LAKE ELSINORE – Friday night’s game was a microcosm of Kruz Schoolcraft‘s first full season, including bouts of wildness, hard contact, and enough promise to keep followers optimistic. The 19-year-old lefty worked into the fifth, and the Storm used a four-run fifth inning to defeat Visalia 5-1 on a fireworks night at The Diamond.
Kruz Schoolcraft has shown flashes in an otherwise rough first season. (Photo: Robert Escalante)
Schoolcraft ran into trouble in the first inning by walking Yerald Nin to start the game. After inducing a double play, Schoolcraft walked another batter before escaping the inning unscathed. In the second inning, Schoolcraft looked dominant. He hit the leadoff batter, then bounced back to strike out the side, using his fastball that touched 96 mph in the frame.
In the third inning, Schoolcraft allowed a rocket off the bat down the left field line off of the bat of Tytus Cissell for a leadoff double. After striking out Nin, Schoolcraft tried to pick off Cissell at second base, but threw the ball into center for an error. The Rawhide took advantage of the mistake, coming through with a single to plate the run and capture the lead. Schoolcraft allowed another hit and a walk but escaped a bases-loaded jam with a fly out to limit the damage.
Lake Elsinore bounced back in the bottom half of the frame to tie the game.
Bradley Frye had a pair of hits to key scoring opportunities for Lake Elsinore. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
Bradley Frye led off the inning with a single. He quickly proceeded to steal second base – his 22nd steal of the season. Frye ultimately came around to score on a sacrifice fly from first baseman Yimy Tovar.
Schoolcraft breezed through the fourth inning before running into trouble again in the fifth. He allowed a one-out double and walked the next two batters before being yanked with the bases loaded and one out. Reliever Jordan Valenzuela took over and got a strikeout and fly ball to end the inning.
Schoolcraft finished 4.1 innings, allowing a run on four hits. He walked five, struck out four, and hit a batter. His velocity was strong early – he sat in the 92-94 mph range in the early innings, touching 96 mph on two occasions. In his final inning of work, he dipped to 91 mph. He used his changeup well and mixed in a slider that looked more like a sweeper sitting in the mid-70s.
The Storm took the lead for good in the fifth inning, plating four runs. Frye again started off the inning with a single before Jorge Quintana doubled to right on a fly that nearly cleared the ad monster in right. Yoiber Ocopio singled in Frye, and Quintana scored on a wild pitch to give Lake Elsinore a 3-1 lead. Jose Verdugo – as part of a three-hit night – singled in a pair on a hit that glanced off the glove of Rawhide shortstop Eliesbert Alejos.
Valenzuela came back out and held the Rawhide scoreless in the seventh and eighth innings, flashing a fastball that touched 98 mph. He earned the win for his effort.
Storm Notes: With Colton Vincent in San Antonio, the Storm played Friday’s game with just 10 position players. Storm manager Brallan Perez expects reinforcements, but it was unclear if they’d be this weekend. … Qrey Lott was hit by a pitch Friday, marking the 22nd time he has been hit by a pitch in just 62 games this year. Oddly, he has only drawn 15 walks, giving him one of the stranger paths to a .405 on-base percentage.