Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. – The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (14-10) pitching staff could do no wrong on Thursday night as three arms combined to blank the Inland Empire 66ers in a 3-0 win.
To get the contest going, Rancho Cucamonga Dylan Jordan stepped up and tossed a gem to set the tone. He lasted 5.2 innings, scattering three hits and two walks, striking out six 66ers while also stranding four runners on base in the process.
His success on the mound was accompanied by a pair of dazzling defensive displays in the field. Hayden Alvarez made an over-the-shoulder grab right in front of the center field wall in the top of the fifth to deny Starlin Aguilar extra bases, and Gabriel Davalillo sprawled out at third base one frame later, robbing Aidan Tourek of a hit.
Bryan Vergara entered in relief to secure the final out in the top of the sixth. Although he issued a walk to the first batter he faced, Davalillo came to the rescue to help the new reliever escape the inning unscathed. Another sliding stop finished Inland Empire off, leaving two on the basepaths to keep the game scoreless.
The Quakes finally broke into the run column in the bottom of the seventh, benefitting from a pair of errors to do so. As runners stood on first and second base with two outs, an Eliezer Rivero dribbler to the mound led to a throwing error, bringing home two runs, and an errant throw to the plate resulted in a third, firing Rancho Cucamonga into the lead.
The run support proved more than enough for the Quakes’ bullpen to protect. Vergara picked up the first two outs in the top of the eighth before handing the ball over to Jakob Guardado to finish the game, and he mowed through the 66ers in short order to hammer down the victory.
The Quakes go for their third straight win on Friday at 6:30 PM in game four of their six-game series against the 66ers. RHP Trey Gregory-Alford heads to the hill for Rancho Cucamonga to face LHP Mason Peters for Inland Empire. Additionally, the Quakes open the month of May on Family RV Family Feast Night at Morongo Field. Fans can enjoy $2 hot dogs, $1 Pepsi products, and $1 ice cream sandwiches.