The High Desert Mavericks entered the bottom of the eighth inning Saturday night trailing Lancaster 6-4, but pulled off a 7-6 win on Ronald Guzman‘s walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth. It was the fifth straight win for High Desert, who maintained a one-game lead over Rancho Cucamonga atop the South division.
The Mavericks got on the board first with an RBI single by Joe Jackson in the first inning but Lancaster’s Ronnie Mitchell belted a two-run homer in the fourth inning to give the Jethawks the lead. High Desert answered with two runs in the bottom half, but Mitchell launched a grand slam in the fifth to give Lancaster a 6-3 lead.
A single run from High Desert in the bottom of the fifth made it 6-4. Lancaster starter Austin Chrismon exited after seven innings having allowed four runs (3 ER) and nine hits with no walks and six strikeouts. But the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead and High Desert struck for one in the bottom of the eighth, then walked off with two in the bottom of the ninth.
Guzman went 2-for-5 on the night with a double and two RBIs, including the walk-off winner.
Mitchell was 3-for-4 for Lancaster with 2 HR (11) and 6 RBIs.
SATURDAY SCOREBOARD
STOCKTON 8
SAN JOSE 5, 12 Innings
Ports score four in the top of the 12th. Matt Chapman blasts his 23rd homer.
BAKERSFIELD 8
INLAND EMPIRE 4
Nelson Ward triples and homers, drives in four, Rafael Pineda goes 2 IP for the save.
LAKE ELSINORE 5
RANCHO CUCAMONGA 8
Brandon Dixon goes 3-for-5 with 2 HRs, 3 RBIs. Quakes win third straight, a game back in the South.
LANCASTER 6
HIGH DESERT 7
Mavs score three runs in final two innings, Guzman with walk-off single.
VISALIA 5
MODESTO 8
Nuts plate five in the sixth inning behind Correlle Prime‘s grand slam. Jamie Westbrook goes 4-for-5 for Visalia, is now 9-for-19 over last four games.
