LAKE ELSINORE, CA – After five scoreless innings to start off the tilt, the Storm knocked one in during the sixth and three more in the seventh to help Lake Elsinore earn a 4-0 home win in game two against Rancho Cucamonga.
After Winyer Chourio delivered five magnificent innings of two-run ball with 10 strikeouts, right hander Jesus A. Castro said anything you can do, I can do better. The Mexico native shoved 5.2 scoreless innings with nine punchouts and only one walk. While he did allow seven hits, Castro and his defense delivered with clutch putouts and on-target throws to escape innings.
On the other side, Quakes right-handed starter Ubaldo Soto performed likely his best start of the year as well. The Dominican went 5.1 innings and allowed just one unearned run and struck out seven. Through the first five and a half innings, it was a pitcher’s duel that was moving quickly.
However the Storm got on the board in the sixth. Luke Cantwell worked a one-out walk and Ryan Wideman followed with a sharp single to left field. After Wideman’s hit, Quakes manager Dave Stapleton elected for a pitching change. Soto exited and was replaced by Brayan Vergara. Up stepped Ty Harvey in his first game back for Lake Elsinore since April 8th, when he exited with a hamstring injury. The catcher rolled a groundball to third which was sent to second for the first out, but second baseman Anyelo Marquez delivered an errant throw that escaped the glove of Eliezer Rivero and allowed Cantwell to score. After six, the Storm took the lead and ran with it.
The seventh inning helped give Lake Elsinore insurance. After two quick outs from Jorge Quintana and Conner Westenburg, George Bilecki ripped a sharp infield single to Marquez and second base. Dylan Grego and Bradley Frye followed it up with a pair of walks and just like that the bases were loaded for Luke Cantwell. The first baseman singled into center to score Bilecki and Grego for his only hit of the night and his 18th and 19th RBI of the season. Wideman stepped up next with an opposite-field single into right to plate Frye and brought the score to its final total. The eighth and ninth went scoreless and gave Lake Elsinore its 21st win of the season to improve to seven games above .500 and give the Storm a two game lead in the South Division. Lake Elsinore still holds the best record in the entire California League.
Lake Elsinore returns to action on Thurday to face Rancho Cucamonga for game three of the six-game set from Diamond Stadium. This is the second series of the year between the Storm and the Quakes with the two teams splitting the first six games. The Storm will turn to RHP Bryan Balzer (3-1, 3.54 ERA) to face Quakes RHP Dylan Jordan (1-2, 4.08 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.