Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. – The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (18-25, 54-55) had everything working for them in their series opener at Morongo Field on Tuesday night as they breezed past the Ontario Tower Buzzers (25-18, 58-51) 5-1.
In the early stages, starting pitcher Talon Haley was sharp on the mound. He struck out five batters over his first three innings, stranding three Tower Buzzers on the base paths as well to maintain a scoreless tie.
Once the middle frames began, the Quakes broke through against the Ontario bullpen to grab the lead. Angel Arredondo cashed in a Gavin Grahovac one-out single and stolen base in the bottom of the fourth, smashing a two-run home run, his first in the Angels organization, resulting in a 2-0 edge.
After producing the game’s first offense, Rancho Cucamonga kept their lineup humming. Jeffery Heard launched a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth, increasing their edge to three. Lucas Ramirez added on one inning later, following up a Gabriel Davalillo double with a two-bagger of his own, handing the Quakes a 4-0 advantage heading into the contest's final third.
All the while, Haley continued to dominate. He ended up tossing six scoreless innings, scattering three hits and three walks while striking out six batters, securing the first quality start of his career.
Upon his departure, the Tower Buzzers pulled a run back, using a Francisco Espinoza RBI single in the top of the seventh to lower their deficit to three. However, Rancho Cucamonga wasted no time canceling it out. Jaxon Wiliits drew a walk and stole second base in their half of the frame, setting up John Wimmer for an RBI base hit which restored the Quakes’ cushion to four.
From that point forward, the Rancho Cucamonga bullpen took control of the contest. Yokelvin Reyes and Victor Garcia combined to keep Ontario off the board over the final two frames, nailing down the decisive win.
The Quakes return to Morongo Field on Wednesday at 6:30 PM in game two of their six-game series versus the Tower Buzzers. RHP Trey Gregory-Alford gets the ball for Rancho Cucamonga opposite RHP Luis Carias for Ontario. Fans can bring their four-legged friends to Morongo Field to join in on the Raising Cane’s Pups in the Park festivities.