9th-Inning Single Gives Gulls a 5-4 Win

Eric Yelding’s infield single with two outs in the top of the ninth inning scored Ken Kinnard from third base with the winning run as the Ventura County Gulls defeated the Stockton Ports, 5-4, Thursday night in Stockton.

Kinnard began the inning with a single off losing pitcher Derrek Diaz (0-1). Geronimo Berroa’s sacrifice bunt moved Kinnard to second, and he advanced to third on a wild pitch. An out later, Yelding drove home the run to improve the Gulls’ record to 19-14. Stockton is 16-15.

Mark Dickman (2-0) pitched two scoreless innnings to pick up the win.

The California League game was scoreless until the sixth, when Stockton got two runs off reliever Tom Wasilewski. Stockton’s Rob DeWolf led off with a double and scored on a single by Angel Rodriguez, who came home on Bernard Kent’s double.