Peters, Ports Blank Quakes 8-0
STOCKTON, Calif. - One night after a wrenching 14-inning loss, the Stockton Ports shined on both sides of the ball on Thursday night at Banner Island Ballpark. Stockton's pitching staff spun its first shutout since May 25th as the Boys of Banner Island defeated the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 8-0 to even their three-game series at a game apiece.
Stockton's offense got the scoring started in the second inning. Quakes starter JonMichael Redding (3-4) hit B.A. Vollmuth and Tony Thompson to start the frame and then gave up an RBI double to Dusty Robinson that gave the Ports a 1-0 lead.
Vollmuth led off the fourth inning for the Ports with his 18th home run of the year out to left field, making it a 2-0 game. With two outs in the inning, Redding hit Rashun Dixon and then gave up a single to Phil Pohl. With two on and two out, Wade Kirkland hit a double to deep center field that scored both base runners and doubled the Ports lead to 4-0.
Antonio Lamas and Josh Whitaker opened the fifth inning with back-to-back doubles to make it a 5-0 advantage. Vollmuth followed with an RBI single to center that scored Whitaker and Thompson came up next and delivered an RBI single to center that scored Vollmuth to give the Ports a 7-0 cushion.
Redding suffered the loss after going five innings and allowing seven runs (six earned) on eight hits.
Meanwhile, Ports starter Tanner Peters retired 12 of the first 14 batters he faced, with the only exception being Noel Cuevas who had two singles in that span. Peters retired 18 of 22 batters, allowing just four singles over six innings of work while not allowing a walk and striking out six in a winning effort.
Omar Duran took over in the seventh inning and would go on to retire six of the seven batters he faced while striking out five and allowing one walk. T.J. Walz came on to work the ninth and pitched around a two-out single by O'Koyea Dickson to preserve Stockton's fourth shutout of the season.
The Ports and Quakes play the rubber match of their three-game series on Friday night at Banner Island Ballpark. Raul Alcantara (3-0, 1.82 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by Quakes right-hander Carlos Frias (1-3, 4.76 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. PDT.