Gold Sox aided by miscues
The Gold Sox and San Luis Obispo Blues have played in several tight, high-spirited games the last two seasons.
That ended with a thud in Marysville on Sunday night.
Yuba-Sutter did its part, but San Luis Obispo looked like a team playing out the string.
The Gold Sox took advantage, defeating the Blues 8-4 in the final California Collegiate League meeting of the season between the two teams.
San Luis Obispo (34-24, 7-14) committed five errors, leading to six unearned runs. The Blues played a twinbill against the Santa Maria Indians a day earlier, perhaps leading to their lethargic play.
“It was a pretty long game, but I don't think we saw the same intensity from them that we're used to seeing,” said Gold Sox designated hitter Jason Searle, who extended his hitting streak to nine games after knocking in three runs.
Yuba-Sutter starter Nicolas Waechter improved to 5-0, although he battled out of trouble several times. Waechter struck out five and allowed seven hits and two walks in his five-inning stint.
The right-hander induced a double play ball from Brian Conradi to end a bases-loaded threat in the second. Then with the bases loaded again with one out in the fifth, he fanned Sean Burgess swinging and Jimmy Gardiner looking to put out the fire.
In frustration, Gardiner flung his bat and helmet and was ejected from the contest.
“Waechter gives us his best game every time out,” Searle said. “We really trust him even when he's struggling a little bit.”
The Gold Sox (32-12, 14-8) scored once in the second and three more times in the third against Blues starting pitcher Nick Gulden (3-3), although two of the runs were unearned.
Searle bunted to lead off the second, and catcher Kyle Blumenthal fired a bomb over first baseman Kirk Gross' head as Searle motored all the way to second. He eventually scored when A.J. Valentine singled off the wall in right field.
In the third inning, R.C. Dickerson beat out a bunt hit, Brennan Garr doubled off the left field wall and Cameron Shick walked to load the bases.
Searle then drove in Dickerson with a sacrifice fly. Blues left fielder Sean Burgess made a mental mistake, throwing home instead of to third, allowing Garr and Shick to each move up a base.
Buddy Morales followed with a sacrifice fly to center to score Garr, and Shick came home when Valentine's ground ball was muffed by shortstop Brian Hanson.
The Blues made it 4-1 after a David Lamar RBI single in the fifth but wouldn't get any closer.
Yuba-Sutter broke it open with three more in the fifth, all of those unearned runs.
An error from third baseman Brian Conradi allowed Mark Steinbeck to score, and Lamar, the shortstop, misplayed a Shick ground ball to prolong the inning.
Searle then made two errors hurt after pulling a two-run double down the left-field line to make it 7-1.
Frank Jeney's RBI single in the sixth made it 8-1.
Yes, that run was unearned too.
Notes: Ryan Angel broke an 0-for-21 string with an infield single in the third ... Dickerson reached on three infield singles ... Yuba-Sutter stole four bases ... Gold Sox manager Brad Peek said Craig Ayers will likely start Wednesday's road game in Solano.
