Y-S Sox defeat 'Cats
May 29, 2006 - After being held scoreless in a 1-0 loss on Saturday, the Yuba-Sutter Gold Sox responded with 14 hits Sunday en route to a 10-0 shutout of the Seaside Wildcats in the final game of a four-game series at All Seasons RV Stadium.
“We made a few adjustments offensively, and they responded,” said Yuba-Sutter manager Brad Peek.
Nine Gold Sox (3-1) hitters had hits against the Wildcats (1-3). Brett Nightingale led the way with three hits and three RBIs. Joel Torres, Chris Brown and B.J. Collom had two hits each.
“Yesterday everyone was trying to get really big,” Peek said. “Not necessarily hit home runs, but it's the first time for a lot of these guys with the wood bats, and they think they have to start their swing earlier than they really do.”
Prior to the game, hitting coach Chris Terry had the players hitting balls to the opposite field, a strategy that carried through to the game. No Yuba-Sutter hitter had an extra-base hit, and the Gold Sox had only two flyballs go for outs in the game.
“That's fine today,” Peek said of the 14 singles. “The doubles and home runs will come.”
Yuba-Sutter had good pitching as well - Matt Collins, Chris Chavez, Josh Roberts and Myles Schroder combined to throw a three-hitter.
Roberts pitched perfect innings in the sixth and seventh innings and picked up the win.
Matt Collins started and allowed one hit, walked two and struck out one in four innings of work. Chavez pitched the fifth, and Schroder came on in the eighth and struck out five - including the final three - in the eighth and ninth.
Seaside starter Matt Gardner took the loss.
Offensively, the Gold Sox put two nice bookends on the win, scoring three in the first inning and five in the eighth.
The first six batters reached base, and after coming up empty on two big swings, Nightingale put Yuba-Sutter ahead when he shortened his stroke and drove home Valentine and Brown with a single up the middle.
Matt Kavanaugh made it 3-0 one batter later when he scored on a single by Collom.
Kavanaugh scored again in the sixth on an infield single by Etienne Materre, and Valentine came home on an error in the seventh to make it 5-0.
The Gold Sox sent 10 hitters to the plate in the five-run eighth. Jonathan Dees, Jeff Horn and Nightingale had singles in the inning, Collom and Torres walked and Valentine was hit by a pitch.
Notes: Yuba College pitcher Ryan Zaft has been signed as a permanent member of the club ... Collins hit Seaside catcher Mason Reilly with two pitches, both times with two strikes ... The Gold Sox's 1-0 loss to the Wildcats Saturday was only the second 1-0 game in team history. Their only other 1-0 game was on August 4 last year, a win over the Solano Thunderbirds.
Appeal-Democrat reporter Nathan D. Collier can be reached at 749-4714. You may e-mail him at ncollier@appeal-democrat.com.
