Ports Complete Series Sweep With 7-3 Win

STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Ports put a final winning touch on a tremendous homestand on Sunday afternoon at Banner Island Ballpark. Stockton fell behind early but scored the game's final seven runs en route to a 7-3 victory over the High Desert Mavericks, earning them their sixth straight victory and their first series sweep of 2014.

High Desert came out of the gate strong in the first inning as Aaron Barbosa, Jabari Henry and Pat Kivlehan opened the game with three straight hits off Ports starter Seth Streich (3-1), with Kivlehan's double driving in Barbosa to make it 1-0. A wild pitch scored a second run and Dario Pizzaro grounded out to drive in a third run and make it a 3-0 lead.

Mavericks starter Erasmo Ramirez (0-1), making his first start in the minors after being sent down from Seattle, retired nine of the first 11 batters he faced over the first three innings. In the fourth, however, the Ports exploded for five runs on five hits. Bruce Maxwell opened the inning with a homer to right to make it a 3-1 game. Two batters later, Matt Olson drew a walk and Chad Pinder singled to put two aboard. Dusty Robinson came up next and reached on an error committed by Kivlehan the third baseman to score Olson and make it 3-2. Bobby Crocker followed with a two-run double to left to put the Ports in front 4-3. Aaron Shipman came to bat next and singled to left to drive in Crocker and make it a 5-3 Stockton advantage.

Stockton added one more run off Ramirez in the sixth inning as Robinson led off with a home run to left field to increase the lead to 6-3.

Ramirez suffered the loss, going six innings and allowing six runs (five earned) on eight hits while striking out seven.

Meanwhile, Streich retired 10 of the final 11 batters he faced as he was lifted with two outs in the sixth. Streich picked up the win, going 5.2 innings and allowing three runs on five hits while striking out six.

Omar Duran (SV, 1) took over for Streich in the sixth and tossed 3.1 scoreless innings to close out the ballgame and earn his first save of the season.

Stockton added a late run in the eighth inning on a fielder's choice groundout by Daniel Robertson to make it 7-3. The run came off Mavericks reliever Min-Sih Chen, who pitched the final two innings for High Desert.  

After a 6-1 homestand, the Ports head out on the road to Bakersfield to begin a four-game series with the Blaze on Monday. Josh Bowman (0-2, 8.22 ERA) will make the start for Stockton in the series opener, opposed by Bakersfield southpaw Wandy Peralta (1-2, 4.12 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:15 p.m. PDT.