The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes broke open a close game with an eight-run seventh inning and went on to beat the Visalia Rawhide 12-4 on Saturday night at Valley Strong Ballpark. The Quakes (5-3) pounded out 12 hits, including three home runs, with five batters collecting two hits apiece.
C Thayron Liranzo was 2-for-4 and belted this third home run of the season. LF Jorge Puerta had two hits, including his first home run of the season. CF Chris Newell blasted a three-run shot (3) in the big seventh inning.
Visalia got on the board first when 1B Gavin Conticello doubled in a run in the second inning. Liranzo’s two-run shot in the fourth gave the Quakes a lead they would never relinquish.
Jorge Puerta touches home after his 6th-inning homer
Puerta made it 4-1 with his sixth-inning two-run shot and Visalia scratched for a run in the bottom of the sixth to make it 4-2.
Rancho Cucamonga sent 11 men to the plate in the fateful seventh inning and racked up three hits while benefitting from two walk, a wild pitch and two HBPs. When the dust settled it was 12-2 and the Rawhide would only get two more in the bottom of the ninth.
RHP Jeisson Cabrera (W, 2-0) earned the win with his two innings of relief, allowing one run on two hits with no walks and two strikeouts. Starter Jerming Rosario threw four strong innings for the Quakes, allowing one run on three hits with a walk and six strikeouts for a no-decision.
DH Andrew Pintar led Visalia’s 10-hit attack with a 3-for-5 night that included two doubles. CF Druw Jones, Arizona’s #2 prospect, had his first multi-hit game of the year, going 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored.
The Quakes have won three of the first five games of the series with game six going Sunday at 12:05 PM.
This was the first game of the season that I have been able to attend this year and it was a great night with a crowd of 3,144 on hand at Valley Strong Ballpark. It’s been a couple of rough years on the field for the Rawhide since winning the 2019 California League championship, but the community always comes out for the team. On this night the assigned seating sold out in advance and, day-of, only tickets in The Pasture were available.
