Yolo's late lead eclipsed by Ballers
Oakland win the first of the series, 8-5 at Dobbins Stadium
Oakland Ballers
21-16
8
Yuba-Sutter Freebirds
16-18
5
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 0 |
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 0 |
Davis, Ca.---The calendar turned to July but unfortunately the ghost of June still haunted the Yolo High Wheelers (16-18) as the Oakland Ballers (21-16) scored four times in the top of the ninth and came back to win 8-5 on Tuesday morning at Dobbins Stadium. It's now five straight games where the opposition has had an inning scoring at least four runs.
Oakland jumped on the board in the second on a homer by designated hitter JP Gates (1) who made it 1-0. It was his first professional homer and RBI. The Ballers added a run in the fourth on a fielder's choice by second baseman Myles Jefferson and then upped the lead to 3-0 in the fifth on a single by right fielder Trevor Halsema.
Yolo scored a run in the fifth. Left fielder Justin Kirby tripled and then came in when catcher Angel Mendoza struck out but reached first on a wild pitch by Oakland starter Christian Cosby, that plated Kirby making 3-1. The High Wheelers made it 3-2 on a sixth inning single by first baseman Jose Gonzalez. That hit extended his hitting streak to 11.
Going to the bottom of the seventh, Yolo trailed 4-2. With two out, center fielder Brayland Skinner reached on an infield single to second. Next it was shortstop Braylin Marine (6) belted a ball to deep center, Oakland center fielder Austin Davis went back to the wall but it ricocheted back past him and Marine circled the bases for the inside-the-park-homer which was the first in team history, that tied it 4-4.
In the bottom of the eighth, Yolo took the lead when Gonzalez (9) led off with a homer to right-center giving the High Wheelers its first lead at 5-4.
However, in the ninth against Yolo closer Connor Langrell (1-1), the Ballers began their rally on a pinch double by Jaylen Smith. With one out, the door really opened for the visitors when Davis popped up to shallow right field but Yolo second baseman Bobby Lada could not combat the high sky, sun, and win and the ball dropped. Smith stayed at second. That was the first of four straight singles including left fielder Payton Harden tying the game as the next hitter. Gates then delivered the decisive blow with a two-run single to left while third baseman Dondrei Hubbard added a sacrifice fly for the final run.
Cosby struck out ten in five-plus innings. He has 30 strikeouts in three starts against Yolo. High Wheelers starter Cameron Repetti issued seven hits in 5 1/3 innings and gave up four runs.
Jake Dahle (3-1) earned the win despite allowing a run in the eighth and Chandler David (4) pitched a perfect ninth for the save. Three of his four saves are against Yolo.
The teams meet again on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. in Davis. Right-hander Justin Kleinsorge gets the start for Oakland against Yolo lefty Dawson Lane.
HIGH TALES
Gonzalez was 2-4, and is 21-46 during his hitting streak, .457. His average is a team-high .397
Marine: hits in 20-of-his-last-21 games, 11 straight contests with at least a run scored (17 in that time), 22 straight games reaching base safely, three homers in his last two games. His average is at .396