Storm Take Second Straight from Quakes

Rancho Cucamonag, CA – The Quakes dropped their second straight to the Lake Elsinore Storm, falling on Wednesday night at LoanMart Field by a final of 8-2.

Three Storm pitchers held the Quakes hitless into the fifth and to a total of just four hits on the night, as the Storm pulled to within 3.5 games of the Quakes in the South Division standings.

Rancho starter Chris Campos (5-1) retired six of the first seven hitters he faced, but ran into command issues in the third, as he issued three of his four walks in a fateful third that saw the Storm grab a 5-0 lead.

Lake Elsinore then capitalized on a two-out error in the fourth, as they pushed across three more unearned runs to make it 8-0.

Rancho’s Nick Biddison broke up any notion of a no-hit bid with a triple in the fifth against Storm reliever Manuel Castro (2-1), but the Quakes couldn’t cash in until the seventh, when Dayton Dooney singled home Thayron Liranzo, making it an 8-1 game.

Rancho capped the scoring in the eighth, when Chris Newell walked and eventually scored on a wild pitch, but could get no closer than 8-2.

Rancho (27-14) will send Peter Heubeck (0-3) to the mound on Thursday, as the Quakes try to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the year. The Storm (22-16) will counter with lefty Robby Snelling (3-0), with first pitch scheduled for 6:30pm.

Thursday is a Thirsty Thursday, with drink specials throughout the night, including $3 Pepsi products, $4 domestics, $5 premiums and $6 craft beers, thanks to Millennium Systems. Tickets are available at rcquakes.com. Go Quakes!