Quakes restore South lead to 5

It wasn’t the ideal pitching matchup for the Quakes on paper, but the games, they say, aren’t played on paper.

The Quakes scored in four of the first five innings and routed the High Desert Mavericks 6-1 at the Epicenter on Thursday. The win gave the Quakes (31-23) a five-game lead over the Mavericks (26-28) in the South Division with 16 games to play.

All-star candidate Chris Sorce started for the Mavericks, sporting a 5-1 record and a sparkling 2.92 ERA. Arismendy Ozoria (0-2, 9.72 ERA) was slated to pitch for the Quakes after Dodgers reliever Blake Hawksworth pitched the first inning in a rehab assignment.

But the Quakes hit Sorce hard, as he allowed 10 hits and six runs (five earned) in 4 2/3 innings. Ozoria, meanwhile, allowed only three hits and one run in five innings. Greg Wilborn, just off the disabled list, pitched the final three shutout innings for the save.

Travis Denker (ninth) and Gorman Erickson (third) each homered for the Quakes.