Nuts Complete Sweep, Hand Ports 9-1 Loss

July 6, 2019

STOCKTON, Calif.- The Stockton Ports closed out a three-game series with the Modesto Nuts on Saturday night in which they were outscored 25-4. The Ports spoiled Modesto's shutout bid in the night but fell in lopsided fashion by a final of 9-1 as Modesto completed a three-game sweep and won its fifth straight contest.
Modesto wasted no time getting in the run column as Ports starter Jake Bray (2-1) issued back-to-back walks to open the ballgame and saw Jake Scheiner knock a two-out RBI single to left field to give the Nuts a 1-0 lead. The lead doubled in the third on the first of two home runs hit on the night by Cal Raleigh, a solo blast to open the inning. Raleigh would end up 3-for-5 with 6 RBI in the contest.
Bray would suffer the loss as he allowed two runs on four hits while walking two and striking out three in three innings worked.
Nick Highberger took over for Bray in the fourth and gave up back-to-back walks to begin his outing. Later in the inning, Joe Rizzo hit an RBI single to center and a wild pitch scored a second run to take it to a 4-0 Nuts lead. Those were the only two runs allowed by Highberger in his two innings of work.
The Nuts plated two more in the sixth off Wandisson Charles as he gave up a two-run infield single with two outs to Raleigh to make it 6-0.
Raleigh put the game away with his second homer of the night in the eighth, a three-run blast off Peter Bayer that ballooned the Modesto lead to 9-0.
Nuts starter Austin Hutchison worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the second inning with two outs and went on to pick up the win, tossing six scoreless frames while allowing five hits. After Matt Walker pitched a scoreless seventh, Nick Duron took over in the eighth and allowed a two-out RBI single to Jameson Hannah in the ninth that saved the Ports from being shut out for the third time in four games.
The Ports open a three-game series with the Visalia Rawhide at Banner Island Ballpark on Sunday night. James Kaprielian (1-2, 4.32 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by Visalia right-hander Jeff Bain (4-5, 3.13 ERA). First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m. PDT.