Inside the Shell -- Let's win two!

The opening of the season was a day late and a couple thousand short at the gate for the Modesto Nuts, but a complete success on the field as they swept the Bakersfield Blaze 7-5 and 6-5 Friday night before 2,612 at John Thurman Field.
Connor Graham was sharp in the opener, allowing one run on four hits over five innings. He left with a 7-1 lead thanks to a four-run third inning highlighted by Jason Van Kooten's two-run double and a three-run fourth with Charlie Blackmon, Matt Repec and Lars Davis driving in runs.
Austin Chambless ran into trouble in the seventh, allowing the first four Blaze runners to reach, and Edgmer Escalona recorded two outs before being pulled due to a blister. Craig Baker entered and gave up a two-run single before striking out Joey Butler to end the game with the tying runs in scoring position.
The Nuts got a four-spot in the second inning of the second game, getting two-out RBI hits from Radames Nazario, Michael Mitchell and Blackmon, but Bakersfield took a 5-4 lead with four in the fourth off starter Kenneth Durst and reliever Joey Williamson.
The Blaze would not score again off Williamson, who got the win, and Modesto got a two-run, two-out single from Mitchell in the sixth to regain the lead. Matt Reynolds worked a scoreless ninth to grab the save.
The crowd was a bit disappointing for an opening night, especially since a near-sellout crowd was expected for the rained-out Thursday opener. But temperatures fell through the 50s during the doubleheader, and although no rain was in sight, a brisk northern wind kept the gathering well-chilled.
The Nuts and Blaze play again Saturday at 7:05 p.m. and wrap-up the four-game set with a 1:05 p.m. start on Easter Sunday.