Ballers Drop Game One to High Wheelers, 14-4
While the majority of Tuesday’s game was a tight contest throughout, the Yolo High Wheelers pulled away late with a seven-run eighth to beat the Ballers 14-4 in Oakland’s first-ever playoff game.
By Nevada Cullen
DAVIS, Calif. -- While the majority of Tuesday's game was a tight contest throughout, the Yolo High Wheelers pulled away late with a seven-run eighth to beat the Ballers 14-4 in Oakland's first-ever playoff game. Tanner Smith paced the Yolo offense, driving in five runs with three two-out knocks to help the High Wheelers get a leg up in the three-game series.
The Ballers used a string of four straight singles to take a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Tripp Clark, Dondrei Hubbard and Stephen Wilmer all snuck base hits into the outfield to load the bases. Next, Tyler Best flared a run-scoring single over second, and Brad Burckel ended the streak of singles with an RBI groundout.
After a pair of one-out walks in the bottom of the second, David Glancy ripped an RBI single to left center to put the High Wheelers on the board. Angel Mendoza tied the contest at two apiece with a sacrifice fly to right.
The High Wheelers rallied with two outs in the third to grab the lead. A pair of base knocks and a walk filled up the bases for Smith, who snuck a two-run single up the middle to hand the High Wheelers a 4-2 advantage.
Yolo kept up the pressure in the fourth, putting together a third consecutive two-run inning. Braylin Marine doubled home Brayland Skinner, and Braedon Blackford lifted a sac fly to left to extend the lead to 6-2 for the High Wheelers.
Oakland chipped away with runs in each of the next two innings. Clark ripped an RBI single over short for his third hit of the game in the fifth. Brett Carson came through with a sac fly in the sixth to cut the deficit to 6-4.
Jose Gonzalez led off the seventh for the High Wheelers with a double down the right field line. Later in the frame, Smith sent a two-out, RBI single through the pitcher's legs to make the score 7-4 Yolo.
The High Wheelers broke the contest open in the eighth with a seven-run inning. Angel Mendoza slammed a solo shot off of the tall trees in left, and Smith plated a pair with a bases-loaded single. Then, Glancy smoked a two-run double down the left field line, and Mendoza dropped a single into center for his second RBI of the frame to inflate Yolo's advantage to 14-4.
Next, the series shifts to Oakland. The Ballers look to save their season with a win against the High Wheelers on Thursday at Raimondi Park, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. PDT. Only a few hundred reserved tickets remain, and you can get them here. As always, you can listen on 860 AM The Answer.
