High-scoring Wheelers, edge out Ballers
Yolo High Wheelers
(18-20)
13
Oakland Ballers
(23-18)
10
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Yolo High Wheelers | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 16 | 1 |
|
Oakland Ballers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 17 | 1 |
Oakland, Ca.--Raimondi Park might have been confused with an amusement park on Saturday afternoon as in a roller coaster-like game, the Yolo High Wheelers (18-20) defeated the Oakland Ballers (23-18) 13-10. The teams combined for nine homers (Oakland five, Yolo four) as Yolo rebounded after squandering a 10-0 fifth inning lead.
For the second straight game, Yolo scored four times in the second inning. Third baseman Kirkland Banks (5) started the homer parade with a two-run clout to left. Later in the inning, shortstop Braylin Marine made it 4-0 with a two-run double to center field.
Yolo added two runs apiece in the third, fourth, and fifth. In the third, left fielder Justin Kirby (4, 5) belted the first of his two homers--a two-run blast to center. In the fourth, Marine hit a sacrifice fly and first baseman Alejandro Figueredo came through with an RBI double to left. In the fifth, Kirby led off with a home run while the other run came on a groundout by center fielder Brayland Skinner.
It was Kirby's first professional two-homer game. "On the first homer, I was trying to be aggressive early in the zone and had to trust myself with a 'go' mindset," said Kirby. "My second homer I was trying to protect with two strikes. I got the ball high enough with minimum effort, the breaking ball was left up," he added.
The High Wheelers were up 10-0 going to the bottom of the fifth, and that's when the Ballers got busy against Yolo starter Ben Ferrer. Oakland center fielder Payton Harden (2) and right fielder Austin Davis (8) were the first two batters and each homered making it 10-2 Yolo. After designated hitter JP Gates singled, left fielder Trevor Halsema (9) belted a two-run homer to left which closed the Yolo lead to 10-4. Ferrer was able to escape through five innings and then came out.
It was 10-4 Yolo heading to the bottom of the seventh when the High Wheelers brought in Turner Thompson to pitch. The first batter against him was Gates (2) who homered to center making it 10-5. Halsema followed with a double and first baseman Noah Martinez walked. That set the stage for team leader in homers to do just that---as third baseman Dondrei Hubbard (10) launched a three-run round tripper to center and the lead was now 10-8 Yolo. The six-run inning was capped on a two-run two-out single by Davis which tied it at ten.
However, the High Wheelers fought right back in the top of the eighth--just two pitches in--second baseman Bobby Lada (9) homered to left off Oakland's fifth pitcher Jake Dahle (3-2) and Yolo regained the lead at 11-10. The visitors added two insurance runs in the ninth on a Marine single as he made it 13-10 Yolo and gave him five RBI's today.
Noah Lewis & Connor Langrell (3) pitched innings eight & nine respectively for shutout relief. Langrell had a perfect ninth for the save. Jack Zalasky (5-1) got the final two outs of the seventh and was pitcher of record in the eighth for the win---his team-high fifth. Lost in all the craziness was the perfect sixth inning delivered by reliever Kris Anglin. In his first game back since June 18th off the injured list, he struck out the side in order. "His curveball was disgusting," said Yolo manager Billy Horton. It was great to see him back out there." Horton added about Lewis & Langrell, "they did a great job together."
Ferrer gave up ten hits in five innings. He allowed four runs (all earned) and struck out seven which matched a season-high for him. Oakland starter Reed Butz left after three innings as he issued six runs (all earned) on seven hits while fanning two. Dahle took the loss for the Ballers.
Horton said, "it's a testament to the focus and grit of the team. I'm very proud of them," regarding the team maintaining its composure and recovering after squandering the ten-run advantage.
Oakland had 17 hits while Yolo tallied 16. It's the most hits allowed by Yolo this season.
The High Wheelers go for the sweep on Sunday at Raimondi Park with a 1:05 p.m. first pitch. Right-hander JC Ariza will be the starter for Yolo against Oakland right-hander Christian Cosby.
HIGH TALES
The five RBI's for Marine are not the most for him. He had six at Northern Colorado on June 16th. He has reached base safely in his last 24 games
First baseman Jose Gonzalez was 1-3 and was on base four times. He's reached safely in his last 15 games
Last night every High Wheeler in the lineup was on base safely, today everyone in the starting lineup had at least a hit--that was accomplished by the fourth inning
The ten hits allowed by Ferrer match the most allowed by a High Wheeler pitcher in one game
Oakland leads the season series 10-7