Rawhide Crack the Whip on Ports in 7-3 Win

VISALIA, Calif. — The Ports struck first on Tuesday night, but Visalia took control after that in a 7-3 win for the Rawhide in game one of the six-game set.

Starter Steven Echavarria was brilliant through four innings and 50 pitches. He continued his hot streak by allowing no runs on just one hit and one walk with four strikeouts. The Ports got on the board in the fifth for a 2-0 lead. Catcher Mario Gomez singled through the right side and Nelson Beltran was hit by a pitch to put two runners aboard with no one out.

Elvis Rijo drove in a run with an RBI groundout to put Stockton on the board first, and Nick Schwartz ripped a single over the glove of the Visalia third baseman to go up 2-0. But the Rawhide answered immediately in the bottom of the inning.

Norge Vera came into the game and allowed a little dribbling, infield single to third before walking Druw Jones. After a strikeout of catcher Kenny Castillo, Anderson Rojas hit a line-drive, three-run homer over the right field fence to put Visalia ahead 3-2.

Jake Pfennings made his first appearance of the season in the sixth inning after missing a large chunk of last season and all of this year. He allowed an infield single that also had a throwing error at third on top of it, before a base hit up the middle made it 4-2. A sac fly put Visalia up 5-2, and they would tack on two more runs in the eighth on a wild pitch and an RBI groundout for a 7-2 lead.

Stockton loaded the bases with no one out in the ninth, but a strikeout was followed by a Dereck Salom sac fly for two outs, though the Ports plated a run. A groundout ended the game with runners at the corners for a 7-3 final.

UP NEXT
Game two will also be a 6:30 first pitch with the Rawhide starting LHP Wilkin Paredes (3-5, 7.74) versus the Ports Yunior Tur (1-3, 5.68).

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].