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The Blaze (23-25) scored five runs in the fifth inning against the Stockton Ports, winning game three of a four game series 7-4 on Friday in front of 706 at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

It looked good for the Ports (18-30) as they got on the scoreboard in the top of the third, when Yusuf Carter knocked in Michael Richard with an infield single giving the Ports a 1-0 lead.

Stockton increased their lead to 3-0 in the top of the fifth as Jemile Weeks hit a two-run blast, off Blaze starter Blake Beaven.

Beavan (W, 4-4) allowed three earned runs on eight hits, three walks and two strikeouts in 6.1 innings.

In the bottom of the fifth it all fell apart for the Ports as starter Ben Hornbeck (L, 1-1) would walk the lead off batter and Davis Stoneburner followed with a double to left. With runners at second and third. Engel Beltre and Matt Lawson followed with back-to-back RBI singles to bring Bakersfield to within one at 3-2. Timothy Smith followed by reaching on an error driving in Beltre scoring the tying run, and Mauro Gomez would hit an RBI double scoring both Lawson and Smith giving the Blaze a 5-3 lead.

Stockton would climb back into the ballgame closing the gap 5-4 on a solo homer from Larry Cobb in the sixth.

The game would remain scoreless until the bottom of the eighth when the Blaze tacked on two insurance runs on a two RBI single from Mauro Gomez to center, scoring Cody Podraza and Matthew Lawson, extending Bakersfield’s lead to three.

Blaze relievers Ryan Falcon (2H, 1.2 IP) and Adelbero Flores (3 SO, 1 IP, 1SV) held the Ports scoreless for a little over two innings.

Matthew Lawson was 2-for-4 with a walk, Mauro Gomez drove in four on a single and a double, Davis Stonburner had two singles, and Elio Sarmiento had a pair of hits in three at-bats.

The Blaze will play Stockton in the final game of the four game series on Saturday at Sam Lynn Ballpark. First pitch scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

What’s Burning: Mauro Gomez leads the club with RBIs at 40.