LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. – A wild one went to the Ports on Friday night as they held on to defeat the Storm 14-10 and took a 3-1 lead in the six-game series.
Stockton (7-6, 34-45) racked up 15 hits – their third-highest total this season – for the 10 runs, putting up a six spot in the fifth inning and five more in the sixth. The Ports led 13-3 going into the bottom of the seventh, but gave up seven runs to Lake Elsinore (3-10, 42-37) to make it a 13-10 game before hanging on for the win.
Michael Brooks blasted the first pitch of the game 345 feet to left field for his fourth home run of the season and a 1-0 Stockton lead. The Storm took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning on a wild pitch and an RBI single from George Bilecki.
But much like last week in Corey Braun’s return from the injured list, he settled in from there and allowed just the two runs (one earned) and went five innings for the first time as a pro to earn the win by giving up just four hits and one walk with five punchouts.
The Ports tied the game on an RBI double from Ramon Landaeta to score Gavin Turley for Landaeta’s first Cal League RBI in the second inning. It looked like the Ports were going to take full control of the contest in the fifth and sixth innings.
They sent 11 to the plate in the fifth, and scored runs on a groundout by Bryan Andrade and RBI singles from Breyson Guedez to take a 4-2 lead. Guedez single was a scary moment in the game as his comebacker hit starting pitcher and first-round pick Kruz Schoolcraft in the head before the ball caromed into foul territory.
Schoolcraft was able to leave under his own power, even walking briskly to the dugout before play resumed. When it did, Edgar Montero singled through the right side to make it 5-2, before a three-run bomb (6) 402 feet to straight-away center by Turley made it an 8-2 Stockton advantage.
The Ports put up five more in the sixth on a two-RBI bloop double for Bobby Blandford, a wild pitch, and RBI singles from Landaeta and Ben Newton to go up 13-2.
Luis Burgos came in from the bullpen in the sixth and hit a batter before giving up an RBI double to Dylan Grego to make it 13-3. Things got wild in the seventh with two outs, when Burgos hit three more batters, walked another and gave up a bases-clearing double to Grego to make it 13-8. Jackson Nove came in and allowed a two-RBI double to Yimi Tovar and we had a 13-10 game through seven innings.
Stockton got an insurance run in the top of the ninth on Bucciero’s 10th home run of the season, blasting a 388-foot shot off his own photo on the scoreboard to put the Ports ahead 14-10. That insurance run would loom large as the Storm brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth.
Nove worked a scoreless eighth and had two down with a runner on in the ninth, but an error at second by Andrade extended the game. Kade Brown came in to close out the game for a second-straight night, and his third pitch of the outing grazed a batter in the shoulder to load the bases with two away. Brown would get a liner to short to end the ballgame and collect his fourth save of the season to preserve the 14-10 win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Bucciero extended his on-base streak to 28 games, the third-longest streak in the league this season. Guedez extended his hit streak to 15 games, tied for the third-longest streak in the Cal League this year. Landaeta collected his first four-hit, two-double contest as Port is just his third game in the Cal League.
UP NEXT: Game five is scheduled for a 4:45 PM first pitch with RHP Tyler Schmitt (4-4, 4.88) starting for Lake Elsinore, going up against RHP Donny Troconis (0-3, 7.15) for Stockton, who is looking to put together his third-straight good outing.
Single game tickets, mini plans, and group outings are all on sale for the 2026 season. For more information, call the Ports front office at 209-644-1400 or email at info@stocktonports.com.