Yuma Downs Chico 8-5 To Complete Series Sweep
August 18, 2008 - Golden Baseball League (GBL)
Chico Outlaws News Release
CHICO, CA - For the third straight night, the Yuma Scorpions jumped out to a big lead and the Chico Outlaws were forced to play catch-up...despite getting the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the 9th, time finally ran out on the Outlaws as the Scorpions held on for an 8-5 victory Sunday at Nettleton Stadium to complete a three-game series sweep and seriously cripple Chico's chances of overtaking Edmonton in the North Division second half title race.
Yuma used a double steal to get on the board in the 1st inning - with runners at the corners, Rich Janeway took off for second, and when catcher Bryan Silverman's throw went through, Henry Calderon scored from third without a play to give the Scorpions a 1-0 lead. Chico evened things up in the bottom of the 1st on back-to-back doubles by Steve Boggs and Dan Luyben. Yuma came back in the 2nd, taking a lead it would never relinquish - Hector Bernal led off the inning with a home run to right off Outlaws starter Greg Bicknell...infield singles by A.J. Valentine and Hanseld Diaz followed...then Dionys Cesar doubled into the right field corner to knock in Valentine and make the score 3-1. Calderon then stepped up and delivered a sacrifice fly to plate Diaz...Cesar then scored from third on a Janeway groundout to put the Scorpions up 5-1. The Outlaws plated a run in the 3rd when Julian Benvidez singled with two outs and came home on an opposite-field double by Tony Torcato...but in the 5th Janeway launched Yuma's second homer of the night, a solo shot off Bicknell to make the score 6-2.
Chico made it a two-run game in the 6th - with Todd Gossage aboard, Gabe Riley bombed a long home run over the right field wall to make it 6-4...but in the 8th Yuma scored the first of two big insurance runs as Calderon delivered a two-out single to plate Bernal. Silverman walked to lead off the Outlaws 8th and eventually scored on an Eric Pringle fielder's choice grounder to make it a 7-5 game...but in the 9th the Scorpions pushed the lead back to three when Yosvany Almario doubled off Chico reliever Kevin Altman and scored two batters later on a sac fly off the bat of Bernal. Yuma closer James Garcia, who was brought in to get the final out of the 8th inning, had trouble locking down the win in the bottom of the 9th - a walk to Torcato and an infield single by Silverman put two aboard and brought the tying run to the plate...but Garcia got Gossage to fly out to left and induce Riley to ground into a force play to end it and give the Scorpions an 8-5 victory...the eighth time the Scorpions had beaten the Outlaws in nine tries this season.
Yuma starter Jorge Perez (7-3) allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings to pick up the win, with Garcia earning his 11th save of the season...Bicknell (4-4) went seven innings but ended up taking the loss. The Outlaws racked up a dozen hits in the losing effort, with Benavidez going 3-for-5 (and extending his current hitting streak to 12 straight); Boggs, Luyben and Gossage also enjoyed multi-hit games...Yuma had 14 hits on the night, with every starter getting at least one knock. Sunday's loss dropped Chico to 13-19 in the second half...the Outlaws now trail Edmonton by 6½ games in the North Division with just 12 left to play; overall Chico is 28-46 on the season...Yuma used Sunday's victory to retain sole possession of first place in the GBL South Division second half race; the Scorpions are 18-12 in the second half and 42-31 for the year. The Outlaws begin a nine-game road trip Monday in southern California with the first of four against the Long Beach Armada...Trevor Caughey (7-4) will be on the mound for Chico in the series opener, with lefty Steve Smyth (0-0 with Long Beach, 1-2 overall) expected to go for the Armada. 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.
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Golden Baseball League Stories from August 18, 2008
- Five Homeruns Sink Snakes - Calgary Vipers
- A Night To Salute, Thank and Appreciate - Chico Outlaws
- Vipers Welcome Gary Carter and Two Veterans - Calgary Vipers
- Yuma Downs Chico 8-5 To Complete Series Sweep - Chico Outlaws
- Edmonton avoids sweep - Long Beach Armada
- RoadRunners Split Doubleheader - St. George RoadRunners
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