Palm Springs, Calif. – The California Winter League (CWL) postseason kicked off on Friday with all eight teams facing off in four quarterfinal matchups. In the American Division, the top seeds survived scares. The No. 1 Washington Blue Sox defeated the No. 4 Palm Springs Power 3-1 to extend their win streak to 13 games while the No. 2 Oregon Lumberjacks used a late home run to topple the No. 3 Palm Springs Chill. The favorites had an easier time in the International Division as the No. 1 British Columbia Bombers beat the A’s 6-2 thanks to more stellar pitching, and the No. 2 Alberta Grizzly out-slugged No.3 MLB DC China in a 9-5 win.
American Division
No. 3 Palm Springs Chill @ No. 2 Oregon Lumberjacks
The postseason kicked off with a thriller on the auxiliary field. Yushin Ohta struck first, lifting a three-run homer in the first to put the Lumberjacks (10-6) up 3-0 quickly. Ohta and Robby Wheeler added RBI singles in the third to make it 6-0 in favor of Oregon. However, the Chill (7-9-1) refused to back down. Travious Ford walloped a game-tying grand slam to cap a six-run fifth inning for the Chill. With the game tied in the bottom of the sixth, Kazuya Ohila scraped one over the wall for a solo home run, giving the Lumberjacks a 7-6 lead. Connor Gleeson, already in the game from the bullpen, slammed the door and earned the win to secure Oregon’s trip to the American Division championship.
No. 4 Palm Springs Power @ No. 1 Washington Blue Sox
The red-hot Blue Sox (13-2) put their 12-game win streak on the line to start the postseason, and Trey Valka of the Power (5-10-1) sought to cool them down. He struck out 10 in 5.2 innings in which he only allowed two hits. Unfortunately for Valka and the Power, defensive miscues allowed three unearned runs to score throughout his outing including two in the first inning. That gave Trevor McGee and David Reckers all the help they needed. The two pitchers combined for eight strikeouts across seven innings, and other than an unearned run in the second, they kept Palm Springs off the board and held onto a 3-1 win as McGee improved to 3-1 on the year.
International Division
No. 3 MLB DC China @ No. 2 Alberta Grizzly
Wenjie Liu gave MLB DC China (5-12) some energy from the get-go with an RBI double in the first. That energy immediately shifted toward the powerful Grizzly offense. Remy Heckman tied it up with an RBI single in the second before Jorge Duran put Alberta up with a two-run single. Clayton Loranger and Ben Gbur followed up with run-scoring doubles, and just like that, Alberta led 5-1. The Grizzly added four more over the next two innings, which they needed as MLB China rallied late. Some crafty baserunning, Pengwei Jing’s sacrifice fly and Cunhan Song’s RBI single gave the Grizzly some trepidation. William Shea fought through all that adversity and wrapped up a complete game 9-5 victory for Alberta.
No. 4 Canada A’s @ No. 1 British Columbia Bombers
Trey Jones (pictured) dominated all season long on the mound, and that effort continued as the playoffs began for the top-seeded Bombers (10-4-1) against the A’s (4-11-1). He pitched into the seventh inning, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out a season-best 12 batters to earn the win. Early scoring supported Jones as Evan Lorey continued his offensive tear with an RBI single in the first. Brandon Hupe, Alan Goodwin and Michael Rodriguez all added run-scoring hits later on, and despite a late scare, Avery Manygoats sealed the 6-2 win for British Columbia.
Semifinal Saturday is now set. The No. 1 Washington Blue Sox face the No. 2 Oregon Lumberjacks at 10 AM in a battle for the American Division crown. At 12:30 PM, the No. 1 British Columbia Bombers square off against the No. 2 Alberta Grizzly with the International Division on the line. Both games will take place at Palm Springs Stadium.
On Saturdays draft beers are three dollars. For more information on promotions and scheduling for the California Winter League visit californiawinterleague.com.
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The California Winter League is the longest running professional showcase league of its kind. Since its inaugural season in 2010, the CWL has seen over 850 of its players sign professional contracts. Each year, it is the premier destination for free agent baseball players who are looking to be scouted and signed.
Stay up-to-date with the California Winter League at californiawinterleague.com or by following the CWL on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Fans can buy tickets every gameday at the stadium box office. Palm Springs Stadium is located at 1901 E Baristo Road in Palm Springs. Fans can also tune in on the California Winter League YouTube to watch every 2024 stadium game live.
For more information, visit californiawinterleague.com or call (760) 778-4487.
