Down to their final three outs of the 2019 season, the Rancho Cucamonga Quake trailed the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres) 6-5. Elsinore started the inning with a new pitcher, one who had struck out the Quakes 1-2-3, two of them looking, to end game one of the California League South Division Finals.

Pinch-hitter Starling Heredia stepped into the box and absolutely crushed the very first pitch he saw, sending it over the wall in left to tie the game at six.

Shortstop Jacob Amaya came up next, as fans of both teams stood to see what the El Monte, CA native and Dodgers 11th-round draft pick in 2017 out of South Hills High School in nearby West Covina, CA would do in the already three and a half plus hour-long contest. Amaya had already homered once in the game and hit a single, so fans anticipated he would do something to keep the game going and the Quakes hopes of a possible second consecutive Cal League Championship alive, despite be down two games to none in the South Division playoffs.

He did one better.

He smashed his second home run of the night, giving the Quakes a Kirk Gibson-esque improbable/impossible 6-5 walk-off win.

Of course, it took quite a bit to get to that dramatic ending of the 3:45 game, so it’s time to backtrack a little.

Amaya led off the bottom of the first for Rancho by hitting a home run to right-center on the second pitch he saw, giving the Quakes an early 1-0 lead. But in the top of the second, Quake starter Andre Jackson gave up a RBI single to tie the game. Shortly after, the Storm executed a double steal that allowed the go-ahead run to score. Jackson gave up another single, giving the Storm a 3-1 lead.

In the bottom of the third, Quakes center fielder Jeren Kendall smacked the second pitch he saw over the wall in right field to get the Quakes back to within one. A fielding error and back-to-back walks loaded the bases for right fielder Brayan Morales, who laced a two-RBI single to left. Left fielder Tre Todd was thrown out at third, but the hit once again gave the Quakes the lead. 

In the top of the fourth, Jackson got into a jam, walking two batters and throwing a wild pitch to put runners on second and third with one out. He got the second out but was replaced by Wills Montgomerie, who finished up the inning unscathed. Montgomerie maintained the Quakes slim 4-3 lead through the next two innings but gave up a game-tying home run in the seventh. He gave up a sac fly in the ninth to put the Storm back on top 5-4 with their playoff hopes in jeopardy and their backs to the wall with only three outs to pull of a miracle.

As noted above, they did just that.

Montgomerie earned the epic win and the Quakes have forced a game-4, which will be played on Saturday night at LoanMart Field. The game will feature happy hour style drink specials when the gates open. First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m. PT.

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