Colin Bray Homers Twice on His Birthday in 3-2 Win
June 19, 2016 - California League (CalL1)
Visalia Rawhide News Release
VISALIA, CA - On his 23rd birthday OF Colin Bray had the best night of his career at the plate, going 3-for-3 and belting two home runs in support of RHP Ethan Elias's six strong innings of one-run baseball in a 3-2 win over Lake Elsinore on Saturday night at Recreational Ballpark.
Bray singled in the bottom of the first before leaving the building in the third and then again in fifth inning for home runs two and three of the season.
Elias (5-3, 4.91) has now won two starts in a row and three in his last four outings after pitching six innings and giving up three hits and one run (earned), walking two and striking out a career high eight in the win.
The game went scoreless into the third inning before Bray got ahold of a RHP Chris Huffman pitch and put it over the wall in right field for the 1-0 Rawhide lead.
Huffman pitched three innings and allowed one run (earned) on three hits, one walk and he struck out two.
The only blemish of the night for Elias was a fifth inning solo home run for 3B Josh VanMeter that tied the game 1-1.
The tie didn't last long, in the bottom of the fifth Bray struck again for his second home run of the night. This time off RHP Martires Arias (1-4, 4.46), who took the loss. 3B Marty Herum singled and then 1B Rudy Flores hit a ball into centerfield that CF Edwin Moreno was camped under but somehow had go off the glove for an error and Herum came around to score for a 3-1 lead.
Arias's final line looked like this 1.1 innings pitched, two runs allowed (one earned) on two hits, a walk and he struck out one.
In the seventh inning against RHP Miller Diaz, C Marcus Greene homered to left field to cut the lead to 3-2 but that was as close as the Storm would get in the ball game.
RHP Bud Jeter (SV 3) pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 11th save of the season and closed the 3-2 win for Elias.
Visalia wraps up the first half of the 2016 season tomorrow afternoon with a 1:00 p.m. scheduled first pitch against Lake Elsinore at Rawhide Ballpark. LHP Cody Reed (0-1, 3.00) will pitch for Visalia against RHP Brett Kennedy (1-5, 4.81). Gates up at 12: 00 p.m. and it's a Family Fun Sunday at the Ballpark presented by Carl's Jr as well as our "Bacon and Beer Classic" to celebrate Father's Day courtesy of Sequoia Parks Conservancy.
• Discuss this story on the California League message board...
California League Stories from June 19, 2016
- Mack Hits For Cycle To Lift Blaze To Sweep - Lancaster JetHawks
- Rawhide Strand 11 in 7-5 Loss to Lake Elsinore - Visalia Rawhide
- Nuts Stranded in the Sun in 6-3 Loss - Modesto Nuts
- Bickford Brilliant in Debut, Giants Win 5-3 - San Jose Giants
- Quakes Fall Sunday, First Half Title Goes to Mavs - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Colin Bray Homers Twice on His Birthday in 3-2 Win - Visalia Rawhide
- Blaze Bats Have Little Quit in Barrage - Bakersfield Blaze
- Ethan Elias Goes Six Strong Innings, Allowing One-Run to Earn Victory - Visalia Rawhide
- Early Modesto Runs Doom 66ers - Inland Empire 66ers
- Late Surge Lifts Ports Past Mavs 2-1 - Stockton Ports
- Quakes Enter Sunday with a Chance - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Lancaster cannot overcome Bakersfield's six-run sixth inning - Lancaster JetHawks
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
