Gold Sox get ‘raudy'

Gold Sox left fielder Mikey Raudenbush hasn't considered himself a "power hitter" since his high school days in Louisville, Colo.

He recalls hitting four homers in one game as a senior, but his power numbers have dwindled quite substantially since moving up to the college ranks.

While he leads the Gold Sox in hits, on-base percentage and runs scored, only two of his 42 hits have gone for extra bases.

Better make that three.

Raudenbush broke open a 0-0 tie in the bottom of the fifth inning with a two-run blast off the netting above the left-field wall to highlight a five-run output in the fifth.

The Gold Sox tacked on four more and cruised to a 9-2 victory on Friday night to take a 2-0 series lead in front of 2,613 strong at All Seasons RV Stadium.

Raudenbush's blast was his first ever with a wood bat and he said he was just trying to hit the ball in the air somewhere.

After Christian Garcia led off the inning with a triple, Raudenbush said he would've been happy with a sacrifice fly.

"I was just looking for a ball up and I hit it well enough to go out," Raudenbush said. "My power kind of faded in college, but as a leadoff hitter I haven't really had to change my approach."

Raudenbush has made a strong case for an all-conference slot on the Horizon Air Summer Series First Team.

Besides his offensive success, Raudenbush hasn't made an error in left field and is a human highlight reel, making numerous diving catches this summer.

He's the only member of the team who has started every game this season and since moving to the leadoff spot has flourished as the team's top hitter.

But just because he's a leadoff hitter doesn't mean he's looking for a walk. He still takes the same approach - see ball, hit ball.

"Be aggressive and just try to get on base is the goal," Raudenbush said. "(Manager Jack Johnson) told me not to change my approach and it's worked out for me."

The entire lineup has changed its approach since last weekend's three-game sweep at the hands of the San Jose Seals - the team is actually hitting the ball with runners in scoring position.

Adrian Perez doubled in two runs in that five-run fifth inning, followed by an RBI single from catcher Mike Wiseman.

After the Gold Sox scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh without even getting a hit, Justin Lamb added one more in the eighth with an RBI double.

Johnson said players who slumped last weekend are starting to come out of it and as a result, the team is back on a two-game winning streak.

"Good teams find ways to get back on top," Johnson said. "It's not about falling down or failing. It's about making the appropriate adjustments."

No adjustment necessary for the Yuba-Sutter pitching staff.

Gold Sox starter Trent Evins (4-0) didn't allow an earned run over six innings of work and scattered three hits, despite walking the bases loaded in the first inning.

Yuba-Sutter starters now have a three-game streak of surrendering only two earned runs or less.

"(Evins) struggled early but really composed himself," Johnson said. "He settled down really nicely."

Former Colusa Redskin-turned-Yuba College 49er Matt Vedo made his season debut for Johnson on Friday, tossing an inning of relief.

He struck out two of the batters he faced and Johnson said Vedo will remain with the club for the rest of the summer.

Righty Cris Rogers (6-1) will go for the series win tonight at 7 p.m.