The High Desert Mavericks and Visalia Rawhide went toe-t0-toe to open the second half of the season in an Adelanto classic last night. The Mavericks scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth and held on for a 14-13 win.
The ball left the yard 11 times. Visalia got two homers from 2B Jamie Westbrook and one each from C Stryker Trahan and LF Alex Glenn. High Desert totaled seven home runs, two from SS Alberto Triunfel, and one apiece from LF Royce Bolinger, DH Joe Jackson, C Kellen Deglan, RF Zach Cone and 1B Ronald Guzman.
The home Mavericks took a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first but Visalia came back with single runs in the next two innings to make it 4-2. It was 5-3 Mavericks heading to the top of the fifth and then the show really started.
Visalia plated eight runs to take an 11-5 lead, only to see High Desert bat around for six runs in the bottom of the inning to tie it up at 11. After six innings it was 13-12, Visalia.
But High Desert got three scoreless innings out if its bullpen, two clean innings from LHP Ryne Slack and a scoreless ninth from RHP Anyelo Leclerc and the Mavericks’ two eighth- inning runs made it a 14-13 win.
Visalia’s RF Mitch Haniger, playing his first game with the Rawhide, went 4-for-6 with three RBIs from the leadoff spot. SS Domingo Leyba went 4-for-4 with three runs scored for the visitors.
Triumfel went 4-for-5 with 4 RBIs and scored twice for High Desert while Guzman went 3-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored.
