Lake Elsinore, Calif. – Throughout a frenetic nine innings at Diamond Stadium of Lake Elsinore, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (20-16) outlasted the Lake Elsinore Storm (21-15) to record a 7-4 victory on Thursday night.
After falling behind 2-0 by the end of the first inning, the Quakes did not panic and they produced an immediate response. Following a Lucas Ramirez double to lead off the top of the second, Gabriel Davalillo scorched a single into center field to score him. One frame later, Ramirez cranked a three-run home run, propelling Rancho Cucamonga to a 4-2 lead.
Hayden Alvarez and Kevyn Castillo kept that momentum going in the top of the fourth. With two outs in the inning, Alvarez smoked a double to bring Slate Alford home, and Castillo supplied a triple one batter later, plating Alvarez and doubling the Quakes’ advantage at 6-2.
Lake Elsinore struck for two runs in the bottom of the fourth, lowering the Rancho Cucamonga edge back down to two, but Jonny McGill stepped up to halt the Storm's comeback bid. He launched a solo home run the very next half-inning, restoring the Quakes' three-run cushion at the halfway point.
From that moment forward, the Rancho Cucamonga bullpen took control of the contest and silenced the Lake Elsinore lineup. Yokelvin Reyes twirled a scoreless 2.1 innings as the first reliever, allowing just one walk and one hit while striking out three. Nicolò Pinazzi tacked on two shutout frames immediately afterward, and Fulton Lockhart finished the game off by twirling a perfect ninth inning, hammering down a hard-fought win.
The Quakes enter the back half of their six-game series against the Storm on Friday at 6:45 PM at Diamond Stadium of Lake Elsinore. RHP Grayson Rodriguez toes the slab for Rancho Cucamonga in an MLB rehab assignment opposite LHP Kruz Schoolcraft for Lake Elsinore. Action resumes at Morongo Field on May 19th at 6:30 PM as the Quakes host the Fresno Grizzlies on Healthy RC Recycle Tuesday.