CalL1 Inland Empire 66ers

Wass Explodes for Offense, 66ere Hold on Versus Nuts

Published on June 18, 2016 under California League (CalL1)
Inland Empire 66ers News Release


Modesto, CA- Wade Wass was the story for most of the night at John Thurman Field on Friday night; then he very nearly was old news. Wass peppered the Modesto Nuts for three hits and a walk and came a double short of a cycle as Inland Empire built a five run lead heading into the bottom of the ninth. The Sixers would escape after a furious Modesto comeback with an 8-7 win to even a four-game set at one win apiece and move to 5-1 versus the Nuts on the year.

Inland Empire got to former Angels' farmhand Yency Almonte in the first when David Fletcher walked and came in on Wass' first hit of the night, a booming triple into the in-play nylon batters' eye in dead centerfield. The shot, a homer in most ballparks, went for the Pensacola, FL native's first three-bagger of the year. Modesto tied the game 1-1 but Inland Empire (22-46) struck again in the third with a familiar contributor. Fletcher singled with one out and scored on Hutton Moyer's RBI double. It was Moyer's third extra-base hit in two nights. Wass then knocked in Moyer with a base-hit to right to make it 3-1. The Nuts, in a recurring theme, would not go away as they tied the game 3-3 in the fourth.

In the fifth, Almonte tired and walked two batters to set up Wass' biggest at-bat of the night. The University of Alabama product pulverized a 3-run homer that struck his own image on the video board in left field with such force that it blacked out part of the unit itself. The homer was his seventh of the year and made the lead 6-3. Almonte (4-5) allowed six runs (five knocked in by Wass) on five hits with three walks but did fan ten in six innings. Meanwhile, Inland starter Justin Anderson battled through 5.2 innings of work surrendering three runs (two earned) on nine hits with a walk and three Ks to improve to 3-7 on the season.

The Sixers tacked on two in the top of the ninth and the runs proved necessary. Zach Welz singled and scored on Ayendy Perez' first triple of the season. Perez then came home on Moyer's sac fly to make it 8-3. Wass walked in the inning to reach base for the fourth time. He is 6-for-7 in the series with two walks and six RBI.

Modesto (25-43) had fight left in them as they went to work on IE reliever Adam Hofacket. All-Star Omar Carrizales drilled his first homer of the year to lead off the bottom of the ninth. Wes Rogers tripled next. A strikeout and sac-fly made it 8-5 with two outs and nobody on but Max White doubled and Troy Stein followed with a two-run homer to make it 8-7. The Nuts got two more hits before Hofacket struck out Luis Jean to end the six-hit four-run onslaught and preserve the win.

Check out the Inland Empire 66ers Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



California League Stories from June 18, 2016


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.

OurSports Central