By Josh Miller
PALM SPRINGS, CA — It was quite the hit parade at Palm Springs Stadium on Wednesday as the POWER walloped the Inland Valley Buccaneers 17-4, on the strength of a thirteen-run fourth inning.
Alex Mistuloff (Chico State) picked up his fourth win of the season going five innings and giving up two runs (1 ER) on three hits and two strikeouts.
The POWER drew first blood in the bottom of the first inning after Nick King (Georgia) scored on a RBI single by Ino Patron (Long Beach State).
Patron, making his first start for the POWER, was nowhere near finished.
Jordan Zimmerman (Mesa CC) started the POWER rally in the fourth after he was hit by Bucs starter Micah Beyer. Patron then doubled, and Jake Howeth (Texas-Wesleyan) walked to load the bases for Hayden Nielsen (BYU). The POWER shortstop would follow with double of his own, bringing home Zimmerman and Patron. Mitch Bluman (San Diego State University), Charlie Madden (Mercer), and Nate Pollock (Western Illinois) also had RBIs in the 13-run fourth.
The Buccaneers got two of those runs back in the fifth inning after an RBI double by Gerardo Ramirez (Diamond Bar) scored Anthony Rabito (Orange Coast College), who led off the inning with a single.
Ramirez would wind up scoring on a sacrifice fly by Bryce Brooks (Rio Hondo).
In the seventh inning, with Connor Klein (Western Nevada College) on second, Patron sent a pitch from Art Salazar, Jr. (CSU San Bernardino) into the stratosphere in Palm Springs, putting the fans and players into a frenzy.
The homerun was just the third ball to leave Palm Springs Stadium this summer.
“I think it was a slider that didn’t slide. The pitch was up and I jumped all over it,” Patron said after the game.
Patron finished the night 5-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs, falling just a triple short of the cycle.
Cam Margaris (Centralia College) and Doug Finley (Colorado State Pueblo) pitched the final two innings for the POWER.
After an off-day tomorrow, the POWER are back in action on Friday against the High Desert Heat, in the first of a three-game weekend series. First pitch is set for 7:05.
