Pippins Win Back and Forth Affair over Victoria
August 6, 2016 - West Coast League (WCL)
Yakima Valley Pippins News Release
VICTORIA, BC - The Yakima Valley Pippins responded with four game-winning runs in the 9th inning, this after stranding an early 6-2 lead after six innings, eventually holding off the Victoria Harbourcats, 10-7, on Friday night at Royal Athletic Park.
Jay Schuyler (San Diego) kickstarted the 9th inning rally reaching base on a strikeout wild pitch, eventually scoring the go-ahead run after one of four Harbourcats errors on the night.
Marco Valenzuela (Nevada Reno) added the game-winning run with an RBI squeeze bunt and Colton Kelly (Columbia Basin CC) provided the key insurance run with a 2-out RBI triple. Then leadoff hitter Jace VanDeBrake (Gonzaga) blasted one of his three hits on the night, an RBI single, making it 10-6 Pippins.
Connor Zwetsch (Oregon) closed out the 9th inning allowing one run while striking out four to preserve the win, extending the Pippins (32-20, 17-8) record to 15-3 in 3-game series openers. Andrew Bernstein (Cal Poly Slo) earned the win limiting the Harbourcats to just one inherited run, keeping the game tied, 6-6, after eight innings.
The Yakima Valley Pippins jumped out to an early 1-0 lead as VanDeBrake delivered an RBI single in the 2nd inning, late scoring on a 2-out RBI base hit from Freddy Smith (Cal State Fullerton). Ryan Garcia (UCLA) gave his squad a much-needed boost, extending the lead 6-2 on his first home run of the season.
Gavin Velasquez (Cal State Fullerton) struck out five, limiting the West Coast League's leading offense to just two runs over five innings. Tanner Simpson (Lewis-Clark State College) allowed one run over two innings of relief before the Victoria Harbourcats would tie the game, 6-6, against reliever Drake Atlee (Cal State Northridge) who surrendered three runs in 0.1 innings of work.
Following Friday night's win, the Yakima Valley Pippins clinched at least a share of the South Division Second Half crown. The Yakima Valley Pippins will next host the Corvallis Knights Tuesday night (7:05 p.m.) at Yakima County Stadium in the first round of the West Coast League playoffs.
West Coast League Stories from August 6, 2016
- Knights Win 10th in a Row - Corvallis Knights
- Bells' Clinch Playoff Spot - Bellingham Bells
- Pippins Win Back and Forth Affair over Victoria - Yakima Valley Pippins
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