Photo: Steve Cummings/CalLeagueHeat.com
My first trip to the yard this year was a long one as the Visalia Rawhide needed 14 innings to down the Lancaster Jethawks 3-2 on Friday night. Yoel Yanqui led off the bottom of the 14th and drilled a double into the left-centerfield gap that drove home Cameron Duzenack, the runner who had been placed at second base, with the winning run.
The win maintained the Rawhide’s 10-game lead in the North division as the club improved to 29-13 overall and 18-4 at home.
Rawhide starter Cole Stapler went seven strong inning, striking out 11 Jethawks with no walks while allowing two earned runs on eight hits. Three Visalia relievers combined for seven innings of one-run ball, allowing only one hit, with Mack Lemieux earning the victory to improve his record to 3-0.
Visalia jumped ahead in the first inning with a Jancarlos Cintron solo home run, his third of the season, and added another run in the third for a 2-0 lead. Lancaster battled back against Stapler when CF Casey Golden homered to lead off the fifth inning. Four batters later an RBI double by Todd Czinege tied the game at two apiece.
Photo: Steve Cummings/CalLeagueHeat.com
It was nothing but zeroes for the next six innings, then both teams scored a single run in the 12th. On we went. Few of the 1,992 fans were left when Yanqui worked his magic four hours and 11 minutes after first pitch but those who remained saw the second walk-off win in two nights for the Rawhide.
Visalia is running away with the South while Lancaster is chasing down Rancho Cucamonga in the North division, remaining three games back of the Quakes, who lost to Modesto.
