Late Rally Falls Short as Pioneers Drop 4th Straight 9-8
Published on August 18, 2002 under Canadian American League (Can-Am)
Elmira Pioneers News Release
East Field, Glens Falls, NY - Sunday, August 18, 2002
The Elmira Pioneers scored 2 runs in the 7th and 2 in the 9th to cut into a 9-4 defcit only to leave the tying and go-ahead runners stranded on base in a 9-8 setback at the Adirondack Lumberjacks Sunday night in Glens Falls, NY in front of 1216 fans.
The loss is Elmira's 4th straight and leaves the Pioneers trailing the red-hot Lumberjacks by a 1/2 game in the Northern League East Wild-card racve with just 14 gams remaining in the regular season. The Pioneers now trail New Jersy by 7.5 games in the South division 2nd half race making it apparent that the Pioneers will need to qualify as a wild-card (via next best overall record) in order to qualify fo rthe post-season. It is worth noting that Adirondack is only a 1/2 game behind Albany in the 2nd half North Division race. Elmira leads Albany by 2 gams in the wild-card race should Adirondack win their division.
Elmira went 3-9 vs. Adirondack this season their worst record against any team.
The Pioneers hit 3 solo HR's in the game including back-to-back shots by Brian Jones (7) and Pedro Quero (10) in the 2nd inning off starter Joe Magri. Brandon Pernell hit his 6th with the Pioneers in the 5th inning. Pernell had already singled in the 3rd inning to extend his hitting streak to 15 games.
The Lumberjacks had back to back HRs of teir own off Jeff Andra (9-6) as Steve King and Juan Silvestre teed-off with a pair of shots to LF to lead-off the bottom of teh 4th giving Adirondack a 4-3 lead.
Todd Brock hit a bases-loaded triple in the 5th to make the score 8-4. Brock scored on a single by Hargreaves to make it 9-4 in the 5th.
Lorenzo de La Cruz had an rbi infield single in teh 3rd to the tie the game at 2-2. De la cruz leas the league in hitting with a .360 average and also set a new Adirondack Northern League record for RBI's n a season with 68 breaking the 1999 record set byRuben Santana.
Andra pitched 5ip and allowed 10 hits and 9 earned runs.
Kenji Iwahara spun 2 effective innings of 1-hit shutout relief giving the Pioneers the opportunity to cut into the deficit.
The Lumberjacks have won 7 straight including 13 consecutive home games.
It was the 3rd time this season the Pioneers have been swept, all on the road (Quebec, New Jersey, Adirondack).
Elmira has dropped 10 straight Sunday games and have been outscored 79-22 in those contests.
Elmira trailed 9-6 heading into the 9th but things difficult on an Adirondack team playing without their ace closer Fontella Jones who was sitting out the whole series with a shoulder injury. Bobby Cowan surrendered a single to Rolando Bello. After Brandon Pernell flied-out run Bush singled to F putting runners on 1st and 2nd. Reliever D.J. Johnson gave up back to back rbi singles to Rafael Alvarez and Michael Coleman cutting the score to 9-8. But Brian Jones struck-out and Pedro Quero popped out as the Pioneers left the tying and go-ahead runners stranded at 1st and 2nd.
The comeback began in the 7th inning when the Pioneers were trailing 9-4. Ron Bush doubled to score Rolando Bello who had led off the inning with a single. Rafael Alvarez hit a sac-fly to drive in Pernell from 3rd. Pernell had been hit by a pitch. Bush was stranded at 3rd when Coleman popped out and Bran Jones struck-out.
The Pioneers had to place some players out of position from the 6th inning forward. In the bottom of the 5th, 3B Osmani Garcia got hit in teh forehead on a bad-hop ground-ball. He stayed in the game and got a base-hit in teh 6th inning but still was feeling the effects of the grounder and reoved himself from teh game. Elmira moved 1B Pedro Quero over to 3B and brought in RF Michael Coleman to play 1B. The Pioneers opted not to insert their lone remaining infielder ROlando ?Bello into the line-up because he was already serving as the team's DH on teh game and the Pioneers would have had to insert their pitcher into the batting order.
Joe Magri lasted only 4+ innins allowing 6 hits and 4 earned runs. The win was credited to reiever Quentin Jones who allowed 2 runs (in the 7th) in 2.2ip.
Bobby Cowan gave up 2 runs in the 9th but D.J. Johnson was eventually able to close it out for his 5th save.
The Pioneers continue their road-trip monday night at 7 as Greg Keagle (7-9) starts at the Quebec Capitales, the 1st half champions in the north.
Elmira's next home game is Thursday, August 22 against the New Jersey Jackals on Star-Gazette Family Thursday. The 4-game series will be highlighted by Holiday Inn Pioneers Replica Hat night with WETM-TV on Saturday, August 24 and Shreibman's Jewelers Diamond Dig with Dig Safely NY on Sunday, August 25.
Canadian American League Stories from August 18, 2002
- Late Rally Falls Short as Pioneers Drop 4th Straight 9-8 - Elmira Pioneers
- Jackals Avoid Sweep with 2-0 Win - New Jersey Jackals
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