Lake Elsinore Overpowers Stockton 5-1 to Take Commanding Series Lead

By Larry Belmontes

In a game defined by early momentum swings and defensive miscues, the Lake Elsinore Storm secured a decisive 5-1 win over the Stockton Ports on Friday night, taking a (3-1) series lead in their six game set. Powered by timely homers, sharp pitching, and a three run fifth inning riddled with Stockton errors, the Storm continue to roll at The Diamond.

The Game

Bottom 1st: Kavares Tears Strikes First

It didn’t take long for the Storm to get the home crowd buzzing. Outfielder Kavares Tears continued his impressive power surge by blasting a solo home run—, his fifth of the season, deep to left field. The early blast off Stockton starter Jefferson Jean gave Lake Elsinore a quick 1-0 lead and set the tone for a night where the Storm offense wouldn’t need much more!

Top 3rd: Ports Fight Back

Stockton responded in the third with a well-executed rally. Davis Diaz worked his way on base and eventually came around to score on an RBI single from C.J. Pittaro, tying the game at 1–1. It was a brief moment of optimism for the Ports—but one that would quickly fade.

Bottom 4th: Figueroa Answers Back

With the game tied, Victor Figueroa turned around a high fastball and sent it flying over the center field fence. The solo homer, Figueroa’s third of the season, gave the Storm a 2-1 edge and proved to be the game winning run.

Bottom 5th: Ports Fall Apart

Stockton’s defense came unraveled in the fifth, committing multiple errors that widened the gap. First, Figueroa reached base on a misplayed grounder by first baseman German Ortiz, scoring Ryan Jackson and advancing Zach Evans to third. Then, Kaden Hollow added a sacrifice fly to left that scored Evans, with shortstop Gunner Gouldsmith compounding the damage with a throwing error on the relay. Finally, Ryan Wilson capped the inning with an RBI single up the middle, plating Figueroa for a 5-1 lead. Three runs scored in the inning, only one earned.

The Pitchers

Lake Elsinore: Johan Carlos Moreno

The 21 year old right hander from Venezuela was dialed in from the jump. Johan Carlos Moreno delivered a dominant performance on the mound, racking up double digit strikeouts and limiting the Ports to just one run. He mixed his fastball and offspeed arsenal well, inducing weak contact and freezing several Stockton hitters on the outer edge.

Stockton: Jefferson Jean

The 19 year old Dominican starter had flashes of promise but struggled with command and was betrayed by poor defense behind him. Jean allowed just two earned runs but was unable to escape the fifth, where two critical errors and a string of hard-hit balls put the game out of reach.

Defensive Lapses Prove Costly

Stockton committed three fielding errors, two of them in the disastrous fifth inning, that led to unearned runs and extended Lake Elsinore rallies. First baseman German Ortiz and second baseman Jared Sprague-Lott both misplayed potential outs that directly led to scores. For a young Ports team trying to stay competitive in the California League, those mistakes continue to sting.

Key Performers

Kavares Tears (LE): 1-for-3, HR (5), RBI, R

Victor Figueroa (LE): 2-for-4, HR (3), 2 R, RBI

Ryan Wilson (LE): 1-for-3, RBI

Johan Carlos Moreno (LE): 7.0 IP (estimated), 10+ K, 1 ER

C.J. Pittaro (STK): 1-for-4, RBI

What’s Next?

The Storm now sit just one win away from clinching the series with two games left to play. They’ll look to carry this momentum into Saturday night’s Game 5, while the Ports will need a bounce-back effort, both on the mound and especially in the field, to avoid dropping their third straight.

Current California League Standings

In the Cal South, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Dodgers) remain firmly in control with a (32-17) record, leading the division by 10 games. Behind them, the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres) and Visalia Rawhide (Rawhide) are tied at (22-27), while the Inland Empire 66ers (Angels) sit in last at (15-34), having lost 8 of their last 10.

In the Cal North, the Modesto Nuts (Mariners) lead the way at (30-19), just one game ahead of the surging San Jose Giants (Giants), who have won 8 of their last 10 to reach (29-20). The Stockton Ports (Athletics) are 6 games back at (24-25), with the Fresno Grizzlies (Rockies) rounding out the division at (22-27).