The Visalia Rawhide kicked off the 2022 California League season with a four-homer attack that took down the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes by a score of 8-4 Friday night. Righty starter Joe Elbis threw four shutout innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out eight in front of a home crowd of 3,093 at Valley Strong Ballpark.
The game and the season couldn’t have started any better for the Rawhide. Elbis struck out the side on 11 pitches in the top of the first inning to set the stage for 2021 first-round draft pick (#6 overall) Jordan Lawlar to take his first AB of the season. The SS batting out of the #2 hole with one out drilled one over the fence to put Visalia up 1-0.
Rancho Cucamonga starter Kendall Williams gave up just two more hits over 3 1/3 IP, but both of them left the yard as well. A two-run shot by Jacen Roberson in the second inning and another two-run blast by Junior Franco in the fourth accounted for all five runs off of Williams (0-1).
But the Rawhide had one more round-tripper, a three-run shot off the bat of Wilderd Patino later in the fourth inning to make it 8-0.
Too late to matter for the final outcome, but the Quakes did get three homers of their own off of the Visalia bullpen. Damon Keith had a solo shot in the sixth to get Rancho on the board. Jose Ramos added a two-run homer in the seventh inning and C Diego Cartaya finished off the scoring with a solo shot in the ninth.
Cartaya returns to Rancho Cucamonga this season as the Dodgers’ #1 organizational prospect. The 20-year old from Venezuela played 31 games for the Quakes in 2021.
Cartaya and Lawlar, the Diamondbacks’ #3 organizational prospect, had similar batting lines. Cartaya went 1-for-5 with three strikeouts while Lawler went 1-for-4 with three strikeouts, but both homered.
The two teams continue the three-game series on Saturday night at 6:30PM.
OTHER SCORES
STOCKTON – 4
FRESNO – 5
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SAN JOSE – 3
MODESTO – 5
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LAKE ELSINORE – 12
INLAND EMPIRE – 0
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