Storm Lose Game, Series on Wednesday Night Presented by The Valley News
The Lake Elsinore Storm had a chance to win the series tonight but instead, they suffered their greatest loss of the year. They ultimately fell to the Inland Empire 66ers by a final score of 23-7, but there was a calamity of literal and metaphorical errors prior to the conclusion
The Lake Elsinore Storm had a chance to win the series tonight but instead, they suffered their greatest loss of the year. They ultimately fell to the Inland Empire 66ers by a final score of 23-7, but there was a calamity of literal and metaphorical errors prior to the conclusion of the game.
The 23 runs allowed were the result of 21 hits and a remarkable eight errors. The avalanche of mistakes began in the second inning when a balk and two errors put Inland Empire up 4-0. They did not look back after that. They would score 11 runs in the fifth inning while the Storm committed two wild pitches and an error. This error was widely contested by the home team. The umpires ruled that Wyatt Hoffman dropped the ball on the catch, not the transfer.
This rule forever altered the trajectory of this game because the next batter would smash a three-run home run and the 66ers would have seven more hits after this longball.
The Storm's starter Jose Luis Reyes would be the victim of many of these errors, he would allow 10 total runs and only seven of them would be earned. He would leave in the fifth inning without securing an out.
He would be replaced by Maikel Miralles who also would not have a great time on the mound. He would go through 2.1 innings and allow nine total runs but only five were earned.
The defense was the main culprit of tonight's lopsided night and before the affair was over, infielder Chase Valentine would come in as a relief pitcher. This is not a complete surprise as he has come in as a relief pitcher in blowouts before, however, he had never allowed a single hit in his pitching "career" prior to tonight.
On this night, he was not as efficient. He would be asked to pitch in two innings and allow seven hits while giving up four earned runs. This series will not end for the Storm, they will move on to San Bernardino where they will finish their six-game set.
They will next play at home again against the Fresno Grizzlies on Tuesday, July 9th.