Ports Ride Big Innings to Second Straight Win

Box Score

MODESTO, Ca.- The Ports scored in four different innings while picking up ten hits and walking twelve times on their way to an 11-5 win over the Modesto Nuts on Friday night at John Thurman Field, evening their six-game series at two games a piece.

Stockton (25-33) jumped ahead in the top of the fourth with a two run inning. Tyler Soderstrom walked to lead off the frame and made it to third base on a double down the right field line by Junior Perez. Lawrence Butler and T.J. Schofield-Sam then followed with a single and fielder's choice, respectively, top give the Ports a 2-0 lead.

The Ports doubled their advantage in the top of the fifth with another pair of runs. Soderstrom drove in a run with a double off the center field wall with runners on first and second to make it 3-0, and after a walk loaded the bases Butler added another with a sacrifice fly to give the Ports a four run lead.

After the Nuts (34-24) tallied a single run in the bottom of the fifth to cut the Ports' advantage to 4-1, Stockton struck back in the top of the sixth with four unearned runs. With runners on first and third after an error and a single with one out, Marcos Brito grounded a single to right field to make it 5-1. Soderstrom then reached on an error and Robert Puason scored on a passed ball to make it 6-1 and put runners on second and third. Junior Perez extended the Ports' lead to 8-1 with a two-run double down the left field line.

The Nuts got back into the game in the bottom of the sixth when the first four hitters reached base and scored to chase Stockton starter Jake Walkinshaw and cut the Ports' lead to 8-5 but Dallas Woolfolk came on with runners on first and second facing the tying run and induced two flyouts to preserve the Stockton lead.

The Ports put the game away with three runs in the top of the ninth inning. After loading the bases with a walk, error and infield single, Joshwan Wright drove a double to right-center to score two and give the Ports a 10-5 lead. With runners on second and third, Soderstrom followed with an RBI groundout to increase the Stockton lead to 11-5.

Walkinshaw (4-3) got the win for the Ports, allowing five runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings pitched with a career-high eight strikeouts. Nuts' starter Sam Carlson (2-2) took the loss for Modesto, allowing four runs on five hits in five innings. Oscar Tovar picked up his third save of the season getting the final six outs of the ballgame.

The Ports and Nuts continue their six game series on Saturday at John Thurman Field in Modesto, with first pitch at 6:05 pm.