LAKE ELSINORE, CA – After back-to-back wins and three straight games scoring above ten runs, the Storm offense came back down to Earth tonight in an 11-1 loss to the 66ers.
The first four innings went scoreless thanks to phenomenal pitching performances on both sides. For Lake Elsinore, RHP Lan-Hong Su made his best start of the season, bringing a no-hitter into the fifth inning and recording a career-high nine strikeouts. On the other side, Inland Empire LHP Jack Bowery pitched five shutout innings and struck out six.
The scoring began in the fifth after Su hit Grant Jay with a pitch with one out. After quickly getting the second out, Kelvin Alcantara blasted a two-run shot over the right-field wall to put the 66ers on the board. The first and only hit that Su allowed gave IE a 2-0 lead. Yoesmerli Beltre came in to get the final out of the frame, but before he could, Connor Dykstra left the yard as well and extended the lead to 3-0.
In the sixth, Inland Empire extended its lead to four thanks to a Ryan Wynn RBI-single. The scoring did not stop in the seventh either. After Jeronimo Palmeros walked the bases loaded in his first ever Single-A appearance, Ace Reese hit a sac-fly to left to score a run. Hayden Yost followed that up with a single to center to plate another and Jake Brown proceeded to ground out and got the inning’s third run across. Heading into the eighth, the Storm trailed 7-0.
Lake Elsinore got one back in the bottom of the eighth off the bat of Joe Tiroly, who singled in the lone run the Storm put up. In the ninth, the wheels fully came off the bus when Lake Elsinore resorted to putting first baseman Augie Lopez on the mound so the Storm wouldn’t waste another bullpen arm in an already decided contest. The 66ers tacked on four more and the scoring finally ended at 11-1. After winning the last two and three of the last four, Lake Elsinore found itself back in the loss column walking off the field Thursday night.
Lake Elsinore returns to action on Friday to face Inland Empire for game four of the six-game set from Diamond Stadium. This is the final series of the year between the Storm and the 66ers with Lake Elsinore leading 12-9. The Storm will send LHP Kruz Schoolcraft (2-7, 6.05) to the mound to face off against 66ers RHP Jackson Steensma (0-5, 4.12). First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 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