Jump for Joy: Tovar powers Grizzlies to 7-5 win over Rawhide

Visalia, CA (Saturday, June 26) – The Fresno Grizzlies (29-18) subdued the Visalia Rawhide (13-34) 7-5 Saturday night from Valley Strong Ballpark. Fresno improved to 15-2 against their Highway 99 foes, outscoring them 111-62. The Grizzlies pitching staff also struck out 17, tying the club-high for the 2021 campaign.

Fresno jumped ahead 3-0 in the first inning when Eddy Diaz scored on a Zac Veen RBI groundout. Diaz walked and swiped two bags before waltzing home. Then, Ezequiel Tovar hammered a solo shot to left field, his team-leading seventh homer. Daniel Montano added the other RBI on a single, expanding his hit streak to 10 games (current squad-high).

Visalia pushed across three runs to tie the contest in the second. The Grizzlies though would claw back ahead in the fourth with a trio of runs. After loading the bases, a pitch hit Diaz, then Veen walked and Tovar mustered a sacrifice fly. After another Rawhide run, Grant Lavigne made it 7-4 with a double to right field. In the eighth, Ronny Simon cut the advantage to 7-5, but Fresno held off the late comeback.

Overall, five Visalia starters notched multi-hits with Danny Oriente, Ronny Simon and Manuel Garcia providing three rips apiece. S.P. Chen and Dairon Cuevas each recorded a pair of hits. Righty Adrian Del Moral (0-1) suffered the decision after three-plus innings of work.

Grizzlies’ starter Mike Ruff went three and one-third frames, fanning five. He gave way to Austin Kitchen (1 K), Andrew DiPiazza (5 K), Blair Calvo (4 K) and Robinson Hernandez (2 K), who cleaned up the final five and two-thirds innings. The five arms combined for 17 punchouts on the evening. DiPiazza (1-0) earned his first professional victory after two scoreless frames and Hernandez enjoyed his second save of the series.

Top Performers: Fresno Grizzlies (Colorado Rockies)

• SS Ezequiel Tovar (2-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R)

• RHP Andrew DiPiazza (2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K; first pro win)

• 1B Grant Lavigne (1-3, 2B, RBI, 2 BB)

Top Performers: Visalia Rawhide (Arizona Diamondbacks)

• RF Danny Oriente (3-4, RBI, R, HBP)

• 2B Manuel Garcia (3-5, 2 2B)

• 3B Ronny Simon (3-5, 2 RBI)

On Deck:

Sunday, June 27 @ Visalia Rawhide, Fresno RHP Anderson Amarista (0-1, 10.00) vs. Visalia RHP Austin Pope (0-5, 10.85), 1:00 pm PT

ON THAT FRES-NOTE:

The Grizzlies will look for the series win tomorrow afternoon, their third possible series win against the Rawhide this season (swept them both times in Fresno).