Photo by Steve Sitter.
Power Streak Ends as Chill Stay Hot
By: Geoff Safford
Both the Palm Springs Chill and Power were in action Wednesday in California Winter league play trying to stay in first and second place respectively in the CWL Standings.
The first game of the day at Palm Springs Stadium featured two teams heading in separate directions. The Palm Springs Chill (8-2) defeated the Washington Blue Sox (2-8) by a score of 8-3. The Chill took advantage of four errors made by the Blue Sox to win their fifth game in a row.
The top two hitters in the order for the Chill were key as they consistently were on base. Leadoff man Matt LoCoco, and second place hitter Elijah Briseno combined to reach base 10 times in the game. Lococo was 1-1 with three walks and a hit-by-pitch with Briseno finishing 2-2 with two walks.
Starter Myles Richard was effective in three innings of work allowing only three hits in three innings with no runs allowed to earn the victory. Jose Flores shut the door in two innings finishing with four strikeouts and no hits allowed, preserving the victory.
A four-run rally in the fifth fueled a 5-3 win for the British Columbia Bombers (5-4) over Hit King (4-5).
The highlight of the inning was a three-run home run by third baseman Thomas McGuckin that soared over the left field wall to give the Bombers a 5-0 advantage. The Hit King made a late charge in the seventh to make the game interesting, but it would not be enough.
Starters Tyler Garkow and David Foster were both phenomenal, but Garkow was the tough luck loser in the game. Garkow recorded his first six outs of the game via the strikeout and finished with nine total in four innings. Foster threw five shutout innings allowing only three hits while striking out five batters in a winning effort.
On the Auxiliary Field the Alberta Grizzly (3-8) held off a late charge by the Canada A’s (5-5) in a 7-6 victory.
The Grizzly led 7-3 headed into the top of the seventh inning. With the bases loaded Ross LaMarca hit a doubled into right field to knock in a pair of runs to make it 7-6. However, the tying run was thrown out on the play, and the A’s were turned away in the inning.
Centerfielder Joshua McAdams homered twice in the game, in the first and fifth innings, fueling the Grizzly offense. McAdams was 2-for-3 with four RBI.
The offenses of the Palm Springs Power (8-1-1) and Coachella Valley Snowbirds (2-7-1) battled in a back- and-forth affair.
The Power offense wasted no time and rallied for five runs, fueled by three RBI singles, to jump out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first.
The Snowbirds had an answer, however, as they rallied for six runs combined in the first and second innings to keep pace with the Power.
After the dust settled a winner could not be crowned and the game ended in an 8-8 tie.
The Manitoba North Stars (2-8) used a twelve run onslaught to defeat the Toronto Rush (8-3) by a score of 12-1.
The North Stars jumped out front after trailing early in the first with a five-run third inning and never looked back from there. Brandon Cloutier delivered the big blow in the inning with a two-run double and was later knocked in on an RBI single by Bobby Dragon to take a 5-1 lead.
Tomorrow’s Schedule:
The California Winter League season continues Thursday with five contests on tap at both Palm Springs Stadium, and the Auxiliary Field.
Auxiliary Field:
8:30 a.m. British Colombia Bombers @ Coachella Valley Snowbirds
11:00 a.m. Palm Springs Power@ Manitoba North Stars
1:30 p.m. Alberta Grizzly @ Canada As
Palm Springs Stadium:
10:00 a.m. Toronto Rush @ Oregon Lumberjacks
12:30 p.m. New York Colonials @ Washington Blue Sox
Every Wednesday is Out Of Towners Day at Palm Springs Stadium. Every fan with a valid out of state US drivers license will get into the park for only $2 dollars. Tickets are available at the box office at Palm Springs Stadium.
