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High Wheelers 9-3 Victory in Weekend Drought

Yolo get one of three games in Oakland to level series

High Wheelers 9-3 Victory in Weekend Drought
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Oakland, Ca.--Yolo High Wheelers (30-28; 7-5) starting pitcher Brandon McPherson (3-0) for the second straight outing led his club to victory over the Oakland Ballers (32-28; 5-7).  On Sunday at Raimondi Park the right-hander worked seven innings giving up two runs in a 9-3 win.  The High Wheelers salvaged one of three games this weekend.  Over his last two starts, McPherson has worked a total of 15 innings with 12 strikeouts (four K's on Sunday).

 
The High Wheelers, who had not led through the first two games, jumped out with a two-run first inning homer to left by left fielder Jose Gonzalez (12).  Yolo added a run in the third on a sacrifice fly by first baseman Braeden Blackford.  Right fielder Tanner Smith (4) led off the fourth inning on a round-tripper to right while later in the frame it was an RBI double for center fielder Brayland Skinner.  In the seventh, Blackford (10) hit a solo homer to right and in the eighth, Skinner (4) went deep to left.  All four of Skinner's homers have been in Oakland.
 
Following McPherson, relievers Connor Langrell and Jack Zalasky worked the eighth and ninth respectively.  Langrell's last four games he's combined for 4 2/3 shutout innings while for Zalasky it's six straight games without allowing an earned run.
 
Unless the teams meet in the playoffs, Sunday was the last game this season for Yolo playing at this ballpark.  Yolo was 5-7 here and hit 27 homers.
 
Yolo will have Monday off before starting an 18-game swing through Colorado.  The High Wheelers will visit the Rocky Mountain Vibes starting Tuesday with a 5:35 p.m. PST start.  Left-hander Brandon Mitchell is the scheduled pitcher for Yolo against lefty Kelsey Ward for Rocky Mountain.
 
HIGH WHEELERS
Oakland leads the season series 16-14.  The teams finish the regular season against each other in Davis with a six-game set from September 3-8
 
Yolo third baseman Kirkland Banks struck out five times, the first High Wheeler to do that.  Along with second baseman Bobby Lada the duo was 0-10 with nine strikeouts
 
Seven of Blackford's ten homers have come against Oakland.  He along with Gonzalez, Banks, and Skinner homered four times at Raimondi Park.  Gonzalez leads the team overall with 12 homers.
 
Gonzalez in addition to his homer had two doubles. It was eighth game of at least three hits
 
Designated hitter Eddie Niemann was 3-5 with two doubles.  He's hit safely in 14-of-his-16 games with Yolo, .400
 
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FRIDAY JULY 26
Oakland, Ca.---It was a first for the Yolo High Wheelers (29-27; 6-4) on Friday night at Raimondi Park---their first shutout loss as the Oakland Ballers (31-27; 4-6) defeated the visitors 13-0.  
 
The bottom of the second inning told the story as a two-out throwing error by Yolo shortstop Bobby Lada opened the door for Oakland.  The miscue allowed that inning to continue and it was Oakland third baseman Brad Burckel who took advantage with an RBI double down the left field line making it 1-0.  The next batter was center fielder Payton Harden (3) and he belted a three-run homer to center which put Oakland up 4-0.  
 
It was the first runs allowed as a High Wheeler by starting pitcher Brendan Knoll (0-1).  He gave up two more the following inning--one on a lead off homer to Ballers first baseman Noah Martinez (10).  Knoll gave up six runs (two earned) in six innings.  He surrendered ten hits, one walk, and struck out one.
 
All the support was good enough for Oakland starter Justin Kleinsorge (1-3).  He worked six innings, allowed three hits, four walks and struck out six.
 
Oakland added four runs in the seventh on one hit.  And three more tallies in the eighth.  Yolo committed four errors which matched a season-high.  Aside from the error in the second, they committed a third inning error and two in the seventh including another by Lada which allowed two runs to score.  The High Wheelers had plenty of chances as they stranded ten.  Lada did lead the way offensively for Yolo going 3-3 with two doubles, a single, and a hit by pitch.  He snapped an 0-15 slump.  
 
The teams meet again on Saturday at 4:35 PST in Oakland.  Right-hander Cameron Repetti will start for Yolo while Oakland has yet to announce its starter.
 
HIGH TALES
First baseman Alejandro Figueredo had his ten-game hitting streak come to an end as he was 0-1 with three walks
 
Eddie Niemann was 0-1 pinch hitting, that ends his consecutive game on-base streak at 13
 
Every Baller in the starting lineup reached base safely
 
The three walks for Figueredo matched a season-high for the High Wheelers.  Jose Gonzalez was the last to do it on July 17th vs. Oakland
 
Oakland leads the season series 15-13
 
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SATURDAY JULY 27
 
Oakland, Ca.---The Yolo High Wheelers (29-28; 6-5) are two games into a 21-game road trip.  It feels like the first two games against the Oakland Ballers (32-27; 5-6) have taken that long.  For the second straight contest, it was all Oakland winning 17-3 Saturday afternoon at Raimondi Park.  Through the first two games, Oakland has outscored Yolo 30-3 and has 31 hits while Yolo has committed eight errors (four in each contest).
 
In each game every Baller in the starting lineup reached base safely (today all Oakland starters had a hit) and in both games, the High Wheelers committed an early error which opened the floodgates.  Last night it was a four-run second, Today it was a five-run first.
 
Oakland center fielder Payton Harden led off with a single to right.  The following hitter, right fielder Jaylen Smith hit a ground ball to Yolo third baseman Travis Holt in what appeared to be a double play ball.  However, Holt booted the ball and everyone was safe.  The next batter was first baseman Noah Martinez (11) and he made the High Wheelers pay with a three-run homer to left and just three batters in it was 3-0 Oakland.  The Ballers added two more in the opening frame on a double by second baseman Andrew Martinez.
 
All the scoring in the first was against Yolo starter Cameron Repetti (5-2) who coming into the game was the Pioneer League leader in ERA at 4.03.  He gave up eight hits in 3 1/3 innings (his shortest outing of the season).  The right-hander issued eight runs (most for him) with four earned, and had one strikeout.
 
The Ballers added a single run in the second, two in the fourth, four in the fifth--which included a three-run homer to left by Smith (8).  They tallied three in the seventh and two in the eighth.  Noah Martinez was the offensive star going four-for-four with a walk and scored five times.  It was his first four-hit game this season.
 
Chandler David who leads the Pioneer League with seven saves made his first professional start for Oakland went four shutout and hitless innings with four strikeouts.  Jake Dahle (4-2) went the fifth and sixth and was credited with the win while Alex Escobar (1) despite the lopsided lead earned his first pro save pitching three innings.
 
The three runs for Yolo came on a pair of homers:  second baseman Bobby Lada (10), a solo to center in the fifth and left fielder Jose Gonzalez (11) a two-run clout to right in the ninth.  He now leads the team in homers.
 
Yolo tries to avoid the sweep on Sunday in Oakland.  Right-hander Brandon McPherson will start for the High Wheelers while the Ballers have yet to announce a starter.  The first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.
 
HIGH TALES
Lada who broke an 0-15 drought on Friday, has five hits in this series
 
Braedon Blackford got the final out of the eighth inning in his first pitching performance as a professional.  He & Kyle Guerra (now with Oakland) are the position players who have pitched for Yolo
 
Warnings were issued midway through the game.  Yolo left-hander Kris Anglin hit Oakland third baseman Brad Burckel with a pitch in the helmet in the seventh (Burckel was OK), however, the umpires ruled it intentional and Anglin was ejected as well as High Wheelers manager Billy Horton. Both were run for the first time this season
 
The four errors for Yolo, once again, match a season-high in a game
 
Oakland leads the season series 16-13
 
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Yolo start an 18-game schedule on the road through Colorado, first against the Rocky Mountain Vibes starting Tuesday with a 5:35 p.m. PST start.