Quakes and Mavs Finish First Half Tied
Published on June 17, 2012 under California League (CalL1)
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes News Release
Adelanto CA - The first half of the 2012 season is over, but the First Half South Division Pennant is undecided. The High Desert Mavericks dropped the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes for a second straight night in Adelanto, winning 5-2 to set up a winner-take-all meeting between the two clubs, which will determine the winner of the First Half South Pennant, five days into the second half of the season.
Because of the California League's tie-breaking procedures, Rancho Cucamonga and High Desert's first meeting of the second half will not only count towards the second half standings, but will serve as a one-game playoff to crown the First Half South Champ. The game will be played at Mavericks Stadium on Monday, June 25th.
The Quakes (37-33) and Mavericks (37-33) not only tied with each other, but the Lancaster JetHawks also had the same record at the end of the 70-game first half, but due to having the worst record of the three tied teams against the other two, the JetHawks find themselves on the outside, looking in to the one-game playoff.
Mavs' starter Jimmy Gillheeney stole the show on Saturday, holding the Quakes off the scoreboard for the first six innings, before finally running out of gas in the seventh.
Gillheeney (6-2) and the Mavs led 4-0 in the seventh, but a pair of one-out walks ended the left-handers night after 6 1/3 innings. Leon Landry greeted reliever Jose Jimenez with an RBI single to left field, making it a 4-1 game. But Jimenez recovered to get Joc Pederson to pop up, then fanned C.J. Retherford, keeping the Mavs in front.
High Desert, which built a 4-0 lead against Quakes' starter Garrett Gould, added an insurance run against JonMichael Redding in the last of the eighth. Mario Martinez, who had a two-run homer in the fourth off of Gould, picked up his third RBI of the night with a sac fly to center field, plating Mickey Wiswall, who had tripled with one out, making it 5-1.
The Quakes actually had a shot in the ninth, despite the four-run deficit. Mavs' reliever Tyler Burgoon struck out Scott Wingo to open the inning, but gave up a single to Alexis Aguilar, then walked Leon Landry on four pitches. Pederson followed with an RBI single, bringing Retherford to the plate as the tying run. Burgoon then walked Retherford on four pitches, leading to his removal.
High Desert brought Stephen Kohlscheen out of the pen, who came up huge. Pinch-hitter Bobby Coyle went down swinging on four pitches, before Jonathan Garcia struck out to end any hope of a comeback, giving Kohlscheen his first save of the year.
Gould (1-6) suffered the loss, allowing four runs on eight hits over five innings.
Rancho will now take four days off for the Cal League All-Star Break, then resume play in the second half on Thursday, June 21st, taking on the Bakersfield Blaze in the opening game of a four-game home stand.
Thursday is another Buffalo Wild Wings Thirsty Thursday, as fans can enjoy $2 domestic drafts and $2 Pepsi products. Tickets are available by calling 909-481-5000 online at rcquakes.com. Go Quakes!
California League Stories from June 17, 2012
- Quakes and Mavs Finish First Half Tied - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- All-Stars Shine in First Half Finale - Lancaster JetHawks
- Hamilton Steals Five, Blaze Race Past Storm 7-6 - Bakersfield Blaze
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