St. George Splits DH, Vipers Clinch Playoff Spot
July 8, 2008 - Golden Baseball League (GBL)
St. George RoadRunners News Release
ST. GEORGE, Utah - Monday kicked off a first-half ending stretch where the St. George RoadRunners are scheduled to play nine games over the next five days. In the early game of the double-dip, the Calgary Vipers wrapped up the first half title in the Northern division with an 11-6 victory. St. George came back in the nightcap and held off a late Viper charge to defeat Calgary 10-9.
GAME ONE
For the first time in franchise history, the RoadRunners were not the home team at Bruce Hurst Field. To make up a rainout from June 11, the Vipers played host and beat St. George 11-6. Both starters, Calgary's Dallas Mahan and St. George's Mac Nelson, did not factor into the decision. The game was ultimately decided in the home half of the sixth after the RoadRunners tied the game.
Mike Done (1-1) did not retire a batter in the Viper sixth allowing six earned runs on five hits. Carlos Duncan knocked the go-ahead runs with a two-run home run to left field. Nelson Castro had a two-run single and Jorge Mejia added a double scoring two.
Felix Jose had four of Calgary's 17 hits, including a double. Duncan had three while the trio of Darryl Brinkley, Mejia and Castro each had two. Jorge Tang's only hit was his first GBL home run, a solo blast in the fifth.
With the win, Calgary secured the first-half championship in the GBL Northern Division. A four-game lead with four left to play and claims to the tiebreaker over Edmonton, their closest threat, give the Vipers consecutive playoff appearances. The club battled for the Northern League championship last season.
All six St. George runs came via the homer. GBL All-Star Wiki Gonzalez blasted a three-run bomb in the fourth. Seth Loman had a two-run shot in the sixth and Cody Nowlin slugged a solo knock to right. The RoadRunners had nine hits paced by Wiki's three.
Geoff Freeborn (3-1) recorded just one out, but received credit for the win.
Ryan Stevenson and Greg Lemon were both held hitless to break lengthy hitting streaks. Stevenson's ended at a franchise-high 18 while Lemon's stalled at 1
GAME TWO
St. George scored often and held a five runs lead before the Vipers clawed back into the game and even took a lead. Three runs in the St. George fifth proved enough for the RoadRunners to hold off Calgary 10-9 in the doubleheader's nightcap.
St. George lit the scoreboard four times in the first inning off Viper starter Ryan Schurman. Ryan Stevenson, Greg Lemon and Claudio Arias all singled. Wiki Gonzalez doubled in Arias and Seth Loman cashed in two with a home run.
The RoadRunner lead moved to 5-0 when Liu Rodriguez walked with the bases loaded in the third.
From the fourth inning on, the score fluctuated back and forth. Calgary plated five runs, four earned, off Aaron Wilson. Kevin Price had an RBI double while Travis Drader and Colin Moro each had run-scoring singles.
Arias gave the RoadRunners the lead again in the home fourth with an opposite-field two-run homer.
Billy Simon relieved Wilson in the fifth and handed the Vipers back the lead offering a three-run blast to Drew Miller. Lucky for Simon, St. George answered with three of their own in the bottom half of the inning.
Schurman surrendered three consecutive singles to Dustin Hicks, Rodriguez and Kory Wayment with one out. A Stevenson ground out tied the game and a Lemon single up the middle plated the go-ahead runs.
A late Felix Jose RBI single cut the lead to one, but RoadRunner reliever Anthony Pluta returned to form and struck out two batters over the final inning and a third to close out the St. George victory.
Simon (4-4) reaps the benefit of the comeback inning to get the win in relief and Pluta (4) notches his first save in over a month. Schurmer drops to 1-3 allowing all 10 St. George runs over 4.2 innings.
Tuesday night will be a battle of the southpaws. St. George will send Devin Collis to the mound (2-3, 7.19) for his eighth start. Calgary is expected to counter with Joe Sergent (1-0, 2.76), a veteran from Tracy, CA. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm Mountain.
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Golden Baseball League Stories from July 8, 2008
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- St. George Splits DH, Vipers Clinch Playoff Spot - St. George RoadRunners
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