Tower Buzzers Come Back Again vs Fresno for 7-6 Walk-Off Win

ONTARIO, Calif. — The Ontario Tower Buzzers kicked off their six-game series against the Fresno Grizzlies with some late-inning fireworks Tuesday night. Down to their final three outs, they roared back for a wild 7-6 walk-off win, putting a jolt of energy into the home crowd in Ontario.

Things actually started smoothly for Ontario. Joel Cruz, who was fresh up from the Arizona Complex League, looked sharp in his debut. He worked five strong innings, gave up just one run on five hits, and punched out seven. The Buzzers backed him up early, too; Mairo Martinus doubled to open the first, and Easton Shelton knocked him home. In the second, Francisco Espinoza singled in Oswaldo Osorio. Then Joendry Vargas ripped an RBI double in the third to make it 3-0.

But all that comfort vanished in the sixth. Fresno loaded the bases on three straight walks from Peter Bonilla. That set up Kyle Fossum to hit a grand slam, and just like that, Ontario’s lead became a two-run deficit. Fossum came back with an RBI single in the seventh, making it 6-4 Fresno. He finished with five RBIs and looked like the hero… until the bottom of the ninth.

The Buzzers refused to quit. In the eighth, their bullpen and defense bailed them out big time. Fresno loaded the bases with nobody out, but Ontario threw out a runner at home, then turned a clutch double play, again at the plate, to escape the jam scoreless.

With a little bit of momentum back, Osorio singled in a run in the bottom of the eighth, inching Ontario closer.

And then came the dramatic ninth. Javier Herrera led off with a single. Martinus doubled for his second of the night, bringing Herrera home and tying things up. Kellon Lindsey walked, a wild pitch moved up both runners, and Fresno decided to intentionally walk Ching-Hsien Ko, loading the bases with nobody out. Ontario didn’t need another hit, the game ended before Fresno recorded even one out, as the winning run crossed on another wild pitch, and the Buzzers poured onto the field.

Ontario scattered 13 hits all over the lineup, even though nobody left the yard. Martinus doubled twice and scored twice. Osorio, Vargas, Espinoza, and Herrera all had two hits, and Shelton drove in his 94th run of the year.

Reliever Dailoui Abad slammed the door, retiring the final seven batters and picking up the win to move to 2-1. Yanzel Correa took the loss after facing four hitters in that wild ninth and retiring none.

The win bumps Ontario to 54-43. They’ll be right back at it against Fresno on Wednesday night, this time looking to keep that magic rolling.