Splashy Day for Offense Leads to 10-4 Win

STOCKTON, Calif. — It was the Ports turn to jump out to a big early lead and never relinquish it on Sunday afternoon, winning 10-4 over the Nuts to split the six-game series with Modesto.

Starter Steven Echavarria got around a one-out double and a two-out walk in the first inning to keep Modesto from scoring. The 18-year-old accomplished the feat two out of the three times the Ports pulled it off this week.

T.J. Schofield-Sam singled up the middle to score Dereck Salom in the bottom of the first for an early 1-0 lead. The Ports offense would really pick up steam bottom of the second when Clark Elliott led off with a single followed by a Darlyn Montero double to right.

After Elvis Rijo was hit by a pitch, Myles Naylor guided a two-strike slider into right field to drive in Elliott and make it 2-0 Ports. Salom would ground into a fielder’s choice, but it would put Stockton up 3-0 as Montero came across the plate. Nelson Beltran would do the same for the second out of the inning, however, Rijo scored for a 4-0 Ports lead. The Nuts committed four errors on the day, and two of them led to Beltran scoring after an error by the catcher when Beltran stole second, followed by an error at short that allowed him to score and make it 5-0.

Elliot tried to bunt for a hit in the bottom of the third, and would reach on another throwing error by the catcher Jacob Sharp. Rjjo would drive him home with a base hit to right to extend the Ports lead to 6-0. In the fourth, Schofield-Sam singled home Beltran to make it 7-0 and Elliot hit a line drive to center to score Schofield-Sam for an 8-0 Stockton advantage.

Modesto made interesting in the fifth, with five-straight singles after a two-out error — the only one the Ports would commit on the afternoon — and cut it to 8-3. They’d get another run in the sixth on an infield single that barely got past the mound to get within grand slam range at 8-4.

But Montero would hit his second home run of the season out to deep right field, and Stockton had an insurance run to push it back up to a five-run lead at 8-4. Corey Avant would finish the game after giving up that run in the sixth inning, throwing three scoreless frames after that to collect the save (2).

UP NEXT
The Ports will head to San Jose for three games from Monday to Wednesday, then return home for July 4 weekend Thursday to Saturday. The Ports will put on a full 30-minute fireworks show on the night of July 4 after game four of the series.

Single game tickets, mini plans, and group outings are all on sale for the 2024 season. For more information, call the Ports front office at 209-644-1900 or email at [email protected].