Modesto Nuts manage only four hits, fall to Visalia

The Modesto Nuts managed only four hits Tuesday night – not good enough to beat a playoff-bound team.

Visalia erupted for three runs in the sixth inning, the rally that decided the Rawhide’s 4-1 California League win as an announced crowd of 2,016 watched at Thurman Field.

Visalia, champion of the North in the first half, used a two-run triple by Austin Byler – his second two-run hit in as many nights – and Chad Oberacker’s RBI ground-rule double to break a 1-1 tie in the sixth.

Modesto starter Helmis Rodriguez (2-8) finished the sixth but allowed three earned runs and nine hits.

Troy Neiman and Colin Welmon blanked Visalia over the final three innings, but the Nuts could not answer.

Visalia took a 1-0 lead on Joe Munoz’s run-scoring single in the fourth, but the Nuts drew even an inning later when Shane Hoelscher singled home Drew Weeks.

The Nuts brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth after back-to-back two-out walks, but Yuhei Nakaushio struck out Hoelscher.

Visalia’s Markus Solbach (1-1), a native of Germany, went six innings for the win.

This story was originally published August 2, 2016 at 10:31 PM with the headline "Modesto Nuts manage only four hits, fall to Visalia."