Falcons Rally

Published on June 4, 2005 under Golden Baseball League (GBL)
Surprise Fightin' Falcons News Release


Surprise Stadium has been a magical place for the Surprise Fightin' Falcons so far in 2005. The team rallied from four runs down in the eighth inning to force extra innings and overcame a one-run deficit in the 11th inning to beat the Long Beach Armada 9-8 Friday night.

It was the Falcons' fourth win in five games in Surprise and broke a three-game losing streak for the team. Surprise evened its record to 4-4 and pulled to within a game behind Yuma in the Arizona Division standings.

Surprise was down 7-3 in the eighth inning before rallying for three runs in the eighth and one in the ninth. SS Mike Collins drove in two runs with a double in the eighth to make the score 7-6. In the ninth, three straight singles drove in a run before relieve Ignacio Estrada Jr. grounded into a double play to end the threat.

In the 11th inning, three walks and a double by Kevin Miller drove in a run for Long Beach to give the Armada an 8-7 lead. Chris Russ, who normally starts for the Falcons, came into the game and stopped the bleeding by forcing Jeremy Hernandez to hit into a double play to kill the inning.

Surprise then won it in the bottom half when Leif Ekelund led off the inning with a single and stole second. Billy Brown walked, and after a strikeout, Yaconetti hit into a fielder's choice. With two outs and runners on third and first, catcher Jon Marshall hit a slow-roller to Long Beach third baseman to Hernandez who threw the ball past first base, allowing both runs to score. Yaconetti barely beat the throw, which Kevin Gram could not hold on to.

The game was full of fireworks as Surprise manager Ozzie Virgil and first baseman Ali Modami were both ejected in the game in separate episodes. The game also featured a spectacular outfield assist from Josh Green, who threw out Miller at home during a two-run sixth inning for Long Beach.

The two teams continue their three-game series at 7:05 p.m. Saturday. Surprise RHP David Seccombe (1-0, 0.00) faces Long Beach RHP Nathan Pudewell (0-1, 7.20).

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Golden Baseball League Stories from June 4, 2005


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