Colt Emerson had four hits and four RBIs as to lead the Modesto Nuts to a 14-8 win over Rancho Cucamonga for the California League championship. The Nuts swept the first two games of the best-of-three series to claim their first league title since 2017.
Modesto erased a 1-0 deficit with a four-run second inning and stretched it out to a 6-1 lead before Rancho Cucamonga came back with two runs in the fourth to make it 6-3. A run in the fifth made it 7-3, Modesto, but the Quakes answered with five runs in the bottom of the fifth to take an 8-7 lead.
But that was it for Rancho Cucamonga while Modesto kept adding on.
The Nuts got the lead right back with three in the sixth en route to seven unanswered runs.
Michael Arroyo was 3-for-6 with a triple, two RBIs and three runs scored. Luis Suisbel was 2-for-6 with a home run.
Modesto finished the season in dominant fashion, chasing down the Fresno Grizzlies to claim the second-half crown in the North division, then kept rolling through the playoffs. Overall, it is Modesto’s 10th league championship and its second since it became an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.
MODESTO – 14
RANCHO CUCAMONGA – 8
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