It Was All Fun And Games, Till The 9th Inning….

By Larry Belmontes

The Visalia Rawhide and Lake Elsinore Storm squared off in Game 2 of their series Wednesday night in what became an absolute rollercoaster of a contest, capped by a jaw dropping ninth inning rally (or Storm collapse) that saw the Rawhide erase a three run deficit and pack on some more to an 8-6 win.

Early Control: Visalia Strikes First

Visalia jumped ahead early in the top of the second sparked by an RBI single from Adrian Rodriguez that brought in Jose Alpuria. Moments later, a line drive double off the bat of Diosfran Cabeza cleared the bases, scoring both Rodriguez and Yerald Nin. A fielding miscue by Storm center fielder Kasen Wells allowed Cabeza to take third, and just like that, the Rawhide held a commanding 3-0 lead.

Lake Elsinore Responds, Storming Back

The Storm were quiet through the first three frames with both teams trading strikeouts at a blistering pace. But the fourth inning offered a spark for Lake Elsinore as a run scratched across in the bottom half cut the lead to 3-1and they weren’t done yet!

In the sixth, Lamar King Jr. and Zach Evans set the table with a pair of base hits. A costly throwing error by Rodriguez allowed Evans to score, knotting things at 3-3. Then came the turning point as Storm baserunner Alex McCoy raced home on a balk giving Lake Elsinore a 4-3 lead. The win probability flipped, and the crowd sensed the tide turning.

Insurance in the Eighth

Lake Elsinore added breathing room in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a clutch RBI double by Ryan Jackson that brought home Kasen Wells stretching the Storm’s lead to 6-3. With Visalia held in check since the second, the game seemed well in hand for Lake Elsinore.

Ninth Inning Collapse

The Storm was three outs away from sealing the victory but baseball, as it often does, had other plans…

The Rawhide came out swinging in the ninth and the Storm just wasn’t ready. Abdias De La Cruz ripped a triple to left to bring in Alpuria cutting the lead to 6-4. With two outs and the pressure mounting, Slade Caldwell singled to center advancing Juan Corniel to third. Alberto Barriga followed with a single to left, tying the game 6-6. The improbable just a few moments before was now entirely possible. Yassel Soler walked to load the bases and Ruben Santana came through with the dagger, a 2-RBI single up the middle, giving Visalia an 8-6 lead that sucked the air out of The Diamond.

The Finish

Joangel Gonzalez slammed the door in the bottom of the ninth striking out two and preserving the victory earning the save in spectacular fashion. The Storm unfortunately had no answer as Visalia’s bullpen shut it down when it mattered most. Things shifted so fast that the Storm were left wondering how a game so firmly in hand slipped away.

Pitching Duel Turns Offensive

Despite 27 combined strikeouts in the game, both teams eventually found their offensive rhythm. Bodi Williams Rascon started for the Storm and racked up early Ks, but the Rawhide lineup wore him down. Joseph Dawson Brown, Visalia’s 16th round pick from Georgia Tech, kept the Storm in check through critical early innings.

Key Performers:

Diosfran Cabeza (VIS): 1-for-4, 2 RBI double

Adrian Rodriguez (VIS): 1-for-5, RBI, but costly error

Ruben Santana (VIS): 2-for-5, 2 clutch RBIs in the 9th

Ryan Jackson (LE): 1-for-4, RBI double

Zach Evans (LE): 1-for-4, run scored

Current California League Standings

Following Visalia’s dramatic win, the California South Division remains tightly packed at the bottom with three teams sharing similar records. Rancho Cucamonga holds the top spot at 10-7, while both the Inland Empire 66ers and Visalia Rawhide sit at 6-11, four games back. Lake Elsinore, now 5-12 after the loss is in last place, five games behind first.

Over in the California North, Modesto continues to dominate at 13-4, followed by Stockton at 11-6. San Jose and Fresno are holding steady in the middle of the pack, but trail the Nuts by four and five games respectively.