CalL1 Inland Empire 66ers

High Desert Opens Series with 4-2 Win

September 2, 2015 - California League (CalL1)
Inland Empire 66ers News Release


San Bernardino, CA- The Inland Empire 66ers dropped the opener of their final home stand of the 2015 campaign by a score of 4-2 to the High Desert Mavericks. The 66ers got strong starting pitching from Harrison Cooney but fell for the 16th time in their last 18 games.

Inland Empire (60-74, 25-39) scored a run in the second inning to take a 1-0 lead against Mavs starter David Perez. Brandon Bayardi walked to open the frame and moved to second base on a wild pitch. Bayardi advanced to third on a flyout by Andrew Daniel and came home on Caleb Adams RBI infield hit to third base.

The Mavericks (75-59, 38-26) were held in check by IE starter Harrison Cooney who was perfect through 3.2 IP and was unthreatened until the fifth inning. Ronald Guzman led off the inning with a double for High Desert and scored the very next batter on Kevin Torres' RBI single tying the game 1-1. The frame took a weird turn with one out and Torres at first when Sixers' catcher Wade Wass was ejected by home plate umpire Takahito Matsuda for arguing that Cooney's 1-0 pitch to Josh Altmann should have been called a strike. His ejection pressed Michael Strentz, slowed by a back injury into duty. The first pitch to him got away for a passed ball and he made a throwing error to advance Torres to third. Torres would then come home on a wild pitch to make it 2-1. Altmann, then scored on a base hit by Seth Spivey to make it 3-1.

Inland Empire got a run in the fifth when Tyler Palmer and Bo Way singled with one out to put runners at first and second. Mike Fish knocked in Palmer with a base hit to make it 3-2 but that was all the Sixers would score. Perez (4-2) allowed five hits and three walks with six Ks in his six innings. The Mavs added an insurance run in the top of the ninth on Spivey's RBI double.

Ryan Ledbetter tossed two scoreless with two Ks out of the pen. Dakota Watts gave up a single to open the ninth to Caleb Adams (his second hit and fourth time on base) but set down the next three batters to earn his third save. Cooney (1-14) suffered another tough-luck loss. The righty from Vero Beach, FL allowed six hits and a walk over seven innings with three Ks.

The series continues Wednesday at 7:05 pm. It can be heard live at 66ers.com.

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