Quakes Take Series, Win Sunday Afternoon

Rancho Cucamonga, CA – The Quakes won their second straight home series to open the year, thanks to Sunday’s 5-3 victory over the Fresno Grizzlies.

More than 4,000 fans packed into LoanMart Field on Sunday and saw a good one, as the Quakes won for the fourth time in six games, keeping them a game back of first-place Lake Elsinore in the South Division.

Rayne Doncon fueled a three-run first, as he homered for the third time this year, making it 1-0 just two batters into the game.

Leading 3-0 after one, Rancho added another in the fourth, as Frank Rodriguez singled and later scored on a Jose Izarra RBI single, growing Rancho’s lead to 4-0 against Fresno starter Gabriel Barbosa (0-2).

The Grizzlies finally got on the board after Jared Karros and Payton Martin held them off the board through the first five innings. In the sixth, Fresno broke through, thanks in part to a Rancho error, making it 4-1 and chasing Martin (1-0), the eventual winning pitcher. Joel Ibarra came out of the pen and got out of the sixth and then tossed a scoreless seventh.

Rancho got their final run in the seventh, as Cameron Decker earned a bases-loaded walk in his first game as a Quake, making it 5-2.

The Quakes needed the boost, as Jeisson Cabrera gave up a run in the eighth and a lead-off homer to Ryan Ritter in the ninth, as the Grizzlies closed to within two at 5-3. Cabrera settled in though, retiring the next three hitters, including the final two by strikeout, closing out the win and giving Rancho the series victory.

Rancho (9-6) will look for a third straight win on Tuesday, after taking a day off on Monday. On Tuesday, they’ll send Maddux Bruns (0-0) to the mound against Inland Empire’s Jorge Marcheco at 11:05am.

The Quakes will be on the road until Tuesday, May 9^th, when they’ll return to LoanMart Field for a six-game set against the Stockton Ports with a special Education 11am Day Game to kick off the series. Tickets are available at rcquakes.com. Go Quakes!