The Visalia Rawhide held the Modesto Nuts to just three hits in a 3-1 win at John Thurman Field on Saturday night. Liam Norris (W, 1-7) had his best outing of the season and picked up his first win while Ivan Melendez hit his first professional home run to lead the visitors.
Norris went five shutout innings and did not allow a hit while walking one and striking out four. Three relivers covered the last four innings and allowed just one run on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
Melendez, the 2022 Golden Spikes award winner while with the University of Texas, led off the second inning with a solo shot to put the Rawhide up 1-0. Later in the inning Juan Corniel singled in another run to double the lead.
Manuel Pena singled in a run in the seventh to make it 3-0. Modesto’s Axel Sanchez doubled in a run in the bottom of the ninth to spoil the shutout. Carlos Meza (S, 2) then got the final out on the next batter to preserve the win.
Corniel had three hits for the Rawhide and Sergio Gutierrez was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Sanchez is batting .347/.439/.796 in 12 games with the Nuts. Michael Morales (L, 5-7) went five innings for Modesto and allowed two runs on four hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.
Modesto is 25-16 and holds a three-game lead in the North division. Visalia (18-23) is five games back in the South.
Modesto has won three of the first five games with the series finale on Sunday at 6:05PM.
SCOREBOARD
RANCHO CUCAMONGA – 7
LAKE ELSINORE – 4
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