The Lake Elsinore Storm pounded out 12 runs on 15 hits in a 12-2 win over Modesto Saturday night to keep their lead in the South division at three games with four to play in the first half. Marcos Castanon homered twice (5, 6) and drove in five runs while five different Storm hitters had at least two hits.
Castanon was one of three Lake Elsinore batters with three hits. Albert Fabian was 3-for-4 with a home run (6) and Nerwilian Cedeno was 3-for-5 with two triples.
Victor Lizarraga (W, 3-1) went five innings and gave up two runs on six hits and two walks with eight strikeouts. Hazahel Quijada (S, 3) came on for a four-inning save, striking out seven while giving up no runs on three hits and no walks.
The Storm broke open a 3-1 game with four runs in the fifth inning to make it 7-1. After the Nuts made it 7-2 with a single run in the fifth, Lake Elsinore had another big inning in the eighth, putting up five runs to put the game far out of reach.
Jonatan Clase had three hits for Modesto. Edwin Arroyo was 2-for-5 with a double. Arroyo is second in the California League in hits (75) and third in batting average .311.
The Storm (37-25) have won three of the first five games in the series with game six on Sunday at 6:05PM. One more win clinches the first half title and a playoff berth. If they can’t get it done on Sunday at John Thurman Field, the Storm will return home to the Diamond for three games with second-place Rancho Cucamonga (34-28).
SCOREBOARD
FRESNO – 3
SAN JOSE – 11
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