Garlick with Monster-Night in Quakes' Win

Lancaster, CA - Kyle Garlick hit three of Rancho's five home runs on Monday night, as the Quakes rallied for a 12-5 win over the Lancaster JetHawks at The Hangar in Lancaster.

Garlick hit two over the fence in Lancaster, but also recorded the rare inside-the-park home run, a three-run job in the fifth, giving the Quakes a lead they'd never relinquish. 

The five-homer game for the Quakes is as many as they had through the first 11 games of the entire season, as they doubled their total from five to ten.

Trailing 2-0 in the second, Garlick unloaded to left on a Brock Dykxhoorn pitch, a solo-shot, making it 2-1.

In the third, Garlick struck again, this time with a two-out hit to score Andrew Toles, evening the game at 2-2.

After the JetHawks grabbed a 3-2 lead over Quakes' starter Andrew Sopko in the fourth, the Quakes rallied for four in the fifth to take the lead for good. With two outs in the top of the fifth, Matt Beaty's ground ball to first base, went through the legs of Jamie Ritchie, scoring Paul Hoenecke to tie the game at 3-3 against Scott Weathersby (0-1). With an extra out to play with, Garlick made the JetHawks pay, as he ripped a liner at center fielder Ramon Laureano with two runners aboard. Rather than play the ball on one hop and concede a run, Laureano dove after the liner and came up empty. The ball rolled to the wall and Garlick beat the throw to the plate for the Quakes first inside-the-park home run since Scott Schebler did it in Lancaster in 2013. 

The JetHawks tallied two more runs, getting one off eventual winner Bubby Rossman (1-0) in the sixth and then another in the seventh against Joe Broussard, making it a one-run game at 6-5.

The Quakes exploded for four in the eighth, fueled by Michael Ahmed's first homer of the year, a two-run shot to cap the inning at 10-5. 

Garlick opened the ninth with a bomb to left-center, becoming the first Quake since Jon Garcia in 2014 to hit three in a game. The three-homer game gives Garlick four on the year. 

Two batters later, Yusniel Diaz popped his first career home run, a solo blast to make it 12-5.

Sopko lasted just 3 2/3 innings in his Quakes' debut, allowing three runs on seven hits in the no-decesion. The right-hander struck out five, walked one and threw 88 total pitches. 

Rancho (8-4) has now won four of five to open the road trip and share first place with High Desert in the South Division. The Quakes will send Grant Holmes (1-0) to the mound on Tuesday, as he'll take on Evan Grills (0-0) with first pitch slated for 6:35pm. 

The Quakes return to LoanMart Field on Thursday, April 21st, as they host the Visalia Rawhide in game one of a four-game home stand. Thursday will be another Thirsty Thursday, thanks to Green-Lite Windows and Doors, as fans will enjoy $2 Pepsi products, $3 domestic drafts and $4 premium drafts throughout the night. Game time on Thursday will be 7:05pm. Tickets are available at (909) 481-5000 or online at rcquakes.com.