Ports Cough Up Lead to 66ers, Drop Second Straight

SAN BERNADINO, Calif. – The Stockton Ports (19-34) scored seven runs on Wednesday night, but let a 7-2 lead slip away at Inland Empire, as the 66ers came back to win 10-7 in game two of the six-game series.

The 66ers (25-25) got back-to-back singles to start the bottom of the first, with a throwing error from starting pitcher Gunnar Hoglund in between, to give them a 1-0 lead. However, the former 19th overall pick would settle in from there and retire the next six batters.

The Ports offense would have one of their best innings of the season at going the opposite way in the bottom of the second. Lefty T.J. Schofield-Sam led off with a single through the left side before right-hander Jose Mujica doubled into the right-center gap to tie the game at 1-1.

After a Derck Salom walk, Cooper Uhl singled down the right field line to score Mujica, and Pedro Pineda hit a fly ball deep into the right field corner to score Salom for a 3-1 Ports lead. Colby Thomas would hit a triple to right center to score Uhl, and Thomas would come in to score on a wild pitch for a five-run second inning that put the Ports up 5-1.

A walk, a fielder’s choice, and an RBI single got the Sixers a run back in the third, but the Ports tacked on two more in the fourth when Thomas unloaded on a ball to center field for a home run that scored Salom and it was 7-2 Stockton. It was Thomas’ sixth long ball of the season, tying him for the team lead with Brennan Milone.

Inland Empire would make it a game again in the fifth in Eduardo Rivera’s second inning of relief with a four-run frame. A double and a pair of groundouts to second made it a 7-3 game, but the two-out rally that ensued would give the momentum to the 66ers.

Two more singles and a double led to two more runs scoring, and a dropped throw to second on a stolen base attempt in a first-and-third situation led to a third run scoring with two down to make it just a 7-6 Ports lead.

The 66ers would put up a four-spot again in the seventh inning to take a 10-7 lead, stringing together four-straight singles and an RBI groundout off Yehizon Sanchez, while the Ports offense would be shutout be reliever Ryan Langford who collected the win to move to 1-1 on the season. Sanchez would take the loss in relief to drop to 1-7 on the year.

Game three is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. on Thursday at San Manuel Stadium.