Storm Fall Short in Wild Finale: Rawhide Take Series Behind Early Offensive Explosion

By Larry Belmontes

The Visalia Rawhide jumped out to an early lead and held off a furious Lake Elsinore comeback to take the final game of the series 9-7 on Sunday night at The Diamond. With the win, the Rawhide secured a 4-2 series victory and head home riding the momentum of a resilient offensive showing and clutch bullpen performance.

Top of the 1st: Rawhide Run Riot

The Rawhide wasted no time getting to Storm starter Luis Alejandro Gutierrez. After a strikeout heavy top half seemed imminent, Visalia would flip the switch. With the bases loaded and one out, Yerald Nin drew a walk to score Slade Caldwell. Another walk to Adrian Rodriguez brought home Alberto Barriga to make it 2-0.

Then came the big blow as Alexander Benua lined a sharp single to left plating both Ruben Santana and Nin. Just like that, Visalia led 4-0 and forced the Storm into damage control before they could even step to the plate.

Storm Answer Back: Bottom of the 1st and 2nd

Lake Elsinore showed grit and didn’t allow the early deficit to dictate the game’s tone. Kavares Tears singled in Kasen Wells in the bottom of the 1st, and a sac fly from Lamar King Jr. made it 4-2.

The following inning, the Storm capitalized on a Rawhide defensive miscue. A fielding error by shortstop Juan Corniel allowed Yendry Rojas to score. Lamar King Jr. followed with an RBI single, and Zach Evans tied it at 5-5 with another sac fly. In just two innings, Lake Elsinore erased a four run hole and re-energized the home crowd.

Middle Innings: Rawhide Regain Control

Visalia wasn’t done. In the top of the 4th, Slade Caldwell scored on an Alberto Barriga double. Then Ruben Santana launched his third home run of the season — a two-run shot to left — pushing the lead back to 8–5.

The Storm clawed one back in the 6th with a sac fly from Yendry Rojas to score Zach Evans, trimming the lead to 8–6. But the Rawhide padded their cushion again in the 7th when Diosfran Cabeza delivered an RBI single, scoring Santana for his second run of the night. Visalia led 9–6 entering the final frames.

Final Push: Storm Rally Falls Short

Lake Elsinore made one final push in the 9th. With runners at second and third, Zach Evans grounded out softly to pitcher Dawson Brown, bringing in Kasen Wells to make it 9-7. But Brown, the Rawhide’s 16th round pick in the 2024 draft out of Georgia Tech, slammed the door by striking out Alex McCoy to end the game and earn the save.

Pitching Breakdown: Strikeouts Galore, but Inconsistency Hurts Storm

Despite racking up 14 strikeouts on the night, Storm pitchers couldn’t overcome early control issues and defensive lapses. Gutierrez showed flashes of dominance, including three strikeouts in the 1st, but walks and costly hits erased any advantage.

On the Rawhide side, starter Erick Luis Reynoso had an up and down outing, letting the Storm tie things up early but holding them at bay long enough for the offense to build a lead. The bullpen, anchored by Brown, did enough to secure the win.

Up Next

The Rawhide return home to host the Fresno Grizzlies, while the Storm will look to bounce back at home against Inland Empire, who sits at the bottom of the South standings.

Current California League Standings

California League North

Modesto (Mariners) leads the division at 15-6 maintaining a slim edge over San Jose and Stockton. San Jose (Giants) is currently two games back at 13-8, having won 4 straight. Stockton (Athletics) also sits at 13-9, 2.5 games behind first place. Fresno (Rockies) trails the pack at 8-13, struggling with a -62 run differential and four straight losses.

California League South

Rancho Cucamonga (Dodgers) dominates the division at 15-7, riding a 6-game win streak. Visalia (Diamondbacks) improved to 8-13 with Sunday’s win, now 6.5 games back. Lake Elsinore (Padres) drops to 7-14 after Sunday’s loss, just behind Visalia. Inland Empire (Angels) brings up the rear at 6-15, with the league’s worst record and a 1-9 stretch over their last ten games.

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