Gold Sox sweep Lodi

The Horizon Air Summer Series season came to an end on Sunday night, but there will be no McCullough Division title for the Yuba-Sutter Gold Sox.

After losing to the Humboldt Crabs on Thursday the Gold Sox were eliminated from championship contention, but still pressed on to face the Lodi Baseball Club.

And just when it seemed like manager Jack Johnson's club was set to close up shop for the summer, his players responded with one of its best performances of the year.

Yuba-Sutter completed the three-game sweep over Engelken Division Champion Lodi on Sunday with an 8-5 victory. It was the Gold Sox's third straight come-from-behind win and the team improved to 29-13 overall.

Sunday's contest could also receive the distinction of being labeled Yuba-Sutter's most intense game of the season.

Gold Sox first baseman Max Stassi saw two pitches thrown at his head in the bottom of the sixth inning and eventually was hit.

Stassi was also hit by a pitch in the seventh inning.

Designated hitter Justin Lamb received a pitch near his head as well and thought the dugouts might have emptied if one more batter was pegged.

"Especially after the best hitter on our team gets hit twice you think something is going to go down," Lamb said. "But it was a fun game and that's what it's all about."

Lamb and the rest of the Gold Sox decided to take the high road and let their bats do all of the trash-talking.

After falling behind 3-0 in the second inning, the Gold Sox did what they have been doing all weekend when falling behind - they answered back.

Yuba-Sutter plated five runs in the bottom half of the second thanks to three straight RBI singles from Adrian Perez, Stassi and Lamb.

Lamb also provided the biggest offensive jolt of the night with a towering, two-run blast over the left field wall to extend Yuba-Sutter's lead to 7-3.

He finished his night 3-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored.

Lamb added that with the summer winding down, he and his teammates are starting to recognize the fact that they may never play baseball together again.

"We've all become real close over the summer," Lamb said. "It's going to be hard seeing everyone go, because I know I probably won't see three-fourths of these guys ever again."

Things became very interesting in the top of the ninth inning with the Gold Sox trying to hang on to an 8-4 lead.

After Matt Vedo hit a batter and surrendered a double, Jeff Fisher-Gasper walked the first two batters he faced to force in a run.

However the right-hander recovered to strike out the last two batters and secure the save, his seventh of the year.

Lefty Jake Stassi made his debut for the Gold Sox and pitched 11⁄3 innings of scoreless relief. He struck out the first two batters he faced.

"(The Gold Sox) could have shut it down early, but they came together as a club and really wanted these three games," Johnson said. "I told them that this might be the last time they ever see each other so they need to come out next weekend and play hard one last time for each other."