Lead Slips Away Late Versus Inland Empire

STOCKTON, Calif. — A two-out, two-strike hit for Inland Empire tied the game in the top of the ninth, before a two-out, two-run homer in the 10th completed the comeback for the 66ers in a 7-6 win over the Ports.

The Ports led 3-0 after a three-run, 397-foot blast by Cameron Leary (2) to the left of the batters eye in center in the third inning. Inland Empire got a run in the top of the fourth on an RBI ground out to make it 3-1, but Stockton extended their lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the inning.

Dereck Salom hit his second home run of the season 376 feet out to left to make it 4-1, and Nelson Beltran doubled into the left field corner to score Nick Schwartz for the 5-1 advantage. But Stockton would be stuck on those five runs. The first of three errors for the Ports led to a run scoring for the 66ers in the fifth for a 5-2 game.

Tom Reisinger pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh inning, even getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh. He’d get into another bases-loaded jam in the eighth where a runner that reached on an error came in to score to cut it to 5-3. But Derek Corro came in and retired Ryan Nicholson on a strikeout to end the threat.

Corro came back out for the ninth, and the lefty had to face two right handers in the first three batters scheduled to come up in the inning. Those right handers drew a walk and singled, but Corro retired a lefty and a switch hitter to get two outs. He got to a 2-2 count against lefty Randy Flores, but Flores fouled off three straight pitches before flicking a pitch outside the zone into right to score both runners and tie the game at 5-5. Leadoff man Jorge Ruiz singled into right and it looked like the 66ers would take the lead right there, but Nelson Beltran threw out Flores at the plate to preserve the tie.

The Ports went down in order in the 9th, and in the top of the 10th Myles Naylor threw out the automatic runner at home on a grounder to short to keep it 5-5. But the very next pitch was hammered out to left by Nicholson for his fourth home run of the season and third of the series for a 7-5 I.E. lead.

An RBI ground out by Salom scored the automatic runner in Tommy White to make it 7-6, but a strikeout of Darlyn Montero ended the game. The Ports will look to win Sunday’s home finale to earn a split in the season series with Inland Empire.

UP NEXT
RHP Yeferson Vargas will start for the 66ers versus the Ports RHP Jake Pfennings at 6:05 PM. It will be the final Kids Club Day and Bark in Park Day.

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].