One Hit Enough For Outlaws In 1-0 Win Over Armada
Published on July 15, 2007 under Golden Baseball League (GBL)
Chico Outlaws News Release
CHICO, CA - With one swing of the bat, Chico's Jason Matteucci broke up a shutout, a no-hit bid and provided all the offense needed for the Outlaws to edge the visiting Long Beach Armada 1-0 Saturday night at Nettleton Stadium...Matteucci's solo homer leading off the bottom of the 8th inning put Chico back into sole possession of first place in the Golden Baseball League's first half race.
A day after piling up 16 runs and 21 hits, Long Beach was held to just four singles Saturday by Outlaws pitchers Jake McKinley, Jesse Oster and Todd Gelatka. McKinley turned in his strongest start of the year, allowing just three hits and striking out five through seven innings...but the Armada's Jeff Heaverlo was even better, tossing seven shutout innings while not surrendering a single hit; at one point Heaverlo retired 12 straight Outlaws batters. The lone scoring threats: Chico used a pair of walks in the 6th to put a runner in scoring position, but Jason Van Meetren struck out to end the inning...in the top of the 7th Long Beach loaded the bases with one out, but McKinley wiggled out of the jam by striking out Kirk Gross and getting pinch-hitter Jason Mooneyham to bounce into an inning-ending force play. In the bottom of the 7th Scott Dragicevich was hit by a pitch and stole second with one out, but the Outlaws left him stranded at second base. In the 8th Oster walked back-to-back batters with one out but got both Chris Wakeland and Dan Trumble to fly out to end the threat.
That set the stage for what proved to be the game winner: Heaverlo still had his no-hitter intact going into the 8th, but Matteucci roped Jeff's 1-1 offering over the right field wall to put an end to the no-no and give the Outlaws a 1-0 lead. In the 9th Gelatka came in from the Chico bullpen to close it out...he allowed a two-out single to Gross but got pinch-hitter David Ramirez to pop out to Eric Pringle behind second base to lock down the Outlaws first victory over the Armada this year.
Oster (3-0) got credit for the victory with Gelatka notched his league-leading 10th save of the season...Heaverlo (2-4) struck out 10 in seven-and-a-third innings but was saddled with the hard-luck loss. The Outlaws improved to 23-12 with Saturday's win, while the Armada saw its four game winning streak snapped to fall to 22-13. Chico now holds a one game lead over Long Beach with just three remaining before the end of the first half; the Outlaws go for the series split tomorrow as right-hander Nick Singleton (2-3) takes the mound...the Armada will counter with righty Rich Fischer (3-1). Game time is 6:05pm...catch all the action with "The Voice" of the Outlaws, Rory Miller, beginning at 5:35pm on SportsFan 101.7 FM ESPN Radio.
Golden Baseball League Stories from July 15, 2007
- One Hit Enough For Outlaws In 1-0 Win Over Armada - Chico Outlaws
- Moran, Sox, Win Again - Reno Silver Sox
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