PALM SPRINGS, CA – Five Bluesox pitchers combined to pitch a shutout and the ‘sox turned an early 2-0 lead into a 7-0 win over the A’s with a five run sixth inning at Palm Springs Stadium during California Winter League action on Sunday.
Bluesox starting pitcher Wacey Sorenson put the A’s down in order to begin the game and the A’s James Shoemaker matched the perfect inning in the bottom half.
Scott Stidham doubled to begin the second inning for the Bluesox and came home to score on the RBI double by Dillon Tindall two batters later that gave the Bluesox a 1-0 lead.
The score remained 1-0 Bluesox until the bottom of the fifth when Anthony Coromato hit a pinch hit double. After Coromato moved to third on a Geoffrey Hobbs ground out, Ryan Polk brought him home with an RBI fielder’s choice for a 2-0 Bluesox lead.
The tightly contested pitching duel between the Bluesox and the A’s fell apart in the bottom of the sixth. Randy Wells greeted the new A’s pitcher Jared Power with a solo home run, his first of the year, that pushed the Bluesox lead to 3-0. After three straight walks, the A’s dipped back into their bullpen. Brian Wilde emerged and Scott Stidham hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Cody Rieger, followed by a two-run triple by Anthony Coromato that cleared the bases and made the score 6-0 Bluesox. Geoffrey Hobbs then capped the scoring with an RBI double that brought home Coromato and the Bluesox had their 7-0 win.
Sorenson pitched two innings, allowing just one hit for the Bluesox. Two more innings of scoreless work for Brandon Brown were followed by a scoreless inning apiece by Marcus Reyna, Jacob Vulk and Jeremy Hall.
Game two of the scheduled twin bill at Palm Springs Stadium saw the Chill break a 3-3 tie with the Snowbirds in the bottom of the seventh on Tommy Williams RBI double and hold on for their fifth win of the season.
The Chill jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Williams picked up his first RBI of the game on a single that plated Dan Treccia who had singled.
The Chill got to Snowbirds starting pitcher Tyler Sloan again in the bottom of the fourth. Sloan issued three walks and hit a batter, giving the Chill a 2-0 lead. Dan Treccia was on the receiving end of the RBI base on balls. Williams brought the crowd to its feet with a solo inside-the-park homerun in the fifth, lifting the Chill lead to 3-0.
Snowbirds’ hopes were raised in the sixth, however, as they rallied to tie the game. Chris Hartery’s RBI triple sparked the scoring, followed by an error by first baseman Dan Treccia that plated the second run, and a run-scoring single by D.J. Jarrad that pulled them even, setting the stage for Williams.
Chill reliever Matt Atkins earned the win with two innings of work, while Max Whieldon closed out matters in the ninth for his first save. Snowbirds’ reliever David Harding, who surrendered Williams’ decisive blow, absorbed the loss.
