PALM SPRINGS, CA – The POWER were looking for their 16th win in a row tonight at Palm Springs Stadium against Southern California College Baseball League (SCCBL) rival the So Cal Athletics. It took extra baseball for them to earn the victory, as the POWER won by the score of 2-1 in 11 innings, the first extra inning game of the season.
The first run of the game came on a strikeout of all things, as the Athletics scored on a dropped third strike in third inning. That strikeout was one of five for Casey McCarthy (SR, California State University, San Bernardino), who finished just one shy of his season high. The Cal State San Bernardino Coyote dominated the A’s for the second time this season. Back on June 12, in his first start for Palm Springs, the slender righthander tossed eight innings, allowing just two runs, striking out three, and walking none on seven hits, as he picked up his first POWER victory with a 5-2 final score. Sunday, McCarthy was even better. He threw eight innings again, this time allowing only one run, unearned, gave up just six hits, walked only one, and piled up the aforementioned five strikeouts.
Yates watches ball four go by for another POWER win
The POWER ensured a dramatic finish, not tying the game until the bottom of the ninth. After the Athletics kept the POWER off the board in a combined shutout from Justin Grijalva, Kevin Ponzo, Francisco Fuentes, and Javie Martinez, with Kalob Carter on the mound, Frankie Torres sliced the first pitch he saw down the right field line for a two-out RBI single, scoring Donald Glover (SO, Western Nevada College) to tie the game at one apiece.
The game went into extra innings, after middle infielders David Kiriakos (JR, Riverside City College) for the POWER and Erik Lewis for the Athletics traded dazzling defensive plays to save the game for their respective teams in the 10th. The Athletics nearly won the game in the 11th. With POWER closer Tony Guerra (California State University, San Bernardino) on the mound, Erik Lewis followed up his leaping catch with a single with runners at first and second base, but a laser-beam of a throw from POWER left fielder Marcus Romero (SR, Southern Utah University) gunned down pinch runner Nick Begarra at home plate to keep the tie intact.
The POWER loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning, and Hank Yates (JR, Undecided), who came into the ballgame as a defensive substitution in the 9th inning, watched a 3-1 pitch go by high and outside to walk in the winning run.
Guerra picked up the win in relief for the POWER, his first decision of the summer. Kalob Carter received the loss, his second against the POWER this season. Romero had a nice game all-around, 2-for-5 with a walk, a double, and two steals. He also scored the winning run and had the crucial assist from left field.
With the win, the POWER improve to 28-3 overall and 13-1 in SCCBL play. The Athletics drop to 17-10 and 11-6 in the SCCBL. The POWER go on the road for a doubleheader against the LA Thrashers Monday at 1 and 4 p.m., before coming back for home games Tuesday and Wednesday against the SD Waves and Arroyo Seco Saints. First pitch for the home games will be at 7:05 p.m., with the gates opening at 6:00 p.m. All POWER games can be heard live on www.PSPBB.com, with select games simulcast on NewsTalk 920 KPSI in Palm Springs, including both Tuesday night’s and Wednesday night’s ballgames. Also, be sure to check out our blog for more team information, including the lineups before every POWER game.
