The Inland Empire 66ers went came out of the break swinging with two first-inning home runs on their way to a 6-2 win over the Lake Elsinore Storm at San Manuel Stadium Friday night. Alexander Ramirez and David Calabrese went back-to-back to get the scoring started and Julio Goff (W, 6 -7) whiffed nine LE hitters in five innings.
Ramirez hit a two-run shot to put IE up 2-0 with two outs in the first, his seventh home run of the season. Calabrese followed with his fourth of the year to make it 3-0.
Lake Elsinore pulled to within a run in the third inning. After a double and an HBP, Nerwilian Cedeno doubled in both runners to make it 3-2, 66ers.
Inland Empire added on in the fifth with two runs that scored on wild pitches and in the eighth with a run-scoring groundout to finish off the scoring at 6-2.
Goff went five innings and allowed two runs on five hits and a walk with nine strikeouts. With 99 K’s Goff is tied for the California League lead with Stockton’s Kyle Virbitsky.
Edgar Quero was 3-for-5 with a double and scored two runs for IE, extending his hitting streak to 15 games. The 19-year old from Cuba is second among active California League hitters with a .312 batting average and third in OBP (.426).
With their third straight win the 66ers are 12-10, as is half of the league at this point, good for a first-place tie in the South division. Lake Elsinore has the same record but has lost three straight.
Game two of the three-game series is Saturday at 7:05PM.
SCOREBOARD
RANCHO CUCAMONGA – 12
VISALIA – 0
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Y. Fernandez (RC) – 2 HR (6), 7 RBI
Orlando Ortiz-Mayr (RC) – W (2-2), 4 IP, 0 R, 2 H, o BB, 5 K
STOCKTON – 4
FRESNO -5
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Braxton Fulford (FRE) – HR (7)
Juan Guerrero (FRE) – 3-for-4, 2B
Yanquiel Fernandez (FRE) – 3-for-4, 2B
SAN JOSE – 6
MODESTO 5
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Adrian Sugastey (SJ) – 2-for-5, HR (4), 3 RBI
Hayden Cantrelle (SJ) – 3-for-5, 2 runs scored
