Outlaws Outslug Roadrunners, Win Series Opener 18-14

August 4, 2007 - Golden Baseball League (GBL)
Chico Outlaws News Release


ST. GEORGE, UT - After scoring just six runs in their recent four-game set with Long Beach, the Chico Outlaws let loose with an offensive assault in the opener of a four-game set with St. George...and it turned out they needed every single run, as the Outlaws outlasted the host Roadrunners 18-14 Friday night at Bruce Hurst Field on the campus of Dixie State College.

In the longest nine-inning game in team history (four hours and seven minutes), the Outlaws needed seven runs in the last two innings to distance themselves from the Roadrunners and win their second straight road contest. St. George actually got the offensive ball rolling, plating four 1st inning runs off Daniel "Duck" Howard, making his Outlaws debut - Brett Flowers singled home Ryan Stevenson, then following a walk to Juan Melo, Geoff Wagner blasted his 10th homer of the year over the left field wall. Chico responded by batting around in the top of the 2nd against Roadrunners starter Jose Correa - Eric Pringle's sacrifice fly plated Brock Ungricht to get Chico on the board...then Steve Boggs singled home Jason Matteucci to make the score 4-2. Jesse Kovacs singled and Scott Dragicevich walked to load the bases...then Daniel Nava launched a grand slam high over the right field fence, putting the Outlaws on top 6-4.

St. George tied the game in the bottom of the 2nd on a run-scoring single by Flowers and a Melo RBI double...but Chico went back out in front 8-6 in the 3rd when Matteucci doubled home Todd Gossage and later scored on a Boggs sacrifice fly. The Roadrunners re-took the lead in the bottom of the 3rd - Cody Nowlin's two-run homer knotted up the contest...then Stevenson singled home Marcos Villezcas to put St. George up 9-8. The Outlaws went back up in the top of the 4th on Ungricht's two-out, two-run double...but in the bottom of the inning RBI singles by Villezcas and Santiago Guerrero gave the Roadrunners an 11-10 lead. Chico tied the game in the top of the 6th when Matteucci singled home Gossage...but in the bottom of the 6th Melo scored from third on a John Segovia wild pitch and Villezcas plated Wagner with a single to right to put St. George up 13-11.

That's the way it stayed until the 8th, when the Outlaws took the lead for good - Matteucci's RBI single was followed by Eric Pringle's two-run triple...Pringle then scored on a Boggs groundout to make the score 15-13. In the 9th Chico reached Roadrunners closer Tony Pluta for three runs...Nava providing an RBI triple and Ungricht a sacrifice fly. St. George wasn't quite done, as Flowers took Outlaws reliever Jesse Oster deep for a solo homer in the bottom of the 9th...but Oster eventually got the final three outs to lock down the wild series-opening victory.

Phil Springman (3-2), the third of four Chico pitchers, got credit for the win, with Oster notching his second save of the season...reliever Donovan Graves (1-3) took the loss for St. George. The Outlaws not only scored a season-high 18 runs, but they matched their single game season high with 19 hits - Matteucci began only the second player in club history to collect five hits in a game; he also knocked in three runs...Nava went 4-for-6 with five RBI...Ungricht, Boggs and Pringle each chipped in with two hits and three runs batted in. The Roadrunners piled up 17 hits on the night, with Flowers, Melo and Villezcas contributing three safeties apiece. Friday's win improved Chico's second half record to 6-10 and overall mark to 31-23...St. George fell to 2-13 in the second half and 9-43 for the season. Game two of the series is set for Saturday; the Outlaws will send right-hander Jake McKinley (2-3) to the mound, while the Roadrunners will counter with righty Mark Woodyard (1-8). Game time is 6:05pm Pacific time...hear all the action with "The Voice" of the Outlaws, Rory Miller, beginning at 5:35pm on the internet or on SportsFan 101.7 FM ESPN Radio.



Golden Baseball League Stories from August 4, 2007


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