Rawhide Rally in Sixth, Hold Off Late Buzzers Charge for 8-6 Victory

ONTARIO, Calif. – The Visalia Rawhide flipped a close game on its head Thursday night. They poured on five runs in the sixth inning, then held off a late surge from Ontario to grab an 8-6 win over the Tower Buzzers.

Ontario got the lead early when Jaron Elkins hammered a solo homer to right in the bottom of the first. That was his sixth this year and kept his hot streak going as the Buzzers’ designated hitter. For a while, though, pitching was the story. Dodgers prospect Tyler Gough made his Ontario debut and looked strong, retiring 10 of the first 11 hitters and giving up just one hit through 3.1 scoreless innings.

Things shifted in the fourth. Ontario called on Accimias Morales in relief, and suddenly mistakes started creeping in. With two outs, a passed ball, and a throwing error from catcher Anson Aroz, that got Pedro Catuy into scoring position. Ivan Luciano walked, and then Blanco ripped a two-run single, giving the Rawide a 2-1 lead.

Ontario punched back right away. Brendan Tunink walked, Easton Shelton singled, and Tunink eventually scored on a wild pitch from Jesus Escobar to even things at 2-2.

After his bumpy first inning, Escobar settled down and pitched his best game yet. The 20-year-old righty gave up just three hits and two runs over 5.2 innings, struck out two, and kept the ball in play with soft contact. He moved through Ontario’s lineup quickly and earned his second win of the year.

Everything changed in the sixth. The Rawhide broke through against reliever Jesus Tillero. Six hits, five runs, and suddenly they were in control. Luciano and Jose Alpuria started things with back-to-back singles. Pedro Blanco, again, delivered, bringing both in and making it 4-2. Things then unraveled for Ontario. Eliesbert Alejos singled, Kyle Sinzza reached on a bunt force play, and Kayson Cunningham walked, loading the bases. Enyervert Perez broke through with a two-run single, scoring Sinzza and Cunningham. Then Catuy doubled into left, bringing home Abdias De La Cruz and stretching the lead to 7-2.

That offensive surge gave Escobar and the bullpen some cushion, but Ontario kept fighting. In the seventh, Tunink doubled, and Shelton blasted a two-run homer to left-center, cutting it to 7-4. The Buzzers came right back in the eighth, with Chase Harlan smashing his seventh homer of the season and Tunink doubling home Joendry Vargas. Suddenly, it was just a one-run game, 7-6.

Visalia needed some breathing room, and Blanco delivered it himself. In the top of the ninth, he crushed a 0-2 pitch for his third homer of the season, second in the series, that put Visalia back up by two and capped a huge night: 3-for-5, five RBIs, and a stolen base.

Ontario threatened again in the bottom of the ninth. Grayson Hitt couldn’t find the strike zone, plunked Mairo Martinus, then walked Aroz and AJ Soldra. Bases loaded, no outs. That’s when Visalia manager called for Daniel Nunez out of the bullpen. Nunez came up clutch, getting Elkins to bounce into a force play at home, then Visalia turned a double play pitcher-to-catcher-to-first. Nunez finished it off, getting Ko to ground out, and locked up his second save.

De La Cruz had two hits for Visalia, Perez drove in two runs, and Catuy added that RBI double. Cunningham reached base twice and kept the pressure on.

For Ontario, Tunink went 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI. Shelton and Harlan both homered, and Elkins got things started with that first-inning blast. The Buzzers just couldn’t dig out after Visalia blew up in the sixth.

This win puts the Rawhide at 20-28 for the season. Ontario drops to even at 24-24.