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CalL1 Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

Quakes Stun Blaze with 9th-Inning Win

May 4, 2016 - California League (CalL1)
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes News Release


Rancho Cucamonga, CA - A weird strike zone was both the downfall and rise of the Quakes in Tuesday night's 7-6 win over the Bakersfield Blaze at LoanMart Field. Tim Locastro's three-run double completed a five-run come-back, sending Rancho to their second straight one-run win over the Blaze.

After being held to just five hits over the first seven innings, the Quakes got scrappy late, scoring two in the eighth and three in the ninth.

Down 6-4 with one out in the ninth, the Quakes loaded the bases against struggling Blaze closer Kyle Schepel (3-1), as Julian Leon reached on an error, Spencer Navin walked, and Erick Mejia was hit by a pitch. Tim Locastro stepped into the box and laced a ball to right-center, plating three runs and securing the second walk-off for the Quakes in the last four days.

On one side of the coin, Quakes' starter Andrew Sopko had six big strikeouts through 4 2/3 innings. On the other side of the coin, he issued two walks with two outs in the third, and both scored on a base knock by Kyle Petty, tying the game at 2-2.

The Quakes struck first, when Mejia led off the first with a triple and was scored by Locastro's fifth sacrifice fly of the season. They tacked on another in the second when Joey Curletta scored on Leon's RBI double.

Bakersfield took advantage of the rather interesting strike zone again in the fifth. Although Sopko retired two swinging, he gave up two singles and a double which allowed the Blaze to take the lead, 4-2. Jeff Malm took the hill for the first time at LoanMart Field to record the third strikeout of the inning and get out of further trouble.

The fifth inning was huge for the Quakes as well, although they fell in order. Back-to-back strikeouts for Blaze starter Andrew Moore were hard to swallow for Leon and Michael Ahmed. After some complaining from the home dugout, home plate umpire Take Matsuda tossed hitting coach Jay Gibbons. A few pitches later Ahmed was rung up on yet another pitch that seemed outside the zone, and was tossed upon disagreeing. This set off manager Drew Saylor, who had some choice words for the umpire and became the third Quake to be tossed in the inning.

Rancho didn't score again until the eighth inning, coming into the inning trailing 6-2. Three base knocks in a row loaded the bases against Blaze reliever Kody Kerski. Locastro crossed home on a wild pitch to make it 6-3. Garlick was scored by Yusniel Diaz, who grounded out to short, making it 6-4, setting the stage for the ninth-inning drama.

Locastro went 2-4 with four RBI and now leads the team with 19.

Alex Burgos (1-0) toed the rubber in the seventh, and went three innings, giving up one unearned run and striking out the last three batters in the ninth to earn the win.

The Quakes (18-8) will send Grant Holmes (2-1) to the mound on Wednesday morning at 10:35am. Bakersfield will counter with Anthony Misiewicz (1-2). Wednesday is Education Day, sponsored by Splash Kingdom, as local students will be on hand to learn about the history of baseball throughout the day. Tickets are available at (909) 481-5000 or online at rcquakes.com.




California League Stories from May 4, 2016


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