STOCKTON, Calif. - After a week of offensive struggles, the Stockton Ports exercised some demons on Monday night at Banner Island Ballpark. The Boys of Banner Island matched a season-high with 11 runs and set a new season-high with 15 hits in a lopsided 11-4 win over the Modesto Nuts
STOCKTON, Calif. - After a week of offensive struggles, the Stockton Ports exercised some demons on Monday night at Banner Island Ballpark. The Boys of Banner Island matched a season-high with 11 runs and set a new season-high with 15 hits in a lopsided 11-4 win over the Modesto Nuts to open a three-game series.
Nuts starter Ljay Newsome (5-3) gave up a leadoff triple to Alfonso Rivas in the second followed by a triple to Austin Beck that gave the Ports a 1-0 lead. Beck scored later in the inning on a single by Jeremy Eierman to make it a 2-0 game.
Newsome worked into the third and, after recording a strikeout to open the frame, allowed four straight doubles to Rivas, Beck, Hunter Hargrove and Trace Loehr that brought three more runs in. With two outs in the inning, Robert Mullen hit a two-run homer that stretched the Stockton lead to 7-0 and knocked Newsome from the contest.
Newsome suffered the worst outing of his season, taking the loss after going 2 2/3 innings and allowing seven runs on nine hits while striking out two.
Collin Kober took over for the Nuts in the fourth and gave up a leadoff double to Jameson Hannah, who scored later in the inning on a throwing error by third baseman Joe Rizzo. The run was unearned, and the only run allowed by Kober in the game.
Stockton widened its lead in the sixth as Hannah double to open the inning and scored on an ensuing single by Lazaro Armenteros. With one out, the Ports got a single from Beck followed by a two-run single from Hargrove that made it an 11-0 contest. The sixth inning runs were allowed by Modesto reliever J.T. Salter.
Xavier Altamirano started the game for the Ports and worked four scoreless innings, allowing two hits while striking out five. After Jesus Zambrano (1-1) pitched a scoreless fifth, Will Gilbert entered to work the sixth and seventh. After a scoreless sixth, Gilbert gave up three straight singles to open the inning followed by a triple to Johnny Adams that put the Nuts on the board at 11-3. Adams scored two batters later on a groundout by Connor Kopach to make it 11-4.
Zambrano picked up the win in the game after his scoreless frame. Gilbert allowed four runs on five hits over his two innings. Jake Bray worked the final two innings of the game and retired six of the seven batters he faced, the only exception being a two-out homer hit by Adams that came in the midst of an inning in which Bray struck out the side.
Beck reached base all five times he came up for the Ports falling a home run short of the cycle and will enter Tuesday's contest having reached base in nine consecutive plate appearances.
The Ports and Nuts play the middle game of their three-game series on Tuesday night at Banner Island Ballpark. Rafael Kelly (0-1, 2.35 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by Modesto southpaw Ian McKinney (2-3, 4.89 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. PDT.
