San Bernardino, Calif. – The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (32-26) kicked their offense into gear in the middle frames and never looked back as they mounted a four-run comeback to defeat the Inland Empire 66ers (25-33) 7-5 in 10 innings at San Manuel Stadium.
Early on, the 66ers caught fire at the plate and built up a sizeable lead. A pair of two-out RBI singles from Estevan Moreno and Brady O’Brien put them in front in the bottom of the second before a pair of doubles added another tally in the third. Moreno came through again in the fourth, hitting a solo home run to push Inland Empire ahead 4-0 and forcing the Quakes to react quickly.
Kendrey Maduro stepped up in the top of the sixth, using a big swing of his own to launch Rancho Cucamonga back into the contest. Following a Hayden Alvarez double and Jonny McGill walk, the shortstop cranked a three-run blast off the batter’s eye in center field, cutting the deficit to one at 4-3.
The very next inning, McGill pulled the Quakes back on level terms. Gabriel Davalillo and Slate Alford led off by roping a double and drawing a walk. Although a pair of strikeouts then jeopardized the scoring opportunity, McGill stroked a two-out, two-strike single to center field, bringing Davalillo home to tie the game at four.
The 66ers produced a pair of baserunners in both the eighth and ninth, placing the go-ahead and winning runs on base, respectively. However, Marlon Quintero contributed a pair of throws to cancel them both out. He caught both stealing second base to eliminate the late Inland Empire threats, extending the series opener to extra innings.
The Quakes finally finished off their comeback in the top of the 10th, turning to the long ball to secure their first advantage. Kevyn Castillo delivered a decisive two-run home run, providing them with a 6-4 edge. The very next batter, Quintero, ripped a solo shot of his own, handing them a three-run cushion to protect in the bottom of the inning.
Nevertheless, the 66ers refused to roll over in their half of the frame. A throwing error brought home a run and placed runners on the corners, sending the potential winning run up to bat.
At that point, Nicolò Pinazzi took matters into his own hands on the mound. He struck out the next two hitters in succession, locking down a dramatic victory.
The Quakes look to build upon their momentum on Wednesday at 6:35 PM in game two of their six-game series against the 66ers. RHP Ubaldo Soto takes the mound for Rancho Cucamonga opposite RHP Aiden Butler for Inland Empire. Play resumes at Morongo Field on June 23rd as the Quakes welcome the Stockton Ports to town for Healthy RC Recycle Tuesday and Two Dollar Tuesday.