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Etherton and Guerra steal the show in OC/LB split

August 29, 2008 - Golden Baseball League (GBL)
Orange County Flyers News Release


Seth Etherton carried the Long Beach Armada(46-39,23-18 overall) for five and a third before Dan Trumble gave him some run support to push the Armada past the Orange County Flyers( 50-33, 22-18 overall) with a 3-1 victory to split the Thursday night doubleheader at Goodwin Field in Fullerton.

Armada starter Seth Etherton shut down the Flyers for the first four and a third innings before the Flyers used just a pair of his to jump in front. Nick Guerra continued to be the thorn in the side of Long Beach as he tripled into the right field corner before Mark Okano improved to 2-2 from the left side with an RBI single the opposite way to give his starter, Smith, the lead.

Long Beach finally got to Jesse Smith in the sixth as Lehr was hit by a pitch to start the inning and Brett Flowers drew a walk to set up Dan Trumble. Trumble battled for a few pitches with Smith before finally launching a three run homer to take over the lead and give the Armada some support.

Long Beach Manager Steve Yeager went to his bullpen in the sixth, despite Etherton allowing just the one run while striking out eleven. Sean Buller then got into trouble allowing the first two batters to reach before Yeager turned to his closer Nick Cavanaugh who proceeded to escape the jam with two ground outs.

Cavanaugh pitched a solid seventh to pick up his fourtteenth save of the year.

The two teams continue the home and home series Friday in Long Beach with a 6:30 start.

As the race for the right to play the Flyers in the first round of the playoffs heats up, the Orange County Flyers (22-17,50-32 overall)seem intent on spoiling the Long Beach Armada's (23-17, 45-39 overall) chances.

Nick Guerra was the main culprit in the first game of the Thursday night double header as Guerra drove in all three of the Flyers runs in their 3-2 victory at Goodwin Field in Fullerton.

Josh Arhart also contributed with a 3-3 game and a run scored and called an excellent game, helping Flyer pitchers Mike Natale and Dane De La Rosa hold the Armada to just two runs.

Natale's performance was a beautiful 6 inning outing with both runs being earned while scattering seven hits and four strikeouts en route to bumping up his record to 4-1 while Dane De La Rosa pitched a perfect seventh with two strikeouts to earn his 14th save of the season.

After three and a half innings of scoreless baseball, Orange County broke the tie as Brian Rios singled to lead off the inning and was left at first until Josh Arhart singled with two outs to put runners on first and third. That set up Nick Guerra to drive in Rios, lining a single in front of Armada centerfielder Steve Moss to put the Flyers on the board first.

The Armada were finally able to turn the tide in the sixth as Julian Williams and Omar Bramasco both singled before being sacrificed to second and third by Steve Moss setting up Ryan Lehr's two RBI double to take the lead.

But Orange County responded quickly, after Fernando Pacheco and Josh Arhart singled, Guerra tallied two more RBI with a single down the right field line to put the Flyers back on top.

That was enough for Orange County as De La Rosa quickly dispatched of Long Beach in the seventh.

The teams got a thirty minute break before Orange County sent Jesse Smith to the hill to battle Seth Etherton and the Armada in game two.



Golden Baseball League Stories from August 29, 2008


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