Bears End Season with Dramatic Home Win
September 4, 2011 - Northwest League (NWL1)
Yakima Bears News Release
The Yakima Bears gave the record 3, 391 fans in attendance at Yakima County Stadium Saturday night a great show, winning 5-4 over the Eugene Emeralds. The Bears saw a 4-0 lead slip away, but were able to break the tie and hold on for the win.
The Bears loaded the bases in the first inning and scored two runs, one on a balk and the other on a Henry Zabala single.
The Bears doubled the lead in the sixth inning after loading the bases again. Jae Yun Kim came through with a two-out single that plated both runs.
A four-run eighth inning for the Emeralds was highlighted by a three-run home run by Zach Kometani.
The Bears answered in the bottom of the eighth inning by loading the bases and scoring the game-winning run on a wild pitch.
In the ninth inning Mile Reagan was stellar in his first save opportunity. Reagan was able to strikeout the first batter, but that batter reached when the ball got by the catcher on a wild pitch. Jace Peterson, one of the fastest runners in the Northwest League, came in as a pinch runner and stole second base. Peterson then advanced to third on a groundout to short. With two out and a runner at third, pinch hitter Matthew Colantonio worked a walk. Reagan then got three-hole hitter Casey McElroy to hit a groundout to first base to seal the victory for the Bears.
The game started with John Pedrotty dominating the Emeralds for five innings. The lefty had a season-high nine strikeouts while allowing no runs. The Bears also got two shutout innings and three strikeouts from Mike Blake. Victor Acosta improved to 2-0 with the win, as he worked two thirds of an inning after Cody Geyer struggled and gave up all four of the Emeralds runs.
The Bears offense amassed 11 hits, including 2-for-4 games from Jimmy Comerota, Garrett Weber, and Zabala. Eight of the nine Bears batters had at least one hit in the game.
The win Saturday gave the Bears a 3-2 win in the five game series, which is the third consecutive series win for the Bears to finish the season. The Bears went 33-43 overall this season, but finished with a 20-18 record in the second half.
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Northwest League Stories from September 4, 2011
- Boise Hawks Begin Playoffs Monday - Boise Hawks
- Indians Cap off Season with 4-2 Win and Fireworks - Spokane Indians
- Fans Set Records In Season Finale Win - Tri-City Dust Devils
- Vancouver clinches final spot in Northwest League Post-Season - Vancouver Canadians
- Bears End Season with Dramatic Home Win - Yakima Bears
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