RoadRunners Snap Losing Skid at Reno
Published on August 16, 2008 under Golden Baseball League (GBL)
St. George RoadRunners News Release
RENO - Independent ball leagues are a breeding ground for the "debuting player". Friday nights contest between the Reno Silver Sox and the St. George RoadRunners saw three players makes either their GBL or professional debut. In the end, several RoadRunners with varying professional resumes helped the club beat the host Silver Sox 8-6.
The win snapped St. George's four-game losing streak and kept the team 1.5 games back of Yuma in the GBL Southern Division 2nd Half.
Greg Lemon, a second-year pro, and Cody Nowlin, a former second-round draft pick of the Texas Rangers, played the leading roles in the critical two-run seventh inning pushing St. George ahead. Tied 6-6 at the inning's start, CF Ryan Stevenson was hit by a pitch to reach base. On a 2-1 pitch from Reno starter Derrick Landavazo (L, 3-2), Lemon slapped a double to the wall in right plating Stevenson. Reno called the debuting Grant Ledbetter from the pen. Ledbetter surrendered a bunt single to Eddy Garabito moving Lemon to third. Nowlin played the situation perfectly and grounded out to first for an RBI scoring Lemon. St. George pushed its lead to 8-6, the eventual final score.
St. George got out to a five-run lead in the opening inning. Stevenson singled to right-center on the game's first pitch, Lemon followed with a single to right and Garabito walked. With the bases loaded, Nowlin doubled to left scoring Stevenson and Lemon. Juan Melo lined a single up the middle plating Garabito. RF Seth Loman walked and both him and Melo reached scoring position on a passed ball. A Liu Rodriguez sac fly scored Melo and Nowlin crossed home on an Angel Sanchez single. Ten RoadRunners came to the plate in the inning.
Lemon added an RBI single in the fourth inning scoring Sanchez. The duo of Lemon (4-5, 2R, 2B, 2RBI) and Sanchez (3-4, R, 2B, RBI) combined for over half of the RoadRunners' 13 hits.
The Silver Sox wasted no time answering STG's early offense scoring three times in the first off debuting right-hander Maximo De La Cruz. Ross McCoy scored Gary Harris on a grounder. With Carlos Madrid on, 1B Steve Alexander launched a De La Cruz curveball over the wall in the left for his 13th homer.
Andre Alvarado added a run in the third when RF Ben Wharton scored from third on a dropped fly ball by Loman.
The Silver Sox pulled even in the fifth. Alvarado singled to lead off and stole second. Madrid knocked him in with a single to left. McCoy, two batters later, doubled to left plating Madrid with the tying run.
De La Cruz finished five innings allowing six runs on seven hits while striking out four in a no-decision.
Strong relief from the RoadRunners pen killed any rally over the final four innings.
John Segovia, a night after a sour loss in Chico, almost had it happen again. The debuting Matt Kavanaugh reached second after a Lemon error in left. Wharton laid down a sac bunt moving Kavanaugh to third. With the STG infield drawn in, DH Doug Sanders bounced to short and Alvarado bounced to second keeping Kavanaugh at third. Segovia (3-4) earned the win thanks to the RoadRunners two-run seventh.
Anthony Pluta also ran into a jam in the home seventh allowing Harris to single and advance to third on a Madrid double. Infield drawn in again, 3B John Hattig grounded to third and Harris broke toward home, but was tagged out near third after stopping his momentum. Pluta then struck out McCoy and Gilbert Guilin to keep the potential tying runs off the board. Anthony threw one more inning only surrendering a Sanders single. Pluta had three strikeouts in the two scoreless innings.
With the game on the line in the ninth, St. George turned to all-star lefty Jason Norderum. After retiring Harris on a come-backer and Madrid on a foul out, Hattig singled to right. McCoy had a chance to tie the game, but instead struck out on three pitches. Norderum tossed 13 pitches for his fourth save of the year.
The game had its share of ejections. Steve Alexander was ejected after arguing a called third strike in the 4th. RoadRunners manager Cory Snyder was tossed in the seventh for comments after a good Pluta pitch was called a ball. STG pitcher Justin Abbott was also ejected by a base umpire for comments about the opposing pitcher balking multiple times in the ninth.
The three-game series will conclude on Saturday with a doubleheader. Game one begins at 5:00pm Pacific. Marcos Carvajal (3-1, 5.70) will get the ball for the first game. STG will debut righty Gregorio Martinez (6-5, 4.17 in 17 starts with the United League's Laredo Broncos) in the nightcap.
Catch all of the action with John Potter on Sports Radio 1210 and Network1Sports beginning at 4:50pm Pacific.
For those listening online, please use the following link to find the updated internet feed: http://www.network1sports.com/stations/roadrunners.asp.
Golden Baseball League Stories from August 16, 2008
- Sobkow Snaps Losing Streak - Calgary Vipers
- Calgary/O.C. split does not go as expected - Orange County Flyers
- 'Cats drop second game in Long Beach, 10-4 - Edmonton Capitals
- Snakes Drop Fifth Straight - Calgary Vipers
- Yuma Downs Chico 10-2 To End Outlaws Win Streak - Chico Outlaws
- RoadRunners Snap Losing Skid at Reno - St. George RoadRunners
- Four walk offs in a row - Long Beach Armada
- Silver Sox Drop Tight Game One - Reno Silver Sox
- Flyers stomp Vipers - Orange County Flyers
- Snakes Smoked Early - Calgary Vipers
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