Armada win ugly, top Outlaws 8-6
Published on July 25, 2006 under Golden Baseball League (GBL)
Chico Outlaws News Release
CHICO, CA - The Long Beach Armada jumped out in front with a pair of home runs, padded their lead with the help of four Chico errors, then despite four errors of their own held off a pair of late Outlaws rallies to post an 8-6 victory Monday night in the opener of a four-game series at Nettleton Stadium in Chico. The Long Beach win snapped the Outlaws three game winning streak and knocked Chico into second place in the Golden Baseball League second half standings.
The Armada, playing without All-Stars Jose Canseco (back injury; he's slated to miss the entire series) and Samone Peters (released just prior to game time), dialed long distance twice in the 2nd to build an early 3-0 lead - Jeremy Hernandez led off the inning with a solo homer to right field off Chico starting pitcher Grant Gregg...then with Ryan Stevenson aboard, David Ramirez connected for a home run to left. The Outlaws scored a run in the bottom of the 3rd when Mike Mallory reached on an error and three batters later came home on a Todd Gossage sacrifice fly, but the Armada would go up 6-1 in the 4th when Stevenson tripled and scored when Martinez reached on an error...Ryan Webb would also reach on an Outlaws miscue; both would score on Randall Shelley's two-out single to left.
Chico plated a pair of gift runs in the bottom of the 4th - Long Beach starter Justin Ramsey walked Jesse Kovacs with the bases loaded to force home Craig Kuzmic...then Jason Van Meetren came home when Ramsey uncorked a wild pitch. In the 5th the Outlaws continued to close the gap, as Bobby Gandolfo doubled to lead off the inning and was promptly singled home by Desi Wilson to make the score 6-4. Adonis Harrison doubled home Webb in the top of the 6th to push the Long Beach advantage to three...but in the bottom of the 6th Chico, thanks to three straight walks by Armada reliever Dennis LeDuc, a sacrifice fly by Kovacs and an RBI groundout by Jason Matteucci, whittled the Long Beach lead to 7-6. The Armada plated an insurance run in the bottom of the 8th as Jason Collette singled home Chris Klemm to make the score 8-6. Chico had two chances to pull even but were denied each time - the Outlaws put the tying runs in scoring position in the 8th but came away empty...then in the bottom of the 9th, after Wilson walked to lead off the inning, Mike Peck came out of the Long Beach bullpen to strike out Mallory and get both Kuzmic and Van Meetren to pop up to end the game and give the Armada the series opening victory.
Ramsey (5-2) allowed three earned runs, struck out five and walked five in five innings of work, but it was good enough to earn the win; Peck picked up his fifth save of the season...Gregg (4-3) allowed just four earned runs in seven innings but took the loss. Chico had just five hits on the evening, with Wilson and Gandolfo picking up two safeties apiece...Stevenson led Long Beach's 14-hit attack with a 3-for-5 night; Ramirez, Harrison and Cole Cicatelli had two hit apiece. Monday's loss dropped the Outlaws to 5-3 in the second half and 27-21 for the year, while the Armada improved their second half record to 4-4 and overall mark to 26-22. Game two of the series is set for Tuesday, with Chico sending right-hander Hideki Nagasaka (0-1 with the Outlaws, 1-1 overall) to the mound to face righty Rik Currier (0-1) for Long Beach. Game time is 7:05pm.
Golden Baseball League Stories from July 25, 2006
- Adam Mandel Named GBL Player of the Week - San Diego Surf Dawgs
- Jose Canseco Returns to Face-Off Against Surf Dawgs - San Diego Surf Dawgs
- Armada win ugly, top Outlaws 8-6 - Chico Outlaws
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