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Box
Score
Wichita,
KS - The Santa Maria Indians fought hard to overcome
a 5-run first inning deficit to beat the Wichita
Braves Sunday night in front of over a thousand
Braves fans. The Indians played poor defense right
out of the gates, giving up 3 runs in the first
inning which led to five unearned runs for Indians
starter TJ Statsny (1-1, 2.50 era). A dropped
ball by 3B Willie Keene and a dropped flyball
by LF Tyrese McDaniel gave the Braves a quick
5-0 lead, much to the delight of the Wichita crowd.
However,
the Indians responded in the third inning with
leadoff batter 2B Evan Wells (.347) drawing a
walk off Braves starter Rob Musgrave (Wichita
State University). CF Daniel Robertson (.358)
followed with a single to put runners on first
and second with nobody out. Robertson had a great
game, finishing 5-5 with 3 runs scored, 3 stolen
bases, a double, and an RBI. With RF Loren Storey
(team-leading .364) up, catcher Brent Milleville
(Stanford) picked off Wells at second in what
looked to kill a potential rally. But Storey battled
against Musgrave, and lined a triple to the left-field
corner scoring Robertson and bringing the Tribe
within 4 runs. 1B Bo Bowman (.348) dropped a double
into shallow left-center to score Robertson to
make it 5-2. RF Tyrese McDaniel (.258) followed
Bowman with an RBI double and would score on the
next play, a Josh Thomas (.275) single through
the left side to bring the Indians within a run
at 5-4.
The
Indians intensity remained high into the 4th inning
when Evan Wells again began the rally with a leadoff
walk. Daniel Robertson would follow with yet another
single (his fourth on the night) and Wells would
score on Bo Bowman's second RBI of the night,
a single up the middle. With DH Matt Winkelman
(.337) up and 2 outs, Daniel Robertson made the
play of the game, stealing home on a 1-0 count,
firing up the Indians as they took the lead 6-5
and stormed out of the dugout to congratulate
the gutsy move by Robertson.
However,
the Indians would run into trouble in the bottom
half of the fourth when Statsny gave up three
straight singles to open the inning. Reliever
Jason Breckley (1-0, 1.54 era) would inherit a
bases-loaded no-out jam and give up a single to
the first batter to tie the game at 6-6. DH Alberto
Lopez (Odessa JC) would hit into a double play
to give the Braves a 7-6 lead, and Breckley got
the next batter LF Cody Lassley (Wichita State
University) to pop out to Corey Morales at shortstop
to get out of the jam only giving up 2 runs.
In
the 6th, the Indians rallied with 2 outs to take
the lead for good. To no surprise, CF Daniel Robertson
hit a 2-out double to left-center to give the
Indians hope. Storey would follow with a walk
and a double steal by Robertson and Storey left
runners in scoring position. A Bo Bowman walk
would load the bases for Matt Winkelman (0-3 coming
into the at-bat) who fell behind quickly 0-2.
Winkelman drove the high 1-2 fastball from Brandon
Johnson (Butler CC) to right-center for a bases-clearing
double, advancing to third on an error by Braves
CF Mark McBritney (Emporia State), and giving
the Indians the 9-7 lead.
RHP
Artie Reyes (3-0, 1.69 era) would relieve Breckley
who threw 3 innings of 4-hit relief to bail out
the Tribe. Reyes would do the same, throwing 1
and 2/3 innings of 3-hit ball, striking out 4
of the 9 batters he faced and giving up one run
on a pinch-hit double by Ryan Bohanon.
Robertson
would add an insurance run in the 8th with an
RBI single (his 5th hit of the game) that would
plate 3B Willie Keene to give the Indians a 10-8
lead. Closer Jordan Stewart (2-2, 4.37 era) would
come on to close his third game of the season
to give the Indians their second win of the NBC
World Series.
The
Indians will face the Seguin CMC (Texas) Steelers
tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 pm. The winner of that
game will move on to play the 3-1 Hays (KS) Larks
(winners of the Jayhawk League) on Tuesday with
the loser heading home.
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