CalL1 Stockton Ports

Ports Outlast Nuts 12-10 in 17-Inning Thriller

Published on April 16, 2016 under California League (CalL1)
Stockton Ports News Release


MODESTO, Calif. - Those in attendance on Friday night at John Thurman Field witnessed a game they won't soon forget. In a game that took over six hours to complete, the Stockton Ports, who saw two big leads evaporate over the first nine innings, plated two runs in the top of the 17th inning that ended up being the difference in a wild 12-10 win over the Modesto Nuts.

Stockton built a 6-0 lead over the fourth and fifth innings. With Nuts starter and Major League rehabber Jon Gray on the mound in the fourth, Stockton took advantage of two Modesto fielding errors to score here runs and take a 3-0 lead. The three runs were unearned for Gray, who went four innings and allowed four hits while striking out eight in his second rehab assignment.

Yoely Bello took over for Modesto in the fifth and, with two on and one out, gave up an RBI single to Tyler Marincov that made it a 4-0 game. With two on and two out, Seth Brown added to the Stockton lead with a two-run double to left to make it a 6-0 advantage.

Meanwhile, Ports starter Heath Fillmyer was razor sharp through the first four frames. After striking out the side in the fourth, Fillmyer retired the first two batters in the fifth before a fielding error by shortstop Mikey White prolonged the inning. Modesto would take advantage, scoring a run on an error committed by first baseman Sandber Pimentel in a run-down play on a failed double steal and another run on an RBI single by Forrest Wall to make it a 6-2 contest.

Fillmyer started the sixth but was lifted after issuing a one-out walk to Collin Ferguson. Bobby Wahl took over and gave up a single to Drew Weeks that put runners at the corners. A wild pitch would score Ferguson and a sac-fly later in the inning plated Weeks to cut the Ports lead to 6-4.

Fillmyer went 5.1 innings and allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits while striking out four.

Wahl pitched into the seventh and gave up a two-out walk to Wall, who stole second and scored on an RBI single by Dom Nunez to bring Modesto to within a run at 6-5. Wahl allowed two runs on two hits over an inning-and-two-thirds.

After watching Modesto score five unanswered runs, the Ports plated three runs in the ninth off Nuts reliever Josh Michalec. Michalec gave up a leadoff triple to Andy Paz who scored on an ensuing wild pitch. After a walk and two hit batsmen, another wild pitch plated a second run. With B.J. Boyd aboard and one out, Marincov added to the Stockton lead with an RBI double to left to make it a 9-5 Ports advantage.

Michalec went a third of an inning and allowed three runs on two hits.

After Nuts reliever Troy Neiman entered with two in scoring position and one out in the eighth and held the line, Modesto's offense exploded for four runs in the last of the eighth. Ben Bracewell opened the inning by walking two of the first three batters he faced. With two on and two out, Emerson Jimenez lined an RBI double to left and Wes Rogers followed with an RBI single that knocked Bracewell from the game. Koby Gauna was summoned from the Ports bullpen and with the tying runners aboard, Gauna gave up a two-out triple to Wall that tied the game at 9-9.

Bracewell allowed four runs on two hits over two-thirds of an inning.

Gauna, after surviving a jam with two on and one out in the ninth, pitched into the 10th. The Ports scored a run in the top of the inning one a one-out RBI single by White to take a 10-9 lead. Gauna gave up a one-out double in the bottom half to Jimenez, who scored two batters later on a double by Wall to make it a 10-10 ballgame.

Gauna allowed just the one run on five hits in two-and-a-third innings of work.

Rob Huber followed Gauna out of the Ports bullpen and turned in three scoreless innings of relief while allowing one hit, walking two and striking out three.

Modesto, after getting two-and-two-thirds innings of work from Neiman, turned to Colin Welmon who turned in two scoreless innings, followed by Jerry Vasto who also tossed two scoreless frames.

John Nogowski (1-0), who entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the eighth and had been playing first base, took over to pitch for Stockton in the 14th. In a remarkable effort, Nogowski threw 60 pitches and pitched four scoreless innings in his first professional appearance on the mound. He set he side down in order in the 14th, pitched around back-to-back walks in the 15th, a perfect 16th and pitched around back-to-back one-out singles in the 17th.

Modesto turned to a position player in the 15th as Luis Jean (0-1) pitched around a leadoff single in his first frame and a leadoff walk in the 16th.

In the top of the 17th Jean hit Joe Bennie to open the frame. Two batters later, White singled to put runners at the corners with one out. Jean then uncorked a wild pitch that finally broke the 10-10 tie and gave the Ports an 11-10 lead. Brown added to the lead with an RBI single to right to make it a 12-10 contest.

Jean suffered the loss for the Nuts, allowing two runs on three hits in three innings worked.

Nogowski, working into his fourth inning and pitching after the field's sprinklers turned on during his warm-up tosses, gave up back-to-back one-out singles in the 17th that put runners at the corners. With Shane Hoelscher at the plate, Nogowski picked Nunez off at first for the inning's second out. In a fitting end to the game, Nogowski struck out Hoelscher to end the contest and secure the victory for Stockton.

Nogowski earned the win as he threw four scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and striking out two in his first professional pitching appearance.

For Stockton, Brown went 3-for-8 with four RBI while Marincov went 3-for-8 and drove in two. Wall went 5-for-8 for Modesto and drove in four of the 10 Nuts runs on the night.

The Ports and Nuts play the third game of their four-game set on Saturday night at John Thurman Field. Casey Meisner (0-0, 3.00 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by Modesto right-hander Carlos Polanco (0-0, 0.00 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. PDT.

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California League Stories from April 16, 2016


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