Ejected hurler gets revenge

San Luis Obispo's Rocky Roquet was ejected a day earlier, chirping from the dugout in an extra-inning loss to the Gold Sox.

One night later, Roquet was around for the long haul.

Roquet went all nine innings on the mound, scattering six hits, as the Blues split a two-game California Collegiate League series with a 3-1 win in Marysville Friday night.

The right-hander admitted he was “lolly-gagging” the ball over by the ninth inning and was nearly spent.

“We used four pitchers last night, so I knew coming in I was going to be on a pretty long leash,” said Roquet, who fanned seven and walked four.

The Gold Sox (8-2, 5-1) broke up Roquet's shutout in the ninth when Ryan Angel doubled home Kyle Maunus with two outs. Yuba-Sutter then had the tying run at the plate, but R.C. Dickerson, one of the heroes on Thursday, flew out to left to end the game.

The Gold Sox left nine runners stranded.

“It seemed like we were a hit away a few times,” said Gold Sox manager Brad Peek. “I have a feeling that we just needed to pop the balloon and get it going.”

The Blues (9-5, 1-1) scored single runs in the first, third and fifth against Gold Sox starting pitcher Jason Searle (2-1).

San Luis Obispo scored an unearned run in the first inning. Leadoff hitter Jimmy Gardiner began the game by reaching on an infield single and advancing to second on shortstop Mark Steinbeck's wild throw. The Gold Sox failed to cover third, and Gardiner alertly took the open base. Baker Krukow grounded out to first, allowing Gardiner to score.

Gardiner singled and scored in the third inning as well and was 3-for-4, reaching base four times.

Searle was in trouble in nearly every inning but managed to minimize the damage. He lasted five innings, allowing eight hits and three runs, two of those earned.

“He battled,” Peek said. “He's going through some hamstring problems. I think we'll sit him tomorrow so he can get better.”

Searle starts in the outfield when he's not pitching.

The Gold Sox squandered chances to score in the third, fourth and fifth. They left the bases loaded in the third, had Cameron Shick (3-for-4) thrown out at home plate in the fourth and couldn't take advantage of two Blues errors in the fifth.

“It seemed like when I was in trouble, I was throwing my breaking ball a lot to keep them off balance,” said Roquet, who will pitch at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo next year. “My fastball moves a lot too, but I think in the third, (Frank Jeney) was up and I threw three straight sliders to him.”

Notes: The Gold Sox were finally caught stealing for the first time this year when Jeney was thrown out by Krukow in the first inning. They had been successful in their first 19 attempts ... Western Oregon catcher Greg McCarthy won't be able to join the Gold Sox after having to undergo knee surgery ... Buddy Morales' hitting streak ended at seven games after he struck out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth ... Yuba-Sutter will see the Blues June 22 and 23 in San Luis Obispo ... Peek said Eric Thompson (1-1, 2.61) and Tony Biale (0-0, 0.00) will likely start Saturday and Sunday against the Oakland Expos.