Ontario, Calif. – Despite receiving a collection of strong outings from the three arms who took the mound on Sunday afternoon, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (1-2, 37-32) could not pull off a victory in their series finale against the Ontario Tower Buzzers (2-1, 35-34), dropping the contest 3-1 at ONT Field.
Ontario got its offense going in the bottom of the second inning, taking the lead through the middle of the order. Ching-Hsien Ko hit a solo home run, and Joendry Vargas contributed a sacrifice fly, handing the Tower Buzzers a 2-0 lead.
Two frames later, the Quakes got to work at the plate and cut their deficit in half. Kendrey Maduro produced a leadoff single and immediately advanced to second base on a Kevyn Castillo sacrifice bunt. Ryland Zaborowski delivered a single of his own to score him, inching Rancho Cucamonga to within one run at 2-1.
In the meantime, starting pitcher Derek Clark pushed past his rough second inning to hold the Tower Buzzers at bay. He did not allow another run in his five frames of work, scattering four hits and one walk while tying his season-high of eight strikeouts to keep Rancho Cucamonga in the game.
Yokelvin Reyes soon followed out of the bullpen, and he promptly picked up where Clark left off. He surrendered just one tally in his 2.1-inning outing on three hits, striking out a batter as well to keep the Quakes within striking distance in the late stages.
However, the Tower Buzzers managed to manufacture a run against him in the bottom of the eighth. A Ko sacrifice fly extended their lead back to two runs, and Rancho Cucamonga could not rally back, resulting in a defeat.
The Quakes return to Morongo Field on Tuesday, June 23rd, at 6:30 PM as they open a six-game set against the Stockton Ports. Following the team’s 12-game road trip, Healthy RC Recycle Tuesday and Two Dollar Tuesday welcome fans back to Rancho Cucamonga. In addition to $2 hot dogs, popcorn, and tacos all night long, fans can redeem 10 or more bottles or cans for up to four tickets, courtesy of Healthy RC.