Early Stockton Barrage Sinks Rawhide

STOCKTON-The Ports jumped on the Rawhide for 7 runs in the first 2 innings, and sailed to a 9-4 win over Visalia on Friday night.

It was not the beginning that Hector Hernandez had hoped for, as he was hit for 5 tallies in the first inning, including back-to-back home runs by Dusty Robinson and Chad Pinder. The Ports added 2 more in the 2^nd, on a 2-run double by Pinder.

The 'Hide fought back gamely; they scored in the 4^th on a Raul Navarro single, a stolen base, and an RBI single by Ryan Court. The pair combined again in the 6^th, as Navarro singled, and Court later singled him home for a second time. Socrates Brito also knocked in a run in the 6^th with a sacrifice fly, and the Rawhide trailed 7-3.

Fidel Pena inched them closer in the 7^th with a run-scoring groundout, as Visalia crept to within 7-4.

But Stockton widened their lead again with single runs in the 7^th and 8^th innings; the latter came on a solo homer by Billy McKinney to bring the score to 9-4.

The Rawhide and Ports will contest the third game of the series tomorrow at 7:05.