Fresno, Calif. - The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (12-15, 48-45) ran into a Fresno Grizzlies (15-12, 51-42) offense that could do no wrong on Thursday night at Chukchansi Park as they fell to a 17-6 defeat.
The Grizzlies opened the scoring right away, striking for two runs in the bottom of the first. However, the Quakes produced an immediate response in the top of the second. Gabriel Davalillo ripped a double, and Lucas Ramirez promptly singled him over to third base, setting Samil Dishmey up with runners on the corners. He cashed in the opportunity, punching a two-run triple down the right field line, leveling the score.
Fresno pulled back in front in their half of the frame, but once again, Rancho Cucamonga had a quick answer. Kendrey Maduro launched a solo home run in the top of the third, knotting the contest back up at three.
The Grizzlies continued to fire on all cylinders on offense and stayed hot over the next two frames. Two runs in the bottom of the third saw them race ahead once again, and another tally in the fourth helped them increase their edge to 6-3 heading towards the game's halfway point.
Kevyn Castillo stepped up in the top of the fifth to spark a two-out rally, cutting the Rancho Cucamonga deficit back down to two runs. He delivered a two-out triple, and the very next batter, Maduro, completed his trip around the bases. He blooped a single into center field, reducing Fresno's edge to 6-4.
Shortly afterward, though, the Grizzlies kicked their offense into high gear. They rallied for two runs in the sixth, seven in the seventh, and two more in the eighth, upping their advantage into double figures and ultimately putting the game out of reach.
Despite the lopsided scoreline, Castillo managed to end the night on a high note for the Quakes. He supplied an RBI double in the seventh and plated their final run on a sacrifice fly in the ninth, leading Rancho Cucamonga to runs in five of their nine trips to the dish.
The Quakes open the back half of their six-game series against the Grizzlies in game four on Friday at 6:05 PM. LHP Derek Clark toes the slab for Rancho Cucamonga opposite LHP Brady Parker for Fresno. Action returns to Morongo Field on June 28th at 6:30 PM as the Quakes host the San Jose Giants on Healthy RC Recycle Tuesday and Two Dollar Tuesday.