Flyers hold on to 11-9 win over Chico

Published on June 25, 2008 under Golden Baseball League (GBL)
Orange County Flyers News Release


The Orange County Flyers sent Brian Rios off in style as Jeff Van Houten blasted a grand slam and Rios reached base four times, scoring three times en route to the Flyers 20th victory of the season.

Brian Rios, who signed with Vera Cruz of the Mexican league and will report on Wednesday, ignited the Flyers offense going 2-3 with a double and two walks and reached all four times he led off an inning.

Ezequiel Ruvalcaba (1-1) pitched two and a third of excellent baseball to get the win as the Flyers bullpen was able to hold on to a late lead spurred by a five run seventh inning.

Chico loaded the bases in the ninth before Eric Sheridan slammed the door shut for his third save of the season.

The Flyers (20-6) had to avoid a ninth inning rally to beat the Chico Outlaws(9-18) by a score of 11-9 Tuesday night at Goodwin Field in Fullerton, CA.

The Outlaws were able to jump on Flyers' starter Bobby Cramer early as Steve Boggs doubled to start the game and scored on a Jose Valdez single. Julian Benavidez added a double that took a tough hop by third to score Casey Garrison. Lino Garcia added an RBI single to give the Outlaws an early 3-0 lead. The Outlaws kept the pressure on Cramer as they loaded the bases for Eric Pringle before Cramer was able to escape.

Still, Cramer was forced out in the second with fatigue, turning things over to Monte Mansfield.

After an excellent first inning, Chico starter Jason Roach walked himself into trouble. After surrendering a single to Brian Rios into right field, Roach walked Patrick Breen and Buddy Morales to load the bases with two outs. That brought up Jeff Van Houten who blasted the first pitch he saw off of the scoreboard in left field for a grand slam, giving Orange County a 4-3 lead.

Brian Rios got things going for the Flyers again in the third with a leadoff double into right center before Jeff LaRue knocked him in with a single one batter later. Steve Boggs saved more damage as Buddy Morales lined to center field with one out and runners on first and second, but Boggs dove head first, robbing Buddy of a hit ,and then doubled up LaRue at second to end the inning and threat.

The Outlaws got back into the game in the fourth as Steve Cronin reached on a walk and Eric Pringle blasted a two run shot to tie the game at five. Jesse Kovacs followed one batter later with a double before a blown pickoff play allowed Chico to take the lead. Mansfield turned to pick off Kovacs at second but threw the ball into center allowing Kovacs to go to third before Patrick Breen's attempt to throw him out there got away scoring Kovacs.

Chico was able to grab a run in the fifth as Todd Gossage worked a 15 pitch walk to start the inning before scoring on back to back singles from Cronin and the RBI from Pringle. But the Outlaws ran themselves out of the inning as Cronin was caught stealing third and Mansfield got Kovacs to fly out to left to end the threat.

Jose Valdez blasted his fifth homer of the season, and third hit of the night, in the sixth to put Chico up by 3.

The Flyers rallied in the seventh, Rios walked for the second time to lead off an inning, Breen followed suit, before LaRue got another RBI with a double. Outlaws' skipper Jon Macalutas made two pitching changes in the inning, bringing in Rudy Quinonez who promptly walked Morales to load the bases for the second time in front of Van Houten. But Quinonez was able to strike out Van Houten for the second out. But Mark Okano was able to get to Quinonez with a two rbi single to tie the game before David Bacani drove in Morales. Jermy Acey kept the scoring going with an RBI single into right as the Flyers batted around for second time in the game.

Patrick Breen added an insurance run in the eighth with a mamoth homer off of Rudy Quinonez.

Things got interesting in the ninth as Ruvalcaba surrendered a single to Benavidez, walked Garcia, struck out Gossage, before walking Cronin to load the bases for Pringle with just one out. A wild pitch scored Benavidez and Ruvalcaba ultimately walked Pringle before Gary Carter turned to Eric Sheridan.

Sheridan struck out Boggs, to bring up Kovacs with two outs but Sheridan struck him out to end the game.

The two teams meet for the final game of the three game series Wednesday at 7:05.

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Golden Baseball League Stories from June 25, 2008


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