Outlaws Rally From Six Runs Down To Edge Roadrunners 7-6
Published on August 30, 2008 under Golden Baseball League (GBL)
Chico Outlaws News Release
CHICO, CA - The Chico Outlaws - shut out on just four hits through seven innings - staged a miraculous late-inning rally, scoring seven times in the bottom of the 8th to erase a 6-0 deficit and come away with a 7-6 victory over St. George Friday night at Nettleton Stadium...the come-from-behind win delivering a crushing blow to the Roadrunners playoff hopes.
St. George starter Mac Nelson was brilliant through seven scoreless frames, retiring the first nine Outlaws batters he faced and matching his single game high with eight strikeouts. The Roadrunners provided plenty of offense - an Eddy Garabito homer with a man aboard put St. George up 2-0 in the 1st inning...then in the 5th Seth Loman came through with a two-out, two-run single off Chico starter Greg Bicknell to extend the Roadrunners lead to 4-0. The Outlaws had a handful of opportunities to get on the board in the middle innings, but a double play grounder short-circuited a potential rally in the 4th...a failed double steal resulted in Jesse Kovacs being thrown out at home to end the Chico 5th...and the Outlaws came up empty after putting runners at the corners with one out in the 7th. Meanwhile, St. George plated two more runs in the top of the 8th on RBI singles by Loman and Ivan Reyes, staking Nelson to a seemingly comfortable 6-0 lead.
It all came apart for the Roadrunners in the bottom of the 8th - Matt Ceriani led off the inning with an infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error by Garabito...Eric Pringle then grounded out; Ceriani advancing to third. Following a Dan Luyben walk, Nelson struck out Steve Boggs, but then walked Tony Torcato to load the bases. Julian Benavidez slapped an opposite field single down the right field line, plating Ceriani and Luyben to make the score 6-2 and end Nelson's evening. Reliever Claudio Galva came in from the St. George bullpen and proceeded to throw gas on the fire, giving up an RBI single to Todd Gossage and then back-to-back walks to Kovacs and Bryan Silverman to force home the fourth Chico run of the inning. That set the stage for Ceriani, who delivered his second hit of the inning, and this time it was the game-winner - his bases-loaded double chased home Gossage, Silverman and Kovacs to give the Outlaws a stunning 7-6 lead. Reliever Todd Gelatka nailed down the come-from-behind victory in the 9th inning - with the tying run aboard, he struck out Garabito to end the ballgame and give Chico its seventh straight win over St. George this season.
Zook Richardson (1-0), in only his second professional appearance, picked up the win in relief while Gelatka notched his sixth save of the season...Galva (2-2) was tagged with the loss. Gossage and Ceriani combined for six of the Outlaws eight hits on the night; each going 3-for-4...Loman had two hits and three RBI to lead the Roadrunners seven hit attack. Friday's win improved Chico's second half record to 18-24 and overall mark to 33-51; St. George slipped to 42-44 on the year and 24-18 in the second half, dropping the Roadrunners a game behind first place Long Beach in the battle for the second South Division playoff spot with just two games left in the regular season. Game two of the Chico-St. George series is set for Saturday, with left-hander Trevor Caughey (7-5) on the hill for the Outlaws...the Roadrunners will counter with righty Justin Abbott (5-4). Game time is 7:05pm... hear all the action with Rory Miller calling the play-by-play on ESPN Radio 101.7 FM and AM 1340; the game can also be heard on-line at www.ChicoOutlawsBaseball.com.
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- Outlaws Rally From Six Runs Down To Edge Roadrunners 7-6 - Chico Outlaws
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