Yolo Going to Pioneer League Championship Series

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PL Yuba-Sutter High Wheelers

Yolo Going to Pioneer League Championship Series

September 14, 2024 - Pioneer League (PL)
Yuba-Sutter High Wheelers News Release


Oakland, Ca.---The Yolo High Wheelers (2-1) are heading to the Pioneer League Championship Series. The first-year club defeated the other new members of the league--the Oakland Ballers (1-2) 6-4 on Friday night at Raimondi Park. This advances Yolo to next week's title round against the Glacier Range Riders who swept the Missoula Paddleheads in two games.

"I told the team before the game how proud I was and how much I loved them and how proud through all the adversity through which we went," said Yolo manager Billy Horton shaking and shivering with the stench of celebratory champagne. Regarding the game on Friday he added, "we've been excellent with two outs, our situational hitting has been outstanding, and the bullpen is the best in the league. We had 'probably' the pitcher of the year out there tonight (in reference to Yolo starter Ben Ferrer)."

The High Wheelers after getting shut out on Thursday wasted no time jumping on the board with two runs in the first. With one out, shortstop Braylin Marine doubled to left field while two batters later first baseman Jose Gonzalez (1) blasted a two-run homer to right-center. The High Wheelers added a run in third as catcher Angel Mendoza led off with a double and immediately after him, center fielder Brayland Skinner responded with an RBI double to left.

Oakland struck for its first run in the bottom of the third on a leadoff homer by catcher Tyler Lozano (1) making it 3-1. However, Yolo bounced right back on a leadoff homer by left fielder David Glancy (1) giving Yolo a 4-1 lead. The Ballers tightened things to 4-3 on a two-out, two-run line drive homer to left by second baseman Daunte Stuart (1) in the bottom of the fifth.

It stayed that way until the seventh inning when Yolo provided some breathing room. Mendoza was hit with a pitch to open the inning. After a sacrifice bunt by Skinner, Marine hit a ground ball to shortstop, however, the Ballers Brad Burckel double clutched after fielding it--committed an error--and all hands were safe as Mendoza moved to third. Second baseman Bobby Lada followed with a sacrifice fly to left which scored Mendoza and that made it 5-4 Yolo. Gonzalez came up after Lada and delivered a clutch two-out RBI single and that became a 6-3 Yolo advantage.

Yolo right-handed starter Ben Ferrer (1-0) left after six innings. He gave up four hits, three runs (all earned), and struck out nine without allowing a walk. Ferrer spoke of the significance of the High Wheelers scoring early, "that home run by Jose (Gonzalez) was huge, after being shutout last night it was important to put that goose egg behind us." He also said that being in winner take all contests was nothing strange to him, "I pitched in Pac-12 Championship Games at Oregon State and an elimination game in 2023 at the Baton Rouge regional so I'm used to big games."

As has been the case all season, strong Yolo starting pitching paved the way to the bullpen. Jack Zalasky, Connor Langrell, and Ty Buckner went innings seven-through-nine respectively. While Zalasky did allow a homer to Oakland center fielder Brett Carson (1) putting it at 6-4 Yolo, the trio overall, did another spectacular job. Langrell pitched a perfect eighth and Buckner the same with two strikeouts. The final out was made by Ballers pinch hitter Jaylen Smith on a fly ball to Skinner.

After the last out, a sea of grey Yolo uniforms poured out of the first base dugout and right field bullpen and into celebration back of the mound.

The first game of the Pioneer League Championship will be Tuesday September 17th at Glacier (Kalispell, Montana). Game two will be on Wednesday in Glacier. After the Thursday travel day, Yolo will host game three on Friday September 20 and if necessary games four and five on 9/21-22. Times are TBA.

HIGH TALES

The High Wheelers and Ballers combined to play 39 games this season with Oakland taking the overall slate 20-19

Manager Billy Horton is going to the Pioneer League Championship Series for the second straight year. Last year he led the Billings Mustangs to final round before losing to the Ogden Raptors

Mendoza had four hits in the series with three RBI's and three runs scored

Marine had one double in all three games and overall was 6-14, .429

The bullpen worked 9 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts, and one save---1.86 ERA in the four games. Going back to the regular season, Buckner has had nine consecutive scoreless ninth innings

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