The
Indians are playing this weekend in the Best of
the West Tournament. The Indians have played in
the Best of the West several times, playing last
year in the Santa Barbara bracket at Caesar Uyesaka
Stadium on the UC Santa Barbara campus. The Indians
lost to the eventual champion Santa Barbara Foresters
in the final game of the tournament.
This year the Indians play in the Berkeley bracket
at UC Berkeley The four sites are the Northern
part: UC Berkeley and Santa Clara and the Southern
part UCLA's Jackie Robinson field and UCSB's Caeser
Uyesaka stadium. If the Indians win their bracket
they will play at Stanford University's Sunken
Diamond. If they win their first game in Palo
Alto they will play the championship there, if
they lose then they travel to play the consolation
game at the University of Santa Clara.
The
Indians dropped the consolation game at Santa
Clara University's Stephen Schott Stadium Sunday
night 10-4 to the San Diego Stars. The Indians
finished in 4th place in what was a long weekend
of baseball (6 games in 4 days).
After
losing in the 10AM game to the host Maxim Yankees
Sunday morning the Tribe had to wait around at
Stanford's Sunken Diamond for the outcome of the
Santa Barbara-San Diego game. This game seemed
to drag on forever, and lasted well over three
hours until Santa Barbara's Roberto Lopez won
the game in the bottom of the ninth inning with
a single down the LF line to win 9-8.
The
championship game was supposed to begin at 5:00pm
(began at 5:30) at Stanford and the consolation
game was set to begin at 5:30pm at Santa Clara,
however the San Diego Stars took their time in
getting to the ballyard, not arriving until just
before 7pm. The Indians, who had been waiting
around for the better part of 2 hours on the Santa
Clara field (7 hours total in between games) looked
tired and sluggish against the Stars, and justifiably
so after a draining weekend in baseball.
Starter
Mickey Jannis got roughed up, giving up 7 runs
in 3 1/3 innings and the Indians fell down 10-1
in part to some timely hitting by the Stars, sloppy
defense, and a few bad calls by the umpiring crew.
The Indians bats looked tired, putting together
three runs in the later innings on back to back
doubles by Kris Haycock and Matt Angel to make
the final score 10-4. Both teams faced long drives
back Sunday night, and it was more of a relief
to get the weekend over with and prepare for the
travels.
The
Indians finish 4th in the Best of the West, and
Santa Barbara (CCL rival) won their 3rd straight
title, netting 10k in winnings. The Indians have
Monday off before embarking on the road again
to play the Monterey Bay Sox for a 3-game series
beginning Tuesday and ending Wednesday with a
doubleheader. 2 of the 3 games will count for
league play. The Indians then have a nice 3 day
break and return to action Sunday at home vs the
new Clovis Outlaws.
The
Santa Maria Indians dropped their game Sunday
morning to the Maxim Yankees, the hosts of the
Best of the West Tournament. Indians pitcher Holden
Sprague started the game for the Indians and pitched
well going 7 innings, giving up 2 runs (1 earned)
on 4 hits, striking out 6.
The
Yankees jumped on the board first in the top of
the 3rd inning when John Joines singled to left
field and advanced to second on a Holden Sprague
balk. Brendan Domaracki hit a sacrifice fly to
center field to bring in Joines for a 1-0 lead.
The Yankees held that lead until DH Tyrese McDaniel
opened up the bottom of the 4th inning with a
blast to right field, a solo homerun and his second
of the tournament, to tie the game at 1-1.
In
the top of the 6th inning the Indians defense
collapsed, when Curt Wideman reached on a 1-out
error by 1B Wes Dorrell that went through his
legs. The next batter C Josh Thomas (Santa Maria
native and 2006 Santa Maria Indian from Cal Poly
SLO) reached on an error by 3B Blake Crosby moving
Wideman to second. The next batter John Shaffer
hit a chopper to SS Cory Morales who flipped to
2B Evan Wells for the second out of the inning.
However, on the throw attempting the 6-4-3 double
play Wells threw the ball low to Dorrell, getting
past the 1B to bring home Wideman for a 2-1 Yankees
lead.
The
Yankees added to their lead 3-1 when Curt Wideman
knocked a home run to left field, and that would
prove to be all they needed. The Indians threatened
in the bottom of the 8th inning when 2B Evan Wells
knocked a 1-out single up the middle. 1B Wes Dorrell
blooped a single to right field to put runners
on 1st and 2nd with the big Tyrese McDaniel coming
up to the plate. McDaniel grounded out to 1st,
moving both runners into scoring position for
C Jeff Farnham with 2 outs. Farnham battled off
a couple pitches before flying out to right field,
ending the closest scoring threat for the Indians.
The
Indians beat the Oakland Expos in the twinbill
of their doubleheader Saturday night 10-4. The
Indians got a good pitching outing from Cody Walden
who went 7 innings, giving up 6 hits and 4 runs,
3 earned in picking up the win. 2B Evan Wells
went 3-6 with 2 runs and 3 RBI and 3B Blake Crosby
went 2-4 with an RBI. C Jeff Farnham went 2-3
with 3 RBI and Tyrese McDaniel went 2-3 with 2
runs scored.
Reliever
Steve Martlaro came on for two scoreless innings
in the win
The Santa Maria Indians dropped the opener of
their doubleheader today to the Reno Astros. The
Astros, made up of former farmhands and managed
by former Santa Maria Indian and Phillies minor
leaguer Mike Gillies, jumped on starter Micah
Spencer for 5 runs.
Spencer
falls to 1-3 on the summer with a 6.62 era in
6 appearances. OF Jeff Tolotti (St. Louis Cardinals)
put the Astros on the board in the first inning
with a homerun off the right field foul pole for
a 2-0 lead. The Astros tacked on another run for
a 3-0 lead with an error by SS Cory Morales. The
Indians committed three errors on the afternoon.
1B
Wes Dorrell knocked in a run with a single to
right field to make it 3-1 Astros. Lou Luca added
a homerun in the 5th to put the Astros up 4-1.
With the Indians trailing 5-1 in the bottom of
the 6th inning Zane Chavez added an RBI single
to bring the Indians closer at 5-2. The Indians
would add one more run to make it 6-3 in the ninth.
Wes Dorrell led the way offensively with a 2-5
night and 2 RBI.
Spencer
took the loss giving up 10 hits in 6 innings and
5 runs. Brendan McDonald came on to throw 3 innings
if one-hit ball giving up no runs, 1 scored on
an error.
In
Friday's game the Santa Maria Indians overcame
a 4-2 deficit with two outs in the ninth inning
for their most thrilling come from behind victory
of this young season. Will Campbell doubled home
two with two out in the 9th inning to tie the
game at 4-4. Indians P Josh Walter came on to
relieve and shut the door in the bottom of the
ninth to send it to extra innings. In the top
of the 11th inning, Will Campbell did it again,
knocking in Jeff Farnham to give the Indians a
5-4 lead. Evan Wells chopped a grounder to first
base that went under the glove of the Knicks first
basemen plating Crosby and Campbell for a 7-4
lead.
The
next batter Josh Meagher was hit by the pitch
and Kris Haycock hit a bases clearing 2-run triple
to right center for a 9-4 lead. Cody Smith hit
a sac fly to make it 10-4. Indians reliever Cody
Walden came on to shut the door on a great come
from behind victory for the Indians 10-4.
In
Thursday's opening round game of the Best of the
West Tournament the Indians beat the Redding Colt
45s. The Indians jumped out to a 4-2 lead and
held that until the 6th inning when they trailed
6-4. With the bases loaded and the Indians down
6-5 in the 7th inning, 1B Josh Meagher hit a grand
slam to right field to give the Indians a 9-6
lead. A few errors and the Indians tacked on some
more runs to win 12-6. Tyrese McDaniel also hit
a solo home run for his third on the season.
