Palm Springs, Calif. – It proved to be an exhilarating Sunday afternoon at the California Winter League (CWL) with two comeback victories and an extra inning thriller. At the auxiliary field, the Canada A’s rallied in the 7th inning and walked off the Alberta Grizzly for a 5-4 win. At Palm Springs Stadium, the British Columbia Bombers squeaked past the Oregon Lumberjacks 1-0 in eight innings before the Washington Blue Sox recorded a comeback 6-3 victory over the Palm Springs Power.
Alberta Grizzly @ Canada A’s
An international division battle turned dramatic late. After the Grizzly cobbled together a 4-2 lead headed into the final inning, the A’s turned on the jets. Consecutive doubles by Devin McCary and Demetrius Foster got the rally going for the A’s. An error tied the game, and then Jonathan Gottlieb walked it off with a run-scoring single that brought out an entire dugout full of red and white to celebrate the 5-4 A’s victory.
British Columbia Bombers @ Oregon Lumberjacks
Pitchers went toe-to-toe in this fast-paced game. Zach Novis of the Bombers and Connor Gleeson of the Lumberjacks each threw five scoreless innings before handing things off to the bullpen. Both staffs held the opposing lineups down through regulation sending the game to extras- the first free baseball of the 2024 CWL season. In the eighth with a ghost runner starting the frame at second, Garrett Gonzales lined a single up the middle to give the Bombers the 1-0 lead. Nathan Ruble closed the door in the bottom of the eighth, picking up the save and securing the Bombers’ shutout.
Palm Springs Power @ Washington Blue Sox
The Power entered Sunday as the only remaining undefeated team and started hot against the Blue Sox. Nick Noll drove in a run with a sacrifice fly before Jack Paulson cracked a two-run double to left, putting the Power up 3-0 in the first frame. However, the Blue Sox bounced right back with two runs in the bottom half of the inning thanks to a pair of errors. Then in the second, Diante Jackson pummeled a solo home run to left that tied the game at three. Shortly after, Alejandro Lara clobbered a two-out, two run double that catapulted that Blue Sox ahead 5-3. Washington pitcher David Reckers then stole the show for the Blue Sox in an electric outing from the bullpen. In 5 innings of relief, Reckers struck out 11 Power hitters while not allowing a baserunner. Reckers earned the save striking out 11 of 13 batters faced to close out the 6-3 Washington win. The Blue Sox won their first game of the season and handed the Power their first loss.
The CWL continues on Monday with Margarita Monday brought to you by Luxury Pools Design and Construction at Palm Springs Stadium. The Washington Blue Sox take on the Canada A’s at 10 AM followed by the Palm Springs Chill and MLB DC China squaring off at 12:30 PM. Fans can buy four dollar ballpark margaritas. 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 atcaliforniawinterleague.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, visitcaliforniawinterleague.com or call (760) 778-4487.
