The Quakes looked to get back to their series winning ways against the Lancaster JetHawks in their first home series of the second half, but they ended up having to settle for a split instead.

Game-1 

A huge third inning set the tone for the Quakes as three home runs and a double put the team up 5-0. Third baseman Devin Mann and center fielder Jeren Kendall started off the inning by hitting back-to-back home runs off of JetHawks starter Garrett Schilling. A four-pitch walk to left fielder Donovan Casey was immediately followed by an RBI double from designated hitter Niko Hulsizer. Catcher Jordan Procyshen then homered off of Schilling as well, a two-run shot to right. 

Quakes starter Josiah Gray gave up a solo home run in the fourth, but Rancho took it back in the fifth, taking advantage of a fielding error to put two runners in scoring position. Procyshen grounded out to drive in the sixth run of the game. Second baseman Deacon Liput led off the sixth with a triple and was driven in by a Mann sac fly. Gray was removed for the top of the eighth after what was arguably his best start of the year. Over his seven innings, he gave up just four hits and the one run while striking out eight, one shy of his season high.

Austin Drury took over for Gray and gave up a walk and an RBI double in his one inning of work. Right fielder Brayan Morales started the bottom of the inning with a triple and was sent home on a single by Liput. Liput later scored on a two-run home run by Kendall, his second of the night. Connor Strain came in to finish up the game with the 10-2 lead. He walked two and struck out one to keep the win intact for Gray, his fifth of the season.

Game-2 

Rancho took an early 3-0 lead in the first, courtesy of a two-run home run from Liput, his first of the season, and an RBI single from catcher Connor Wong. Shortstop Jeter Downs added to the lead with a solo home run in the third. Quakes starter Andre Jackson gave up a run in the fourth on a sac fly but had a very dominant start otherwise. In his 5.1 innings of work, he gave up just three hits and two walks while striking out nine, one short of his career high. Max Gamboa relieved him, giving up a hit over 1.2 innings. Hulsizer gave him a little more to work with, hitting his second home run with Rancho to put them up 5-0. 

Bryan Warzek took over in the eighth and got into a bit of a pickle, loading the bases and allowing a run on a wild pitch, his second of the inning. After issuing his third walk of the inning to once again load the bases, he was replaced by Sven Schueller. Schueller got the next two batter to end the inning and took the ninth as well to go for the five out save. He gave up a hit but kept the score at 5-2 to give the Quakes and Jackson the win, his first in Rancho. 

Game-3

The JetHawks scored two in the first against Rancho starter Leo Crawford. However, Downs got the Quakes right back in it in the bottom of the first with a two-run home run. Morales broke up the tie in the second with an RBI single and third baseman Marcus Chiu added to the lead with another RBI single in the third. The insurance was needed as Lancaster’s ever-dangerous left fielder Casey Golden hit a solo shot to left in the sixth to put the Hawks within one. Crawford gave up a single to follow Golden’s homer and was removed in favor of newcomer Darien Nunez. Over his 2.2 innings, Nunez gave up a hit and a walk, while striking out four. 

Another new member of the Rancho squad, Brett de Geus, took over in the ninth in search of his first save with the Quakes. He was just one out away but gave up the game-tying run to eventually send the game to extras. de Geus pitched the tenth and recorded a 1-2-3 inning after Wong made an incredible diving catch on a fouled off bunt attempt. The Quakes had a huge opportunity in the bottom of the inning loading the bases loaded with no outs but came up empty, as three straight Quakes batters struck out.

Strain took over in the eleventh and was saved by an unassisted double play by Chiu, who snagged a liner at third and immediately tapped the bag just before the runner was able to dive back in. The Quakes went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning and the JetHawks jumped on Strain in the twelfth. Strain made a heads up play, scooping up a bunt and throwing to third to get out an over-eager base runner, but he then gave up an RBI double that put the JetHawks up 5-4. Later in the inning, he gave up a wild pitch that allowed the Hawks sixth run of the night to score. The Quakes went down again, 1-2-3 to end the game. 

Game-4

Lancaster scored the game’s first run on a sac fly off Quakes pitcher Austin Hamilton, but Rancho took it right back in the bottom of the first via an RBI single from Chiu. Mann drove in three with a home run in the third, but Hamilton gave up a run in the fourth to get the Hawks to within two. Hulsizer drove in a run in the bottom of the fourth to widen the gap and Chiu and Casey each hit home runs to put the Quakes up by a seemingly insurmountable score of 9-2.

Hamilton, who allowed two runs on five hits over his five innings, was removed for the sixth in favor of Drury. Drury gave up an unearned run in the seventh, but otherwise had a good two innings. Schueller was brought in for the eighth inning and things got ugly fast. A three-run home run and back-to-back fielding errors allowed five runs to score, putting Lancaster down by just one run. Gamboa took over to try and record the final out, but instead gave up a grand slam to put the Hawks up 12-9. He gave up another run in the ninth and was replaced by Warzek, who got the final out of the inning.

Rancho couldn’t muster up any runs in the ninth and fell to the JetHawks 13-9, with Schueller suffering the loss. 

Coming Up

The Quakes continue their homestead on Monday night when they take on the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres) for three games. Tuesday is recycle Tuesday and Wednesday is a special July 3rd firework show. 

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