The Lake Elsinore Storm and Lancaster JetHawks engaged in a battle of "can-you-top-this" in an offensive explosion Wednesday night at The Hangar, with the Storm holding off a late JetHawks rally to win 13-10.
The JetHawks scored five times in the seventh and twice in the eighth, nearly erasing a 10-3 deficit.
Jason Cook had an RBI triple and Jesus Marquez a run-scoring single in the eighth, but the Storm answered with back-to-back home runs in the ninth by Tony Moeder and Brett Hemphill to take a 13-10 lead.
All of this happened after Lake Elsinore pounded Lancaster's Bob Wolcott. Wolcott, who is on loan from the Mariners during the Major League All-Star break, gave up seven earned runs in six innings.
Todd Takayoshi was the hitting hero for the Storm, going 5-for-5 with two homers and three RBI.
Before the furious finish, Lake Elsinore starter Kyle Sebach didn't look like he was going to get out of the first inning.
Sebach gave up a leadoff double to Shane Monahan and an RBI single to Cook before most of the paid attendance of 3,714 had gotten to their seats.
After a flyout, Scott Smith singled, sending Cook to third. Carlos Villalobos drove home Cook with a single and the JetHawks led 2-1.
There was still only one out, but Sebach got James Clifford to pop out and struck out Scot Sealy to end the inning.
Takayoshi gave Sebach a threerun lead with his second homer of the game, a two-run blast that made it 4-1.
After throwing 33 pitches in the first, Sebach retired the side on nine pitches in the second.
He gave up a run on Clifford's RBI single in the third that cut the lead to 4-3.
Takayoshi touched off a threerun rally in the sixth, Wolcott's last inning.
Takayoshi, a 25-year-old former University of Hawaii standout, led off with a single, his third hit of the game.
Danny Buxbaum and Jason Herrick followed with singles to load the bases, and Moeder hit a three-run double into the left-center field gap, and the Storm led 7-3.
The Storm upped the lead to 10-3 against JetHawks reliever Clint Gould.
With one out, Joe Urso reached first on an error by Clifford, and the next five Storm hitters reached base.
Takayoshi, with his fourth hit, singled, and Urso scored on Buxbaum's RBI double. Herrick singled home Takayoshi, increasing the lead to 9-3, and Gould then walked Moeder to load the bases. Hemphill walked to force in home the Storm's 10th run.
Eric Clifford relieved Gould and induced Chris Smith to hit into an inning-ending double play.
The JetHawks came back with a five-run rally that included words being exchanged between James Clifford and two Storm players - reliever Carlos Castillo and the second baseman Smith.
After Monahan led off with a bunt single, Marquez doubled with one out to score Monahan.
Scott Smith singled, and Marquez scored as Moeder fumbled with the ball in left field.
Castillo replaced Sebach. Sebach gave up 11 hits, walked one and struck out six in 6 1/3 innings.
After Villalobos struck out, Clifford walked and play was held up for a few tense moments as he and Smith converged.
After the delay, Scot Sealy singled up the middle, driving in Smith. When center fielder Kevin Young let the ball glance off his glove, Clifford scored, making it 10-7.
Shawn Buhner capped the rally with a double to left-center that scored Sealy to make it 10-8.
Takayoshi struck again in the eighth with his fifth hit, doubling home Urso against Eric Clifford with two outs and pushing the lead to three, 11-8.