A Late Inning Surge From The Grizzlies To Win 9-4 Keeps The Storm’s Whoas Going

By Larry Belmontes

It was a tale of two halves of a baseball game at Chukchansi Park on Wednesday night as the Fresno Grizzlies clawed back from an early deficit to storm past the Lake Elsinore Storm 9-4. All this thanks to a five run explosion in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Storm Strikes First

The night began favorably for Lake Elsinore who wasted no time getting on the board early. In the top of the first, catcher Lamar King Jr. and infielder Sean Barnett both got on base, setting the stage for Kaden Hollow. The designated hitter came through with a line drive single to center scoring both runners and giving the Storm an early 2-0 lead.

Grizzlies Respond Immediately

Fresno answered in their half of the first as Kelvin Hidalgo crossed the plate on an infield single from Blake Wright. The Grizzlies cut the deficit to 2-1. Though both teams had runners in scoring position over the next few innings, solid pitching kept the game tight heading into the fifth.

Pitchers Settle In

Both starters impressed in the middle frames as Bodi Rascon (Storm) and Fidel Ulloa (Grizzlies), a 2024 seventh-round pick out of LSU, kept hitters guessing with timely strikeouts and well placed pitches. Rascon especially showed poise, collecting several key punchouts, including a pair of back to back strikeouts to end the second.

Fresno Flips the Script

The Grizzlies made their move in the bottom of the fifth. With two runners aboard, Kelvin Hidalgo lined a single to right to tie the game at 2-2. Moments later, Kevin Fitzer ripped a two run single to left, scoring Yeiker Reyes and Hidalgo and giving Fresno their first lead of the night at 4-2.

Storm Storms Back (Briefly….)

In the top of the eighth, Lake Elsinore showed signs of life as Zach Evans stepped up and delivered a game tying, two RBI double to left field scoring Barnett and Hollow to knot the score at 4-4. Momentum seemed to be swinging back in the Storm’s favor, but Fresno had other plans.

Eighth-Inning Eruption

The bottom of the eighth proved to be the turning point when The Grizzlies exploded for five runs to put the game out of reach. Tommy Hopfe delivered a clutch two-run single. Kelvin Hidalgo added another RBI with a bases-loaded walk. Then, to finish it off, Roynier Hernandez broke it wide open with a two run single that also featured a fielding error, allowing him to take second and further extend the rally.

By the end of the inning, the Grizzlies led 9-4 and they never looked back.

Storm Silenced in the Ninth

Lake Elsinore’s final chance at a comeback was shut down quickly, as King Jr., Alex McCoy, and Barnett were retired on three consecutive strikeouts to end the game.

Player Highlights:

Fresno Grizzlies

• Kelvin Hidalgo: 2-for-3, 2 runs, 2 RBI, walk

• Roynier Hernandez: 2 RBI, go-ahead single in the 8th

• Tommy Hopfe: 2 RBI, key hit in late innings

• Fidel Ulloa: 5+ IP, several key strikeouts, solid command

Lake Elsinore Storm

• Kaden Hollow: 2 RBI single in the 1st

• Zach Evans: Game-tying 2-RBI double in the 8th

California League Standings (as of April 17, 2025)

In the California League South Division, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes lead the way with a 7-4 record, showing consistency in all facets of the game. Right behind them, the Inland Empire 66ers sit at 5-6, two games back, trying to find their rhythm. The Visalia Rawhide are struggling at 3-8, while the Lake Elsinore Storm have had a tough start to the season, dropping to 2-9 and sitting five games behind the division leader.

Up in the North Division, the Modesto Nuts have been the most dominant team so far, racing out to an 8-3 record and winning seven of their last ten. The Stockton Ports are keeping the pressure on at 7-4, just a game back. The Fresno Grizzlies, riding the momentum of this big win, now sit at 6-5, two games back, alongside the San Jose Giants who also hold a 6-5 mark.

Lake Elsinore will look to bounce back and salvage the series, while Fresno aims to build on this late-inning magic and climb the North Division standings.

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