The four-game weekday series are complete, with a couple of Thursday doubleheaders required due to rain, and the first-place clubs both added a game to their division leads.
The Visalia Rawhide took three of four from second-place Modesto to open up a 10-game lead in the North division while Rancho Cucamonga won three of four at The Hangar in Lancaster to go up by three games in the South.
There were six Cal League games played on Thursday with doubleheaders in Stockton and San Jose. Lake Elsinore took a pair from the Ports, 6-0 and 2-1, while The Giants swept the Inland Empire 66ers, 7-1 and 3-2.
In Visalia’s 1-0 win on Thursday, three Rawhide pitchers combined to shutout the Modesto Nuts with starter Shumpei Yoshikawa going five innings and allowing just one hit and no walks while striking out eight. Cole Bartlett struck out five over three clean innings. Breckin Williams (2-0) pitched a scoreless top of the ninth and LF Mark Karaviotis sent everyone home with a walk-off homer in the bottom of the inning.
The Rawhide’s Cal League-best record is now 28-13 with a 17-4 home record.
Meanwhile, the Quakes scored six late runs to overcome a 2-1 deficit and defeat Lancaster by a score of 7-2. Rancho starter Josiah Gray struck out nine Jethawks over five innings while Ryan Moseley (2-2) followed him with two scoreless innings to earn the win. A four-run seventh inning chased Lancaster reliever Nick Kennedy and LF Donovan Casey launched his fourth homer of the season, a two-run shot, in the eighth for insurance.
WEEKEND MATCHUPS
LAKE ELSINORE at SAN JOSE
LANCASTER at VISALIA
MODESTO at RANCHO CUCAMONGA
INLAND EMPIRE at STOCKTON
