STOCKTON, Calif. — The Stockton Ports men’s baseball team lost 10-7 to the Ontario Tower Buzzers in the California League North series finale at home on August 31, 2026. Ontario jumped out to an early 6-0 lead, but Stockton mounted a late rally fueled by key two-run home runs from Drew Burress and Bobby Blandford before ultimately falling short.
The Tower Buzzers opened scoring in the second inning with an RBI double by Abel Lorenzo and extended their lead to 2-0 in the third on an RBI fielder’s choice by Javier Herrera. Ontario’s big fifth inning produced four runs, highlighted by an RBI single from Herrera, a bases-loaded walk drawn by Ching-Hsien Ko, and a two-RBI single from Joendry Vargas, putting the visitors ahead 6-0.
Stockton’s comeback began in the bottom of the fifth inning, starting with a leadoff triple from Shotaro Morii followed by a double from Michael Brooks that brought him home. Burress followed with a two-run home run to left field, and Blandford added another two-run homer to right, cutting Ontario’s lead to 6-5. Despite bringing in the bullpen, Ontario contained the rally with back-to-back strikeouts.
In the eighth inning, the Ports tied the game at 6-6 after Blandford was hit by a bases-loaded pitch. Bryan Andrade then drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly, giving Stockton a 7-6 lead after eight innings. However, the Tower Buzzers responded with a four-run ninth inning. Bryan Gonzalez tied the game with an RBI single, and Lorenzo’s RBI groundout put Ontario ahead 8-7. Additional runs came from a bases-loaded walk and an RBI fielder’s choice, sealing the 10-7 victory.
Stockton’s record fell to 58-68 overall and 31-29 in the second half of the California League North, remaining one game behind Fresno. The Ports will travel to Visalia for their next game on Tuesday with a 6:35 p.m. first pitch.
CSB Take
The Ports demonstrated resilience by rallying from a six-run deficit with critical home runs from Drew Burress and Bobby Blandford. Despite briefly taking the lead, late relief struggles and defensive issues in the ninth inning cost Stockton the win. The narrow margin behind Fresno maintains pressure in the division race, underscoring the importance of closing out games in their playoff pursuit.
Source: Original report
