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Flyers Clinch Playoff Spot

August 27, 2010 - Golden Baseball League (GBL)
Orange County Flyers News Release


FULLERTON, Calif. (August 26, 2010) - The Orange County Flyers toppled the Tijuana Cimarrones, 12-5, on Thursday night to clinch a playoff berth for the first time since the team's championship run in 2008. With the win tonight, the Flyers guarantee the second-best overall record in the GBL South, which means that even if first-half winner Maui, not Orange County, win the second half division title, OC would face Maui in the playoffs as the second-best team over the entire season.

Orange County broke a 3-3 tie with an eight-run six inning, with all eight runs coming with two outs. Steve Boggs walked and Derek Perren was hit by a pitch, and two batters later during Sergio Pedroza's at bat, the wheels began to fall of Tijuana's wagon. During an intentional walk to Pedroza, Tijuana's pitcher Jordan Oseguera balked twice, scoring Boggs and putting Perren at third. Cimarrones manager Alex Arias and catcher Carlos Dominguez were ejected for arguing the balk that gave OC a 4-3 lead.

After Pedroza drew the intentional walk, Julian Benavidez singled home Perren and reached second base on an error. Tyler Keeble and Jim Goethals follows with RBI singles to cash Pedroza and Benavidez, and Zach Mandelblatt was hit by a pitch. With the bases loaded, David Harris blasted his first grand slam homerun (7) to give OC an 11-3 lead.

Jesse Smith earned the win (6-4), throwing six inning, allowing three runs on four hits while striking out five and walking three. Bryan Harris, Matt Durkin and former Major Leaguer Matt Riley all pitched in relief for the Flyers

The trip to the postseason will be the third in the franchise's six-year history. The Flyers lost to Reno in the 2006 GBL Championship and defeated the Long Beach Armada and Calgary Vipers en route to the 2008 Championship.

The Flyers and Cimarrones continue this series on Friday, with first pitch at 6:05pm. The Flyers will travel to Maui to end the regular season with a seven-game series August 31 to September 6, and the South Division Series will start in Maui on either September 7 or September 8.

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