LAKE ELSINORE, CA – After last night’s magical 7-6 walk-off win, Lake Elsinore picked up right where it left off. After trailing early, the Storm piled on eight runs in the fifth to life LE to its third straight win and start off this six-game set against the 66ers with back-to-back wins.
After a scoreless first two innings, it was Inland Empire that drew first blood in the third. George Feliz led off the frame with a stand-up triple into deep center field. It was the right fielder's second triple of the season. Just a batter later, Storm starter Jesus Castro delivered a wild pitch and Feliz walked in for the game’s first run.
Lake Elsinore would respond just one inning later. This time, Jose Verdugo began the fourth with a triple into right. After Bradley Frye struck out, Verdugo would march across home thanks to a wild pitch from 66er starter Aiden Butler. Through four innings, it was shaping up very similar to how yesterday panned out: IE would strike and it would be up to LE to answer the call.
Inland kept the pressure on in the top of the fifth. Connor Dykstra and Feliz drilled back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. To follow was Korbyn Dickerson who smashed a run-scoring double to center and gave the 66ers a 2-1 advantage. Feliz would halt at third but wouldn’t stay there for long. After Castro was replaced by Storm reliever Brandon Langley, the right-hander would throw another wild pitch to extend the IE lead. Lake Elsinore would have to come from behind once again.
And in the home-half, that’s exactly what it did. Yoiber Ocopio smashed a single to start. After a flyout from Qrey Lott, Conner Westenburg drew a walk. That turned things over to the top of the lineup for Ryan Wideman who promptly delivered an RBI-double into center. Ocopio would come around to score and draw the Storm one run closer. After a strikeout from Kerrington Cross, the Storm faithful got their money’s worth on the play of the night. With runners on second and third, Westenburg stole home. In probably the most magical way possible, Lake Elsinore knotted the score at three, but the inning wouldn’t end there. Verdugo dropped a single into center for his second hit of the night to score another. Frye would do the same and put two on for Yimy Tovar. The DH ripped a groundball to third which seemed like it would end the inning, but a bad throw from Estevan Moreno allowed Tovar to reach on the error and score both runners. In the blink of an eye, it was 6-3. After a walk from last night’s hero Jorge Quintana, Ocopio belted his second hit of the inning: A two-run double to increase the lead to 8-3. Lott would be hit by a pitch and Westenburg drove in the inning’s eighth and final run with a single to right. An incredible turn of events had Lake Elsinore trailing 3-1 to start the inning, and finished with the Storm tripling the 66er score. It marked the 17th time this season that LE has score five or more runs.
Innings six and seven would go scoreless but the Storm would add another in the eighth for good measure thanks to Kerrington Cross. The single from the first baseman extended his personal on-base streak to 16 games and helped Lake Elsinore crack double-digit scoring for the 11th time this season. Inland would get one back in the ninth on a wild pitch and that would end the scoring at 10-4. The Storm win their third in a row and maintain sole possession of first place in the California League’s South Division.
Lake Elsinore returns to action on Thursday to face Inland Empire for game three of the six-game set from Diamond Stadium. This is the second series of the year between the Storm and the 66ers with the IE winning the first 4-2. The Storm will turn to RHP Bryan Balzer (4-2, 4.78 ERA) to face 66ers RHP Jose Romero (1-3, 6.82 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. PT.
About the Lake Elsinore Storm
The Lake Elsinore Storm are the Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres in the California League. For more information on the Storm, visit milb.com/lake-elsinore. For information about tickets to any of Lake Elsinore’s 66 home games, call (951) 245-4487 or email: info@stormbaseball.com.