First game-ending hit for the High Wheelers
Boise Hawks
(0-0)
5
Yuba-Sutter High Wheelers
(0-0)
6
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Boise Hawks | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 3 |
|
Yuba-Sutter High Wheelers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 3 |
Davis, Ca.---Every game is important but they become more exponential down the stretch and the Yolo High Wheelers (42-36; 19-13) have shown that urgency as they have won five straight, and eight-out-of-nine coming from behind to defeat the Boise Hawks (46-34; 21-11) 6-5 on Wednesday afternoon at Dobbins Stadium. Despite being in third place, the High Wheelers are only two games back of first place Boise. It was the first High Wheelers had a game-ending hit.
Shortstop Braylin Marine capped the game with an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth. Second baseman Kirkland Banks started the rally with a leadoff single off the leg of Boise pitcher Casey Dykstra (1-2). Catcher Angel Mendoza sacrificed Banks to second on a bunt back to the pitcher, however, Dykstra's throw trying to get Mendoza went down the right field side and that sent Banks to third and Mendoza to second. Boise drew its infield in as Dykstra bore down and struck out Yolo center fielder Brayland Skinner for the first out. Then it was up to Marine and he delivered on the game-ending hit to right.
Through the first two games this series, Marine is 7-9, .778 (five singles, double, two RBI's, four runs scored. and a walk). His average of .397 leads Yolo and is in the top five in the Pioneer League.
Yolo bench coach Gary Davenport has high praise for Marine and the team, "they have been playing very well lately. They understand the urgency it takes in the final three weeks and we couldn't be more happy. We couldn't have had a better guy (Marine) at the plate in that situation. Marine understands himself really well and knows what the pitchers are trying to do to him."
Boise scored single runs in innings two through four. However, Yolo tied the game scoring three times in the fourth. Marine led off with a double, designated hitter Bobby Lada had an RBI double to left field making it 3-1 Hawks. Left fielder Jose Gonzalez immediately followed with an RBI, tightening the deficit to 3-2 and with two outs Banks hit a fly ball single to left which tied it.
Yolo gained the lead in the sixth. Banks was up with the bases loaded and delivered a sacrifice fly giving the High Wheelers a 4-3 advantage. Boise took the lead back in the top of the seventh on a two-out, two-run single by pinch hitter Joey Kalafut.
In the eighth, Yolo had runners at second and third with nobody out and got a sacrifice fly from first baseman Alejandro Figueredo squaring things at five.
Brendan Knoll gave the High Wheelers six innings in a starting effort. He struck out two, allowed nine hits, three runs (all earned), and walked one. Jack Zalasky, Andrew LaCour, and Connor Langrell (2-1) all went one inning from the bullpen. It was LaCour's first home game with the High Wheelers but not his first game at Dobbins Stadium after a four-year, 60-game career with UC Davis. He entered the eighth with the High Wheelers down 5-4 and kept it at that score with a perfect inning including a strikeout.
LaCour spoke about his home pro debut, "it was nostalgic looking around and seeing the seats and scenery. I felt at home, relaxed and pitched how I wanted to."
Langrell's shutout ninth earned him the win.
The teams meet again on Thursday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. PST in Davis. Left-hander Tristan Walton (0-2) will start for Boise against Yolo righty Cameron Repetti (5-4).
HIGH WHEELERS
The five straight wins is the longest streak for Yolo
Knoll has worked exactly six innings in three of his six starts for the High Wheelers and at least five innings in all
Lada's double extended his hitting streak to nine games, he's 17-35 (.486) in that stretch. It's his longest streak of the year
Langrell, in his last 14 games has 13 shutout innings with 20 strikeouts. Langrell and Zalasky have now pitched on the same 13 straight times and co-lead in appearances for a pitcher with 33. It was his first win since June 16th at Northern Colorado
Yolo is 6-4 in one-run games