Tower Buzzers Hold Off Storm for 3-2 Victory
LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. — The Ontario Tower Buzzers leaned on eight scoreless innings from their first three pitchers and managed to hang on through a tense ninth for a 3-2 win over Lake Elsinore Wednesday night at The Diamond. Ontario’s taken the first two games of this six-game series, thanks
LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. — The Ontario Tower Buzzers leaned on eight scoreless innings from their first three pitchers and managed to hang on through a tense ninth for a 3-2 win over Lake Elsinore Wednesday night at The Diamond.
Ontario’s taken the first two games of this six-game series, thanks to a sharp outing from Cam Leiter, a smooth long-relief job by Javier Bartolozzi, and just enough early offense to keep the Storm in check.
Leiter got back on the mound for the first time since July 11. Finally back after a blister shut him down for a while. He looked sharp, tossing two hitless frames with two strikeouts and a walk. He threw 29 pitches, did his job, and called it a night.
Bartolozzi followed and put together the kind of relief appearance every team hopes for. Four innings, only two hits, no walks. He needed just 36 pitches, kept the Storm in check with seven ground-ball outs, and didn’t let Lake Elsinore get any momentum.
Then Joseph Marte took the baton for two more scoreless innings. One hit, one walk, one strikeout, and he dropped his ERA to 1.59. He did his job and kept Ontario’s three-run lead safe going into the eighth.
The Buzzers’ bats got to Lake Elsinore starter Cameron Nohos early. After two quick outs in the first inning, Easton Shelton and Ching-Hsien Ko both singled, and Joendry Vargas followed with a triple to right, driving in both and giving Ontario a 2-0 lead right off the bat.
Nohos settled down after that rocky first, holding Ontario to just one more run over six innings. The 6-foot-8 righty struck out seven and walked two, giving Lake Elsinore a chance to hang around.
Ontario added what ended up being the game-winner in the fifth. Kellon Lindsey hammered a 1-2 pitch over the wall in right for his fifth home run this year, making it 3-0.
The Buzzers only managed five hits total and went just 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position, but those early chances were enough. Vargas got on base twice, stole his 21st bag, and drove in two, while Lindsey’s homer was the only extra-base hit after the first inning.
Lake Elsinore’s bats stayed quiet until the ninth, when they made Ontario sweat. Dawson Willis led off with a double, and after a strikeout, Jorge Quintana walked. Alex Conover struck out for the second out, but Yimy Tovar came off the bench and ripped a double down the left-field line, scoring both runners to cut the lead to one.
Suddenly, the tying run was on base after Truitt Madonna walked. But Jholbran Herder regrouped and got the final out for his first save of the season.
That ninth was the only blemish on a night where the Buzzers’ pitching staff just flat-out performed. They gave up five hits, no homers, and the defense played clean behind them. Lake Elsinore stranded six and went just 1-for-9 with men in scoring position.
Bartolozzi picked up the win to move to 3-0. Nohos took the loss, dropping to 1-2.
Ontario takes its momentum into Thursday night, looking to keep things rolling in Lake Elsinore.
Follow the Ontario Tower Buzzers on:
● Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/towerbuzzers/
● Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Towerbuzzers
● LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/towerbuzzers/
● TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@towerbuzzers
● X: https://x.com/towerbuzzers
Media Contacts:
Adam Serrano
Regional Marketing Director
Diamond Baseball Holdings
Jeff Woolson
Play-by-Play Broadcaster