The top four hitters in Lake Elsinore’s batting order all had multi-hit games and Victor Lizarraga won his sixth game of the season as the Storm beat Visalia 10-1 on Saturday night at Valley Strong Ballpark. It was the eighth win in 10 games for Lake Elsinore (20-15) and pulled them into a first-place tie with Inland Empire in the South division.
After two first-inning runs, the Storm added three more in the third with Marcos Castanon blasting a two-run homer, his 15th long ball of the season. Nerwilian Cedeno hit a grand slam (3) in the seventh inning to make it a 9-0 lead. Cedeno was 2-for-5 with five RBIs.
Meanwhile, Lizzaraga (W, 6-2) was cruising along with a no-hitter until back-to-back doubles in the bottom of the seventh inning drove in Visalia’s only run. He came out of the game having given up one run on two hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
Alexuan Vega (S, 2) came on to get nine outs to finish off the game. Vega allowed no run, hits or walks and struck out three in his three innings.
Jackson Merrill was 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored from the leadoff spot for Lake Elsinore. The 19-year old SS stole home in the first inning and singled in a run in the third.
The Storm have won four of the first five games of the series, with the finale on Sunday at 6PM.
SCOREBOARD
INLAND EMPIRE – 4
RANCHO CUCAMONGA – 9
Box
Story
