Ports Stunned by 66ers Comeback in 9-8 Loss

Stockton, CA – The Inland Empire 66ers scored four unanswered runs in the last two innings and the Ports left the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth as Stockton fell 9-8 in the series opener on Friday night at Banner Island Ballpark.

Down 4-0 after the top of the first inning, the Ports (32-50) rallied back to tie the game with two runs in each of their first two innings. In the bottom of the first with Dereck Salom at first base after a leadoff single, Brayan Buelvas clubbed a two-run homer to left field to cut the Inland Empire lead in half at 4-2. Yeniel Laboy led off the second with his first professional home run to make it 4-3, and Pedro Pineda added an RBI double to score Jose Escorche from second base to tie the game at four.

The two clubs traded single runs in the fifth inning on solo shots. In the top of the fifth inning, Jadiel Sanchez hit an inside-the-park home run off the wall in center field to give the 66ers (43-36) a 5-4 lead. The Ports responded in the bottom of the inning when Buelvas hit a solo shot to right field, tying the game at 5-5.

The Ports took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning when Cam Masterman hit a leadoff solo home run to left center to make it 6-5. With the bases loaded and two outs, Salom gave the Ports a cushion with a two-run single to left field to make it 8-5.

The 66ers began their comeback with two outs in the top of the eighth inning. With the Ports up 8-5 and the bases loaded, Nelson Rada grounded a double down the left field to score two runs to cut the Stockton lead to 8-7. The top of the ninth began with a Ben Gobbel single and a walk to Kevin Watson, Jr. to put runners on first and second with nobody out. After a sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third with one out. With Franck De La Rosa on the mound in relief of Blaze Pontes, Ronaldo Flores hit a bouncer to Escorche at second base, whose throw home sailed wide allowing two runs to score giving Inland Empire a 9-8 lead.

The Ports threatened in the bottom of the ninth when Buelvas reached on an error and Henry Bolte doubled down the right field line to put runners on second and third with nobody out, but Cam Masterman struck out, Jose Mujica grounded out to shortstop with the infield drawn in, and after an intentional walk to Laboy, Escorche grounded out to end the ballgame.

Inland Empire reliever Sadrac Franco (1-2) got the win with two shutout innings allowing just two hits with a strikeouts. Pontes (0-4) took the loss for the Ports surrendering four runs (three earned) on five hits in 1.1 innings. Eduardo Rivera shined for the Ports with six innings of one-run ball with a career-high eight strikeouts.

The Ports will look to even the series in game two on Saturday night with first pitch at 7:05 pm at Banner Island Ballpark. Tickets are available at stocktonports.com.