Doubleheader Delight for Yolo
High Wheelers sweep the Jackalopes in the Saturday rain
Game 2
Game 2
Yuba-Sutter Freebirds
16-13
8
Grand Junction Jackalopes
14-15
3
| Final (8) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 1 |
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
Grand Junction, Co.—When a team goes on a 21-game road trip you hope to be around .500 and that's the case with the Yolo High Wheelers (39-36; 16-13) as they swept a doubleheader from the Grand Junction Jackalopes (29-47; 14-15) on Saturday nightat Spulizio Field. The High Wheelers are 10-10 on this trip.
GAME TWO
Yolo took the nightcap 8-3. Two pitches into the game, center fielder Brayland Skinner (7) led off with a homer. It was his second leadoff homer of the trip. The High Wheelers added three runs in both the third and fourth innings. Catcher Edwin DeLaCruz (1) homered to center in the third—his first pro round-tripper while later in the frame, designated hitter Bobby Lada (13) hit a two-run cloutmaking it 4-0. In the fourth, shortstop Braylin Marine had an RBI single, DeLaCruz drove in a run with a groundout and another run scored on an error. In the sixth, Skinner had an RBI single.
Reed Garland started and struck out three in 3 1/3 innings. The winner was UC Davis alum Andrew LaCour (1-1)—his first pro win. He fanned four in 2 1/3 innings.
GAME ONE
Left fielder David Glancy's sacrifice fly in top of the seventh with one out and the bases loaded made the difference in a 7-6 Yolo win.
The High Wheelers erased a 3-0 fifth inning deficit as they got on the board courtesy of a solo homer by designated hitter Tanner Smith (9). It was his fifth of the trip.
In the sixth, Yolo erupted for five runs. Second baseman Lada (12) hit a two-run homer to right tying the game 3-3. Later, with two out and two on, pinch hitter Braedon Blackford ripped a two-run double to left-center and that made it 5-3 visitors. Catcher Angel Mendoza immediately followed with an RBI single making it 6-3.
However, Grand Junction scored three times in the sixth tying it—two on a homer by first baseman Kelly Dugan (20) and an RBI single to right by left fielder Ethan Smith.
The Glancy sac fly was set up by walks to Marine, and Lada and a hit by pitch to left fielder Jose Gonzalez.
Ty Buckner (1-1) despite allowing the tying hit in the sixth, pitched a perfect seventh for the win.
Brandon McPherson started game one for Yolo. He struck out five in five innings with no walks. The right-hander allowed three runs (all earned) on five hits.
"The guys played great tonight. Our position players came through in the clutch with some big runs late in game one and we had some big hits in game two that helped put that one away" said Yolo manager Billy Horton.
Horton added, "our pitching staff was great and battled through some tough conditions. Brandon and Reed each gave us good starts and Andrew was huge in game two. Ty and Connor (Langrell) both were excellent closing the door in the games they pitched."
Lada in this series is 11-19 (.579) with two homers and five RBI's. Regarding his success lately, Lada said, "the season is coming to an end and it's do or die and I'm not dying."
Yolo is 2-1-0 in doubleheaders this year.
The final game of this series/road trip is Sunday at 10:35 a.m. PST. Left-hander Brandon Mitchell will start for Yolo against Grand Junction righty Hunter Bryan.
HIGH TALES
Yolo leads the season series 8-3
It was Marine's first action since playing the first inning last Sunday at Northern Colorado. He missed the first three games of this series with a left ring finger issue. Combined on Saturday he was 2-5 with two singles, an RBI, and three runs scored. He leads the team with a .386 average—fourth in the Pioneer League