Johnson Drives in Four as Tower Buzzers Outslug Ports, 13-9
STOCKTON, Calif. — Caleb Johnson powered the Ontario Tower Buzzers past the Stockton Ports, driving in four runs and smashing a three-run homer as Ontario outslugged Stockton, 13-9, on Wednesday night at Banner Island Ballpark. After a tough 5-4 loss on Tuesday, Ontario bounced back right away. Their lineup piled
STOCKTON, Calif. — Caleb Johnson powered the Ontario Tower Buzzers past the Stockton Ports, driving in four runs and smashing a three-run homer as Ontario outslugged Stockton, 13-9, on Wednesday night at Banner Island Ballpark.
After a tough 5-4 loss on Tuesday, Ontario bounced back right away. Their lineup piled up 11 hits, drew nine walks, stole six bases, and scored in five different innings. When runners got on, they delivered, going 6-for-20 with runners in scoring position.
Johnson wasted no time making an impact. In the first, after Kellon Lindsey and Joendry Vargas reached base, Johnson hammered his third homer of the season deep to left-center for a quick 3-0 lead.
Ontario broke things wide open in the third inning. Johnson drove in another run with a single, and then Bryan Gonzalez Garcia ripped a two-run double. Abel Lorenzo followed up with a two-run single, and just like that, Ontario was up 8-0.
Stockton answered with three runs in their half of the third, but the Tower Buzzers kept piling it on. Lorenzo and Javier Herrera helped plate two more runs in the fifth, and in the sixth, Oswaldo Osorio drilled his 11th homer of the season.
Ching-Hsien Ko then delivered in a big spot, with two outs and two on in the seventh, he ripped a triple down the right-field line, scoring Lindsey and Herrera to stretch the lead to 13-7. Ko finished with two hits, two RBIs, and now has 80 RBIs for the season.
Johnson ended up with two hits, four RBIs, and scored twice. Herrera and Lorenzo each had two hits. Gonzalez Garcia reached base three times and drove in two. On the bases, Ontario was fearless, Lindsey, Herrera, and Lorenzo each swiped two, helping the team finish with six steals.
Starting pitcher Jack O’Connor gave Ontario a solid outing, four innings, three runs, three hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts. He actually fanned the first five batters he faced.
Stockton kept the pressure on the Buzzers’ bullpen, racking up 12 hits and drawing nine walks. From the fifth through the eighth inning, the Ports scored six times but stranded 13 runners.
Dailoui Abad picked up the win, bumping his record to 5-1, despite giving up two runs in the fifth. Stockton kept things interesting in the ninth when they loaded the bases against Jecsua Liborius. But Liborius shut the door, striking out Drew Burress and Gavin Turley and finishing the inning with three Ks and no runs allowed.
Corey Braun took the loss for Stockton. Ontario tagged him for eight runs, seven earned on six hits and four walks in just three innings.
The Tower Buzzers magic number goes to six. The two teams keep their six-game series rolling Thursday night at Banner Island Ballpark.
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Media Contacts:
Adam Serrano
Regional Marketing Director
Diamond Baseball Holdings
Jeff Woolson
Play-by-Play Broadcaster