Hits Galore in Series-Opening Win Over 66ers

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — The Ports racked up a season-high 16 hits to tie their highest scoring output of the year with a 13-7 win over Inland Empire in game one of a six-game series. They scored in every odd-numbered inning, and led 13-2 going into the bottom of the ninth before the 66ers strung together some hits for a two-out rally.

Stockton jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first, sparked by Ryan Lasko crushing the first pitch of the game for a 405-foot home run (1) over the left field fence. TJ Schofield-Sam would triple off the wall in center and came in on a Luke Mann RBI single to right for a 2-0 lead.

Myles Naylor plated a run with an RBI groundout, Robert Puason walked with the bases loaded, and Casey Yamauchi got a blooper to drop into right center to close out the five run first, knocking out starter Francis Texido after recording just one out.

Naylor would homer (5) out to left center for a towering 426-foot blast to start the third inning, and a wild pitch would score Darlyn Montero for a 7-0 Ports lead. The 66ers would get one back in the bottom of the inning with an RBI double into the right-field corner for the only run starter Ryan Brown would allow in his four innings of work.

Puason grounded into a double play with the bases loaded in the fifth, but that would still score a run, as would another wild pitch with Beltran at third for a 9-1 game. The Ports had the bases-loaded again in the top of the seventh, and for the second time this season Yamauchi would be hit in the head by a pitch that knocked off his batting helmet. He remained in the game on the bases, but was replaced defensively in the bottom of the seventh by Yeniel Laboy after putting the Ports ahead 10-1 with the hit by pitch.

Lasko drew a bases-loaded walk later in the inning to put Stockton ahead 11-1, before an RBI groundout by Schofield-Sam extended the lead to 12-1. Mark Adamiak got the first two outs of the ninth, allowing just a single in between the two outs, and was one out away from closing out his second inning of work and the game.

But the 66ers strung together six-straight hits, with a wild pitch from TJ Czyz mixed in for a five run rally to give the fans who stuck around something to cheer about. But Czyz would strike out Kevyn Castillo to close the door and bring the the game to an end.

Luke Anderson got the winning by pitching a scoreless fifth inning. It was his first W since battling back from follicular lymphoma, after doctors found three tumors in his body last year.

Naylor finished 2 for 4 with four runs scored and three RBIs, and Beltran went 2 for 5 with two runs scored.

UP NEXT: Game two is also scheduled for 6:35 p.m. on Wednesday night. Nineteen-year-old Jefferson Jean (0-1, 5.14) will make his second start and third appearance of the season against Riley Bauman (1-1, 5.52)

Single game tickets, mini plans, and group outings are all on sale for the 2024 season. For more information, call the Ports front office at 209-644-1900 or email at [email protected].