Gold Sox end road draught
Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - Strange events tend to take place when the Yuba-Sutter Gold Sox travel to play the Solano Thunderbirds at Travis Credit Union Park in Vacaville.
Those events usually mean a loss for the Gold Sox, but that would not be the case Tuesday night.
The Gold Sox scored two runs on a wild pitch and rallied for three runs in the eighth inning for an 8-7 victory over the Thunderbirds, breaking a road-loss streak that has lasted for nearly a year. The win snapped Solano's nine-game winning streak.
The Gold Sox (16-7, 13-5) are now 2-8 when visiting their south rival and 1-2 on the road this season.
The Gold Sox last road win before Tuesday came on July 7 at Salinas when former pitcher Nick Waechter threw the team's first ever no-hitter.
Yuba-Sutter outscored Solano (12-4, 9-3) 5-0 over the final three innings, touching relief pitcher Craig Eagle for the five runs on four hits, including a two-RBI single by Jordan Prado in the seventh, which cut the lead to 7-5, and extended his hitting streak to six games.
Zach Weidenaar scored the go-ahead run in the eighth after a Jason Searle sacrifice-fly, his 21st RBI of the season. Billy Sinacori tied it 7-all after scoring from second base on Jesse Rodgers' ground ball that was misplayed by shortstop Kris Negron for an error.
Weidenaar drove in Junior Contreras with a single for the Gold Sox first run of the eighth.
Eagle took the loss in three innings pitched. He took over for starter Jason Breckley, who lasted five innings, allowing three runs on four hits. Breckley had only given up one run in 11 innings pitched against the Gold Sox.
Jake McKinley picked up his first win for the Gold Sox, pitching two innings, allowing a hit. Jason Peters pitched a perfect ninth to pick up his fourth save of the year.
Gold Sox ace Tyler Pearson struggled in his worst start of the season. He pitched three innings, allowing five earned runs on six hits, while fanning two and walking one.
The Thunderbirds jumped to a 5-0 lead on Pearson after the third, scoring four runs in the second inning. Pearson gave up a lead-off single, hit two straight batters and then allowed three consecutive singles that brought the four runs home.
Wes Porter allowed two runs in the sixth after relieving Steve Alverson, who pitched consecutive 1-2-3 innings in the fourth and fifth.
Matt Vance was 2-for-4, including a double and scored the Gold Sox first run in the second inning on a Johnny Norfolk sacrifice-fly to center.
The Gold Sox cut the lead to 5-3 in the top of the fourth after a wild pitch allowed two runs to score in a weird four-base miscue by Breckley.
Breckley walked Weidenaar, and the ball got by catcher Ryan Overland, allowing Vance to come home from third and Contreras to score from second. Weidenaar moved to second on the play. Overland apparently could not find the ball after Breckley's wild pitch.
Notes: Searle's team-high seven-game hitting streak was snapped as he went 0-for-3 at the plate. He was hit by a pitch in the third inning ... Valentine recorded his first hits on the road this year, going 2-for-5. He was 0-for-7 entering the game ... Former Gold Sox centerfielder Archie Gilbert signed a free-agent contract with the Boston Red Sox last week. He is playing in the Gulf Coast league.
