Four-Run Eighth Lifts Ports to Comeback Win

Stockton, CA – The Ports scored four times in the bottom of the eighth inning to overcome a three-run deficit and defeat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 8-7 on Sunday night in the 2023 home finale at Banner Island Ballpark.

The Quakes (66-60) took the lead with a three-run top of the first inning. A single and a walk to start the game put runners on first and second with nobody out for Joe Vetrano who rolled a single up the middle to score Kendall George from second making it 1-0 Rancho Cucamonga. After a double play with runners on the corners scored another, Jesus Galiz launched a solo home run to right center to make it 3-0.

In the bottom of the inning, the Ports (47-79) got a couple runs back. Jonah Cox led off with a double down the left field line and scored when Will Simpson flared a single to left center to get the Ports on the board and cut the Rancho Cucamonga lead to 3-1. A Henry Bolte single put runners on first and third and with one out Myles Naylor singled to left field to drive Simpson in making it 3-2.

After a leadoff home run by Jose Izarra made it 4-2 in the top of the second, the Ports came back to tie the game in the bottom half. With runners on first and second and one out, Cox lined a single to right center to drive in Dereck Salom from second base to cut the Quakes lead to one. Simpson then blooped a single to right center to drive in Robert Puason from third base tying the game at four.

A Jake Gelof home run in the third made it 5-4, a score that held until the top of the eighth inning when the Quakes added on. Two walks and a single against Ports reliever Charlie Cerny loaded the bases for Izarra who lined a two-run single to right center to extend the Rancho Cucamonga lead to 7-4.

The Ports once again answered in the bottom of the inning, taking the lead for good. Cooper Uhl walked to start the inning and advanced to second base on a single to center by Salom. After Puason struck out, Angel Arevalo lined a single to left field to score Uhl from second base cutting the Rancho Cucamonga lead to 7-5. After a strikeout and a walk loaded the bases with two outs, Henry Bolte greeted new pitcher Noah Ruen with a single to right field to drive in two runs to tie the game at seven. An error on the play by Quakes right fielder Josue De Paula allowed Simpson to score from first base giving the Ports their first lead of the game at 8-7.

Ports relievers Cerny and Franck De La Rosa pitched around a one-out walk, as De La Rosa got Gelof to fly out and struck out Galiz to end the ballgame.

Cerny (3-2) got the win for Stockton despite allowing two runs on two hits with two strikeouts in 1.2 innings. Quakes reliever Reynaldo Yean (1-2) took the loss allowing four runs (three earned) on two hits in 0.2 innings. De La Rosa recorded the final two outs to pick up his second save of the season.

After concluding their home slate the Ports hit the road one last time to conclude the 2023 season, starting a six-game series against the Giants in San Jose on Tuesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 pm at Excite Ballpark.