Sox sweep Pioneers

Although most traditions in the month of July are strictly meant for Independence Day, the Yuba-Sutter Gold Sox took some liberties on Sunday night and extended their holiday celebration.

The Gold Sox kept their winning tradition against Folsom afloat and improved their all-time record against the Pioneers to 13-0 with a 9-7 victory at All Seasons RV Stadium and also completed the three-game weekend sweep.

Yuba-Sutter pounded out 18 hits, its second-highest total this season behind the club's 20-hit performance against the Novato Knicks on June 13.

After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning for the second straight night, the Gold Sox once again answered back, but this time in thundering fashion.

Seven consecutive batters picked up hits and five runners came across home plate in the bottom of the first inning as Yuba- Sutter went ahead 5-1.

Danny Brown had an RBI double in the first, followed by RBI singles from Adrian Perez, Justin Lamb and Andy Quiring.

Left fielder Mikey Raudenbush extended the lead to 8-3 with a bases-clearing double in the bottom of the third inning.

Raudenbush picked up his fourth RBI of the night in the bottom of the seventh inning to drive in Deven Braden, who went 4-for-5 and scored twice.

A little more than halfway through the summer now, Raudenbush has noticed a significant change in the team's confidence and its ability to pick each other up.

"We're becoming more and more like a team each day," Raudenbush said. "(The three-game sweep) is huge. It's a lot of momentum and it's nice going into the off-time winning three games. It was good to rebound from (Thursday's) 11-1 loss and pick up three straight."

Right-hander Corey Chaffins was the starting pitcher of that 11-1 loss and gave up six earned runs in 11⁄3 innings, but got some redemption on Sunday.

After Sunday's starter Chris Shea struggled to get through four innings, Chaffins tossed four shut-out frames and retired 10 of the 13 batters he faced.

Chaffins (1-2) struck out six of the 13 he faced, including five out of the last six Pioneers, to pick up the win.

Scott Harlan surrendered a run in the top of the ninth, but kept the two-run lead intact to get his team-leading fifth save of the season.

"Chaffins picked us up and did a great job of putting up some zeroes," manager Jack Johnson said. "I think it was a good thing for him since he struggled on Thursday. He did what he needed to do and he got better."

The Gold Sox are now 17-7 in the Horizon Air Summer Series, which puts them behind the Humboldt Crabs, Seattle Studs and San Luis Obispo Blues, but there are still 16 games left in the series.

Both Sacramento teams out of the Buzzie Bavasi Division will be in town next weekend for separate two-game sets.

Yuba-Sutter takes on the Sacramento Legends on Thursday and Friday, with the all-too-familiar Sacramento Scorch coming into town to round out the rest of the weekend.

"My question to them after this weekend was, 'What are you willing to do to get better?'" Johnson said. "We've only got a month left and they need to find out what to do to become a better baseball player."