzers 12-2.

Ontario just couldn’t come up with the big hit when they needed it. The Buzzers loaded the bases a few times, but they finished 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position, left 11 men stranded, and struck out 14 times. Fresno, on the other hand, got it done whenever they had a chance, going 7-for-20 with runners in scoring position.

The Grizzlies started to pull away in the third inning. Landyn Vidourek and Ashly Andujar singled to get things going, then Cristian Arguelles ripped a double for the game’s first run. Right after that, Wilder Dalis crushed a three-run homer off reliever Jhonny Jimenez, putting Fresno up 4-0.

Ontario finally got on the board in the fifth. Abel Lorenzo reached on an error, Mairoshendrick Martinus singled, and Kellon Lindsey got on thanks to another Fresno mistake, letting Lorenzo cross the plate. The Buzzers had more chances, but just couldn’t bring runners home.

That pretty much told the story of the game. Martinus did his part, going 3-for-4 with a walk, and Lindsey reached base four times with a single and three walks. But the rest of the lineup just couldn’t find that clutch hit.

Fresno starter Brady Parker went five innings, allowed just two hits and an unearned run, and struck out seven. Grif Hughes pitched the final four innings, giving up just one run while punching out seven, and locked down the save.

The Grizzlies tacked on a run in the seventh, then really took advantage of Ontario mistakes. The Buzzers made three errors in the seventh and another in the eighth. Fresno kept the pressure on, scoring three more in the eighth on a mix of walks, a hit batter, a double, and a wild pitch. They weren’t done; four more crossed in the ninth.

Ontario used five pitchers, gave up 15 hits and six walks, and watched Fresno score 12 earned runs. Jholbran Herder took the loss, lasting just 2⅓ innings and allowing three runs on five hits.

Javier Herrera came through with Ontario’s only RBI hit, a double in the eighth that brought in Joendry Vargas. Herrera finished 1-for-4, and outside of Martinus’ three hits, Vargas and Lindsey grabbed the other knocks for Ontario.

This loss snaps Ontario’s two-game win streak. The Tower Buzzers get another shot when the six-game series picks up again Friday night.