Quakes Break Open Close Game Late, Hand Tower Buzzers 10-2 Loss
Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. — For most of Thursday night, the Ontario Tower Buzzers stayed close, but things unraveled late and Rancho Cucamonga rolled to a 10-2 win. Ontario actually jumped out first. In the opening inning, Javier Herrera singled, swiped second, then moved up to third after the Quakes made
Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. — For most of Thursday night, the Ontario Tower Buzzers stayed close, but things unraveled late and Rancho Cucamonga rolled to a 10-2 win.
Ontario actually jumped out first. In the opening inning, Javier Herrera singled, swiped second, then moved up to third after the Quakes made an error. Ching-Hsien Ko knocked him in with a base hit, and the Buzzers looked lively early.
They picked up another run in the third when Joendry Vargas jumped all over the first pitch he saw and sent it flying over the left-field wall for his 10th homer of the year. That tied things up at two and gave Vargas his 67th RBI of the season. But that was it and after that, Ontario’s bats went quiet.
Their biggest problem was putting the ball in play. They racked up 17 strikeouts, didn’t draw a single walk, and managed just six hits.
Rancho Cucamonga’s Derek Clark didn’t make things any easier. The lefty worked seven strong innings, scattered five hits, and gave up only two runs (just one earned). He struck out 12, threw 67 of his 93 pitches for strikes, and kept Ontario from ever stringing much together.
For Ontario, Herrera stood out. He went 2-for-4 with a run and swiped his seventh base of the season. Ko added a hit and the team's only RBI. Vargas had the only extra-base hit with his home run.
On the mound, Charlie West made his second pro appearance but struggled a bit. He lasted 1.1 innings, walked three, gave up two runs, and struck out one. Dailoui Abad came in next, then Mason Estrada took over and ended up taking the loss after giving up two more runs in 1.1 innings.
Still, the Ontario bullpen did what it could to hang in. Ian May threw 1.2 scoreless frames, and Accimias Morales struck out five over two innings while allowing just one run.
The game felt close, even heading into the bottom of the eighth with Ontario only trailing 5-2. But the Quakes broke it wide open with a five-run rally. Lucas Ramirez hit a two-run double, Joswa Lugo drove in two, and Jeffery Heard finished the outburst with an RBI triple. Suddenly, it was an eight-run cushion for Rancho Cucamonga.
The Quakes finished with 11 hits and went 6-for-17 with runners in scoring position. Ontario? They only got two at-bats with runners in scoring position all night.
They'll try to shake it off and get back on track Friday night, again in Rancho Cucamonga.
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Media Contacts:
Adam Serrano
Regional Marketing Director
Diamond Baseball Holdings
Jeff Woolson
Play-by-Play Broadcaster