STOCKTON, Calif. - Perhaps fitting that on a stormy day in Stockton, the Lake Elsinore Storm prevailed twice on Thursday afternoon at Banner Island Ballpark. Lake Elsinore, in the continuation of a suspended game from Wednesday night, defeated the Stockton Ports 2-1 to begin the day and then handed the
STOCKTON, Calif. - Perhaps fitting that on a stormy day in Stockton, the Lake Elsinore Storm prevailed twice on Thursday afternoon at Banner Island Ballpark. Lake Elsinore, in the continuation of a suspended game from Wednesday night, defeated the Stockton Ports 2-1 to begin the day and then handed the Ports their first shutout loss by a 6-0 final in seven innings on the back end of the doubleheader.
Lake Elsinore, which held a 1-0 lead heading to the bottom of the third on Wednesday at the time the game was suspended due to rain, saw Gabriel Arias lead off the top of the ninth inning with a solo homer to make it a 2-0 advantage. The Ports were blanked until the bottom of the ninth, when they put two on with nobody out. With runners at second and third and one out, Trace Loehr grounded out to drive in Jameson Hannah and make it 2-1. With the tying run at third, however, Evan Miller (SV, 5) got Jeremy Eierman to strike out looking to end the game.
Xavier Altamirano (1-3) suffered the loss in the first game for Stockton while JC Cosme (2-0) pitched three scoreless innings to open Thursday's continuation and picked up the victory for the Storm.
In the second game of the day, Lake Elsinore took advantage of two Ports fielding errors in the top of the first inning and scored three runs to get out in front early. The three runs were highlighted by a two-run triple off the bat of Eguy Rosario with two outs in the frame.
Ports starter Rafael Kelly (0-1) allowed a fourth run in the second inning as Jalen Washington doubled to open the frame and scored two batters later on a groundout by Nate Easley to make it a 4-0 contest. Beginning with the final out of the second, though, Kelly would retire 10 consecutive batters to close out his outing. The right-hander suffered the loss in his California League debut, going five innings and allowing four runs (one earned) on four hits while walking one and striking out three.
Will Gilbert took over for Stockton in the fifth and gave up a two-out, two-run homer to Olivier Basabe that stretched the Storm lead to 6-0.
Aaron Leasher (2-4) shut the Stockton offense out over five innings in his start as he picked up the victory, scattering three hits while striking out five. Trevor Megill closed out the ballgame for the Storm, striking out the side in the seventh to preserve the Lake Elsinore shutout.
The Ports will continue their seven-game homestand on Friday night as they open a three-game series with the Inland Empire 66ers. Jharel Cotton is scheduled to start the game for the Ports on a Major League rehab assignment. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. PDT.
