Thennis feeling just fine in Yuba-Sutter uniform

Saturday, July 16, 2005 - It looks like Doug Thennis is starting to feel comfortable in his Gold Sox uniform.

Thennis went 3-for-5 in just his third game of the season Friday night as Yuba-Sutter (25-9) rolled to a 9-2 Horizon Air Summer Series win over the visiting Nor-Cal Longhorns, the Gold Sox' sixth win in a row.

Thennis had two RBIs for the game including a including a towering, second-inning blast to left-center that cleared the net suspended above the wall and bounced off B Street behind All Seasons RV Stadium.

“The great thing about that home run was that Thennis ran hard out of the box,” said Yuba-Sutter manager Brad Peek. “He didn't assume it was going out right away and he didn't try to grandstand once it was out.”

Thennis signed with the Gold Sox last week. The sophomore at American River College was actually drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 26th round of this Major League Baseball draft but in what is known as a “sign-and-follow” draft pick.

“It doesn't seem that (the Nationals) were going to sign him right away,” said Peek, “but the pick gives them the right to sign him before next year's draft if they like what they see out of him this summer and next year at American River.”

Gold Sox starter Matt Huff (5-2) struck out seven in seven strong innings of work to join Tyler Pearson as the second Gold Sox pitcher with five wins on the season.

Pearson will start tonight in game two of the three-game weekend series against the Longhorns. Game time is 7:15 p.m.

Matt Vance got Gold Sox offense going early, leading off the first with a single before swiping both second and third base for his 13th and 14th steals on the season. Vance scored on an A.J. Valentine ground-out to give the Gold Sox the early 1-0 lead. Vance went 3-for-4 on the night and Valentine went 3-for-5.

Valentine is now 11-for-his-last-22 with a season batting average of .368.

Thennis scored again in the fourth inning after Junior Contreras hit a double to drive him in from second base and Jesse Rodgers scored another Yuba-Sutter run in the fifth for a 4-2 lead.

The Gold Sox picked up another run in the fifth when a Jason Searle grounder scored Rodgers from third.

The floodgates finally swung open in the sixth as the Gold Sox put together a five-run, two-out rally that included two walks followed by consecutive singles from Vance, Rodgers and Valentine to give Yuba-Sutter the 9-2 lead that stood as the final.

Greg Oravetz took the loss for the Longhorns. He lasted 5 2/3 innings, giving up eight earned runs on 11 hits while striking out four.

Joe Slater drove in Matt McGrew in the second inning and Bryan Moore knocked home Gino Lavezzo in the sixth for Nor-Cal's only runs.

The Gold Sox outhit the Longhorns 15-7 on the night and Yuba-Sutter actually stranded 10 runners, six of them in scoring position.

With the win the Gold Sox (21-6) keep pace with the Aloha Knights (20-6) and the Solano Thunderbirds (20-5) in the Don McCullough Division of the Horizon Air Summer Series Standings.

Notes: Vance is now 14-for-14 stealing bases on the season including five in the last two games...This was the first ever meeting between the Longhorns and the Gold Sox...The Longhorns are based in San Mateo, and used to be known as the San Mateo Bulldogs.

Nathan Collier can be reached at 741-2400. You may e-mail him at ncollier@appeal-democrat.com.