Zephyrs Get it Done in the Ninth...Again

June 20, 2003 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Portland Beavers News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - Eric Bruntlett's two-out, two-run single to center in the top of the ninth inning broke a tie game and gave the New Orleans Zephyrs a 5-3 win over the Portland Beavers in front of 10,695 Thursday night at PGE Park.

Bruntlett was 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and three RBIs for the Zephyrs, who have won their last four games and taken three straight over the Beavers. It was the third night in a row the Zephyrs defeated Portland with a ninth-inning rally.

New Orleans (43-31) held onto a 3-0 lead until the bottom of the seventh when the Beavers rallied to tie the game against the Zephyrs' bullpen. After starter Doug Sessions rendered Portland scoreless on three hits over the first six innings, the Beavers loaded the bases against Mike Gallo. Brandon Puffer then entered the game and plunked pinch-hitter Ben Risinger to force home Portland's first run. Bernie Castro's sac fly to center scored Wiki Gonzalez and Khalil Greene's RBI single plated Jermaine Clark to make it 3-3.

Sessions worked his way out of two jams in his six innings, striking out four and issuing a pair of walks. Coming into the game ranked third in the Pacific Coast League in ERA, Sessions retired the first nine batters he faced until Castro led off the bottom of the fourth with a single to left. Sessions then gave up a single to Khalil Greene and a one-out walk to Mark Quinn to load the bases for Alex Pelaez, who grounded into an inning-ending double play.

The Beavers put runners on first and third in the bottom of the sixth, but Sessions got Quinn looking on a called third strike to preserve New Orleans' three-run advantage at the time.

Bruntlett's sacrifice fly to right field scored Jason Alfaro to give the Zephyrs a 1-0 lead in the third. Bruntlett later doubled to lead off the sixth and gave New Orleans a two-run lead on an RBI single to left by Raul Chavez. The Zephyrs made it 3-0 on Tripp Cromer's double to left-center, scoring Chavez all the way from first base.

Puffer got the win, his third of the year, and Rob Stanifer worked a perfect ninth to get his fourth save. Courtney Duncan lost for the second night in a row after allowing the two runs in the ninth inning.

NOTES: Thursday's crowd was the largest of the season and the 13th largest for a Beavers game at PGE Park since the inaugural 2001 season at the stadium ... the gathering was the 16th crowd of 10,000 or more to attend a Beavers over the three-year span ... the Beavers have lost their last five home games ... with a loss to New Orleans Friday night, the Beavers would fall to .500 for the first time since April 8 when they were 3-3.



Pacific Coast League Stories from June 20, 2003


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