Elks strike out with bases loaded in top of the 9th, lose to Klamath Falls 9-7
July 26, 2013 - West Coast League (WCL)
Bend Elks News Release
Klamath Falls, OR - The Bend Elks had the bases loaded with 1 out in the top of the 9th down by 2 runs, but Chase Fields and Seth Spivey struck out against Jack Karraker, and the Bend Elks fell to the Klamath Falls Gems on Thursday by a score of 9-7.
Bend (23-15) came out swinging early in the ball game against Skye Adams as Cullen O'Dwyer hit a 2 run home run in the 1st inning, his 5th of the summer, and Keach Ballard hit his 1st home run in the top of the 2nd inning to give the Bend Elks a 4-0 lead in the early going.
Klamath Falls (18-20) responded by being patient at the plate against Bend Elks starter Adam Grantham, and it worked in their favor. Grantham faced only 9 batters in the game, walking 5 and hitting 1, and a sacrifice fly from Peter Maris made it 4-2 Elks after 2 inning.
The Elks responded in the top of the 3rd as Kyle Giusti came through with an RBI single to tie the game at 6. But the Gems responded in the bottom of the 3rd against Bend Elks reliever Garrett Anderson, who surrendered 4 straight singles, the 4th being a 2 run single by LJ Brewston, and after recording the 1st out in the inning, Craig Meredith followed with a 2 run single to give the Gems a 6-5 lead.
The Elks would tie the game in the top of the 5th inning as Tyler Servais, who went 2-5 on the night, doubled to lead off the inning and came around on another RBI single by Kyle Giusti who went 3-4 with 2 RBI and a run scored against Klamath Falls, to square the game at 6 runs each.
The Bend Elks squandered an opportunity to re-capture the lead in the top of the 6th inning as they loaded the bases loaded with nobody out as a ground ball to Dylan Rogers was thrown to the plate to force out Zach Close, and Chase Fields, who was at 2nd at the time, tried to score at 2nd, but with Craig Meredith already having the ball, applied a tag on Chase Fields as well, and the Elks came up empty in the inning.
From that point on, it would be all Klamath Falls as the Gems took a 2 run lead in the bottom of the 6th inning, as Peter Maris singled home Meredith and Maris came around to score on a wild pitch by Xavier Borde (0-2) who took the loss for the 2nd time in 2013 for the Elks.
Bend pulled within one in the top of the 7th inning as Turner Gill hit a solo home run, his 2nd in 2013, but the Gems scored one of their own in the bottom of the 7th inning, as Cam Newell was hit by a pitch, advanced to 2nd on a balk, advanced to third on a groundout by Michael Tittle, and scored on a wild pitch to give the Gems the 9-7 victory.
The Elks attempted to rally in the top of the 9th as Kyle Giusti Walked with 1 away, Keach Ballard singled, and pinch hitter Grant Newton reached on an error to load the bases, but Chase Fields and Seth Spivey, 2 of the Bend Elks 7 players named to the West Coast League All-Star team, struck out swinging back to back by Jack Karraker, who earned his 1st save of the summer, to end the game.
The Elks, who are now tied at the top of the West Coast League Southern Division standings with the Corvallis Knights, will play the Klamath Falls Gems for the final time in the 2013 regular season Friday with first pitch set for 6:35 p.m.
West Coast League Stories from July 26, 2013
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- Get Your Free Knights' Hat Tonight. It's Cap Night at Goss - Corvallis Knights
- Gems Bag Elks With Comeback Win, 9-7 - Klamath Falls Gems
- Sweets Bounce Back, Beat Black Bears - Walla Walla Sweets
- Big 8th Inning for Wenatchee Hands Bells Loss - Bellingham Bells
- Elks strike out with bases loaded in top of the 9th, lose to Klamath Falls 9-7 - Bend Elks
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