Grizzlies Walk Quakes Off on Wednesday Afternoon

Fresno, Calif. – The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (9-8) could not stifle the Fresno Grizzlies (11-6) offense in the late stages as the hosts used a three-run ninth inning to walk off as 7-6 winners at Chukchansi Park.

In the opening innings, the Quakes turned to two-out innings to grab the lead. Jonny McGill cashed in a Hayden Alvarez walk in the top of the first, lining a base hit to right field to open the scoring. After a solo home run tied the score in the bottom of the second, Lucas Ramirez restored their edge in the third. His two-out double plated McGill, placing Rancho Cucamonga ahead 2-1 in the process.

As the contest approached the middle frames, the Quakes heated up at the dish. Jonathan Linares lined a two-run home run over the right field wall in the top of the fourth, moving Rancho Cucamonga up by three. While Fresno pulled a tally back in the bottom of the inning, Ramirez and Anyelo Marquez canceled it out with a single and a fielder’s choice in the top of the fifth, extending Rancho Cucamonga’s edge to 6-2.

At that point, the Grizzlies kicked off their comeback. They brought home an unearned run in the fifth inning and manufactured another via a groundout in the eighth, placing Fresno within two heading into the final frame.

Down to their final two outs, the Grizzlies turned to plate discipline to finish off their come-from-behind win. Two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases, and a pair of singles produced the three-spot that finished the game off, dooming Rancho Cucamonga to a tough-luck loss.

The Quakes can shake off the defeat on Thursday at 6:50 PM in game three of this six-game series. LHP Alton Davis toes the slab for Rancho Cucamonga against RHP Austin Newton for Fresno. The Quakes will return to Morongo Field to open a 12-game homestand versus the Inland Empire 66ers on Tuesday, April 28^th.