Decisive Yolo take unassailable series lead
Boise Hawks
(46-36)
2
Yolo High Wheelers
(44-36)
4
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Boise Hawks | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
|
Yolo High Wheelers | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 4 | 5 | 0 |
Davis, Ca.---When a team wins seven straight games and nine-out-ten, you win in various ways. Thursday, Yolo scored 11 runs, on Friday afternoon it was a four-run third accounting for everything in a High Wheelers (44-36; 21-13) 4-2 victory over the Boise Hawks (46-36; 21-13) at Dobbins Stadium. The High Wheelers are tied for first with the Hawks. If Oakland wins later at Northern Colorado there would be a three-way tie for the top spot in the Pioneer League standings with 14 regular season games left for all parties. The Hawks have lost seven straight.
Boise was up 1-0 going to the bottom of third when Yolo got singles by second baseman Kirkland Banks, and designated hitter Ethan Bates to open the frame. After catcher Edwin DeLaCruz sacrificed the runners--two batters later shortstop Braylin Marine came up with two out. The team's leading hitter coming in at .395 ripped a double toward right-center which made it 2-1 Yolo. After Marine, third baseman Braedon Blackford was hit with a pitch and that set the stage for left fielder Jose Gonzalez who added to the scoring with a two-run triple making it 4-1. Gonzalez has 72 RBI's which leads the High Wheelers.
Marine had no idea that his double was the game-deciding hit, "honestly I had no idea. I was just trying to put the ball in play and have a good at-bat." Marine's double was against Boise starter Mike Peterson (9-7) who is the league leader in wins and ERA. "I don't look at stats so I just take it like any at-bat. I see the ball up and adjust pitch-by-pitch"
Yolo manager Billy Horton said about the four runs, "we put together a really good inning." "We pieced it together. Before the inning we talked about going out and attacking and they did a great job of responding. The two-out run production is huge---Marine and Gonzalez just doing what they do."
For Bates, it was his first professional hit. The former two-way player at Louisiana Tech who hit .337, 15, 74 this past spring for the Bulldogs was signed as a pitcher for the High Wheelers on July 30th. On Thursday he had his first professional at-bat and flied out to right.
"It was definitely nice to get back and hit again and get back in the box. I started to take BP and get my swing back when we were in Grand Junction," Bates said. The ball (his first hit) was thrown out of play for him.
Brandon McPherson (5-1) earned the win for the High Wheelers. The starter worked six innings, allowed two runs (both earned) and struck out three on seven hits. Reed Garland, Andrew LaCour, and Ty Buckner (10) combined to pitch three shutout innings from the bullpen. Buckner is second in the league in saves and had a perfect ninth with two strikeouts. He has saves in each of his last two outings.
Horton added about the pitching, "B-Mac (McPherson) did a great job--came out and gave us six (innings) strong. And then the three guys out of the bullpen as Buck (Buckner) did was Buck does--came in and shut it down."
The teams meet again at 4:00 p.m. PST at Dobbins Stadium on Saturday. Right-hander Brayden Spears will start for Boise against Yolo left-hander Brandon Mitchell.
HIGH TALES
Gonzalez' triple was his fourth this season which tied for first with Bobby Lada and Tanner Smith for tops on the club
Marine upped his average by one point to .396. Coming into Friday his .395 average was third best in the Pioneer League
Garland's appearance was his first against his former teammates. He was acquired from Boise a month ago. This year with the Hawks he was 3-2 in 12 games/seven starts
LaCour has 12 strikeouts in eight games with Yolo--span of 8 1/3 innings