Storm Walk-Off Quakes in Series Opener Presented by The Valley News
After losing four straight home games, a two run deficit in the second inning was exactly what the Lake Elsinore Storm did not need in their series opener to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Fernando Sanchez was tonight's starter and after a 1-2-3 first inning, he gave up a leadoff walk
After losing four straight home games, a two run deficit in the second inning was exactly what the Lake Elsinore Storm did not need in their series opener to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Fernando Sanchez was tonight's starter and after a 1-2-3 first inning, he gave up a leadoff walk to Jordan Thompson that was followed by a fielding error. A single moved the runners and a groundout would score the first run. A fielder's choice would then score the next.
Sanchez ultimately went four innings, striking out two, and allowing only one earned run. He has only allowed four earned runs across 18 innings pitched at home this season.
At the plate, the Storm offense showed up. They would combine for nine hits, eight walks, and seven runs. The first of those runs was a bases-loaded double play from Oswaldo Linares, the beginning of a bookend, and the second was an RBI triple from Ryan Wilson.
The Quakes would then score two in the fifth inning just for the Storm to respond with one of their own in the same frame. The game would swing back and forth including when, in the bottom of the seventh, Chase Valentine was buzzed close enough to his face for him to mimic the moves of Neo. On the next pitch, he would crush his first MiLB career home run over the short left field wall to tie the game at five runs each.
Neither team would score in the 8th or 9th innings. This gave the crowd of mostly Lake Elsinore Unified School District employees and students bonus baseball at The Lake Elsinore Diamond. In the top of the 9th inning, Kobe Robinson would be called upon to work out of the bullpen. After a strikeout and a groundout, a two out double would score the ghost runner. This would be the only run in the top of the 10th inning.
A walk from Braedon Karpathios, his third of the game, and a single from Romeo Sanabria would load the bases with no outs. A soft ground ball scored the tying run and then Oswaldo Linares, who scored the very first run of the game for the Storm, would be asked to score the last run of the ballgame. This bases loaded no outs situation would force the Quakes to bring their infield in. Linares would send it to deep left field on the first pitch, collecting Lake Elsinore's third walk-off of the year.
This win brought them within two games of first place in the California League South and with five more games against the Quakes this homestand, they hope to make up more ground as the week continues.