Ports' Bats Silenced by Storm in 8-0 Loss
Stockton, CA – A five-run top of the sixth inning for the Lake Elsinore Storm blew open a pitchers’ duel while the Ports collected just three hits in an 8-0 loss in the series finale on Sunday evening at Banner Island Ballpark. Griffin Doersching broke a scoreless tie in the
Stockton, CA – A five-run top of the sixth inning for the Lake Elsinore Storm blew open a pitchers’ duel while the Ports collected just three hits in an 8-0 loss in the series finale on Sunday evening at Banner Island Ballpark.
Griffin Doersching broke a scoreless tie in the top of the second inning to give the Storm (47-46) an early lead. With Devin Ortiz at first base and one out, Doersching drilled a two-run homer to right field to shoot Lake Elsinore ahead 2-0.
The game remained 2-0 until the sixth inning thanks to quality pitching on both sides. For the Ports (35-61), starter James Gonzalez struck out eight batters over four innings of work surrendering just the two runs on three hits. Meanwhile, Lake Elsinore starter Miguel Mendez kept the Ports off the board through 5.2 innings with seven strikeouts.
The Storm, however, broke the game open in the top of the sixth inning against Stockton reliever Wander Guante. Singles by Tyler Robertson and Nick Vogt got the inning started, and Robertson scored on a single through the hole on the right side by Samuel Zavala to extend the Lake Elsinore lead to 3-0. The next hitter hit a groundball to first base that was handled by Yeniel Laboy, whose throw to second base hit the back of the runner Zavala for an error to load the bases with nobody out. Guante then issued back-to-back walks to force in two runs, and after two straight strikeouts, Charlis Aquino lined a single to left to score two runs making it 7-0 Storm.
Lake Elsinore got another in the seventh when Vogt led off with a single and after stealing second base, scored on a single to right center by Zavala to make it 8-0.
All three hits for the Ports, meanwhile, belonged to Dereck Salom: a leadoff single in the first, a leadoff double in the sixth and a two-out single in the eighth.
Mendez (2-2) got the win for Lake Elsinore with his 5.2 shutout innings in his 11th start of the season. Despite his eight strikeouts in four innings, Gonzalez (4-7) took the loss for the Ports.
After dropping three straight series coming out of the All-Star Break, the Ports will look to right the ship on Tuesday night in Visalia in the opener of a six-game series against the Rawhide. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 pm at Valley Strong Ballpark.