Scorpions Score Six In The 8th To Overtake Outlaws 9-7
August 27, 2008 - Golden Baseball League (GBL)
Chico Outlaws News Release
YUMA, AZ - In a game that featured a combined 27 hits and a bench-clearing brawl, the Yuma Scorpions saved their biggest blows for the 8th inning - the Scorpions sent 10 men to the plate and scored six times in the fateful frame to wipe out a four-run deficit and down the Chico Outlaws 9-7 Tuesday night at Desert Sun Stadium...Yuma snapping a three-game losing streak and keeping their slim playoff hopes alive.
Chico, hoping to extend its road winning streak to four, jumped out in front in the 2nd inning when Eric Pringle's two-out RBI double knocked in Casey Garrison to give the Outlaws a 1-0 lead. Yuma answered in the bottom of the 2nd - Ryan Barba singled home Jose Rodriguez and Hector Bernal, then scored on a double by Dionys Cesar to put the Scorpions on top 3-1. In the 3rd Chico regained the lead when Todd Gossage singled home Steve Boggs and Chris Corso's two-out base hit plated Garrison and Julian Benavidez to give the Outlaws a 4-3 advantage.
Tempers boiled over in the 5th when Garrison charged the mound after being hit by an Evan White pitch; both benches emptied and three players - Garrison, White and Cesar - were ejected for their roles in the melee (Yuma manager Mike Marshall was also tossed in the bottom of the 5th). Two batters later Corso was hit by reliever David Stringer, but other than a few heated words no major incident occurred. Matt Ceriani promptly muscled a three-run homer over the left field wall to up Chico's lead to 7-3. Outlaws starting pitcher Eric Sheridan sailed through the 7th, retiring nine batters at one point and allowing just two hits past the 2nd inning. But in the 8th Yuma mounted its winning rally - with one out, Sheridan walked pinch-hitter Chris Luera...he then scored when Henry Calderon delivered an infield single and Gossage airmailed a throw to first base trying to get him out. Following a walk to Rich Janeway, the Outlaws went to the bullpen and brought in Kevin Altman, but he was less than effective - Maikel Jova singled to drive in Calderon...A.J. Valentine doubled to plate Janeway...and Rodriguez singled to left to knock in Jova and Valentine to give the Scorpions the lead. Ryan Barba capped off the rally with an RBI single to left to chase home Rodriguez and make the score 9-7. Yuma closer James Garcia came on in the 9th, and though Chico got the potential tying run aboard, Garcia got Corso to hit into a game-ending double play to give the Scorpions the come-from-behind victory.
Former Outlaw Tyler Pearson (3-2 with Yuma, 3-3 overall) tossed three shutout innings of relief to pick up the win, with Garcia earning his 12th save of the season...Altman (0-1 with Chico, 3-2 overall) was saddled with the loss. The Outlaws pounded out 15 hits in the losing effort, with Boggs, Gossage, Garrison, Ceriani and Jesse Kovacs all picking up two hits apiece...Barba led the Scorpions nine-hit attack with two singles and three RBI. Tuesday's loss dropped Chico to 16-24 in the second half and 31-51 overall; Yuma improved to 20-19 in the second half (and staying three games back of first place Long Beach in the GBL's South Division second half race) and 44-38 for the year. The rubber match of the three-game series is scheduled for Wednesday at Stark Field in El Centro, California, with left-hander Scott Navarro (2-4) on the mound for the Outlaws; left-hander Mike Megrew is expected to throw for the Scorpions. 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.
Golden Baseball League Stories from August 27, 2008
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- Scorpions Score Six In The 8th To Overtake Outlaws 9-7 - Chico Outlaws
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