STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Ports offense was as cold as Banner Island Ballpark on Saturday night. The Ports mustered just five hits on a night where they were overwhelmed by the Modesto Nuts who scored 13 runs on 17 hits on their way to a 13-2 win to complete
STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Ports offense was as cold as Banner Island Ballpark on Saturday night. The Ports mustered just five hits on a night where they were overwhelmed by the Modesto Nuts who scored 13 runs on 17 hits on their way to a 13-2 win to complete a sweep of the three-game series.
Modesto took control out of the gate in the top of the first. With two on and one out, Luis Liberato hit a three-run homer, his first of two on the night, to give the Nuts the initial lead. Modesto added a run in the second on a solo homer by Connor Kopach and three more in the third on a solo blast by Liberato and a two-run double by Ariel Sandoval to make it a 7-0 contest.
Ports starter Mitchell Jordan (1-2) suffered the loss after allowing seven runs on seven hits over three innings.
Stockton's first run came in the bottom of the third on a solo homer hit by Nick Allen. It was the only run allowed by Nuts starter Ian McKinney, who did not factor into the decision after working four innings and allowing two hits while striking out six.
Peter Bayer took over for the Ports in the fourth and would go on to give up four runs on five hits in the fifth to make it an 11-1 Modesto lead.
Stockton's second and final run came in the fifth when Jeremy Eierman doubled off of Scott Boches (1-1) and scored later on an RBI single by Jordan Devencenzi. It was the only run allowed by Boches who picked up the victory by working two innings in relief.
Hunter Hargrove, who played the entire game as the designated hitter, took over on the mound to pitch the ninth and gave up a two-run single to Liberato with the bases loaded that ran the Nuts lead to 13-2. It capped a 3-for-5 night for Liberato who drove in six runs in the contest.
Following a day off on Sunday, the Ports travel to Visalia on Monday to begin a four-game series with the Rawhide and open a seven-game road trip. Brady Feigl (1-0, 2.25 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by Visalia right-hander Matt Mercer (0-0, 5.40 ERA). First pitch at Recreation Ballpark is set for 6 p.m. PDT.
