Pippins Miss Late Scoring Chances in 5-4 Loss
July 24, 2014 - West Coast League (WCL)
Yakima Valley Pippins News Release
YAKIMA, Wash. - As of late, one of the major factors holding the Yakima Valley Pippins back is hitting with runners in scoring position. That was the issue late in Wednesday's game against the Bellingham Bells, as the Pippins dropped a 5-4 decision in front of 898 fans at County Stadium.
Just two batters into the game, the Bells (27-10) took a lead off Pippins starter Beau Kerns, as Dallas Carroll hit a home run that bounced off the top of the wall to give the Bells a 1-0 lead.
After a pair of sacrifice flies from Laz Villa and Justin Jacobs in the 3 rd inning that gave the Pippins (22-16) a 2-1 lead, the Bells struck back. A solo home run from Colby Woodmansee tied the game in the 4 th, before the Bells got back-to-back RBI doubles from Garret Harpole and Chris Baker to extend the lead to 4-2.
Reliever Mitch Yada, who worked the final four innings in Wednesday's contest, surrendered the final Bells' run of the night on a single by Lou Della Fera in the top of the 7 th to make it 5-2. That's when the Pippins got back in the game, though. Justin Jacobs singled home a run in the bottom of the 7 th to make it 5-3, before a Reid Martinez RBI groundout made it 5-4.
With Yada keeping the Bells bats quiet through the final innings, the Pippins had multiple opportunities to tie or take the lead. In the 8 th, Vince Fernandez reached 2 nd base with nobody out and 3 rd base with two outs, but the Pippins could not score him. Then in the 9 th, Justin Jacobs reached 2 nd base after Reid Martinez took 1 st on catcher's interference. Once again, the Pippins were unable to score the runs, as the Bells finished off the game and evened the series at one game apiece.
The Bells ended a three-game losing streak with the win, while the Pippins have now lost five of their last six league contests. They still have a chance for the series win in the rubber match, Thursday evening at 7:05 p.m.
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