Harris' Slam Ignites Ballers in 10-6 Victory
Oakland is Back in First Place
By Nevada Cullen
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Daniel Harris IV launched Oakland's second grand slam of the season in a pivotal third inning Friday against the Glacier Range Riders. The Ballers also used a five-run fifth to build a huge lead and beat the Range Riders 10-6.
Oakland entered the third trailing 2-1. Back-to-back Glacier errors and a two-out walk allowed the Ballers to load the bases for Harris.
Harris smacked a hanging breaking ball to deep left center, and Glacier centerfielder Kingston Liniak tried to run it down. Once Liniak turned his back to the infield in pursuit, the crowd knew that Harris had done it – a go-ahead grand slam to make the Range Riders pay for their miscues in the field.
Two more Glacier errors in the fifth led to a five-spot for Oakland. Davis Drewek, who crushed his team-leading ninth homer in the first inning, drove home the opening run of the frame with an RBI single.
Christian Almanza delivered the biggest blow in the inning, lacing a two-run single past the second baseman to grow the lead to 8-2 for the Ballers. Oakland tacked on two more to create a 10-2 cushion by the end of the fifth.
The Range Riders responded in the sixth with a Jack Lynch three-run dinger. In the seventh, TJ Clarkson vaporized a baseball for a solo shot to right, his second home run of the evening, to trim Oakland's edge to four.
But, the Ballers' bullpen held down the fort from there. Caleb Franzen pitched two innings, including a scoreless eighth, and Connor Sullivan recorded a goose egg in the ninth.
Brody Eglite, who started the game for Oakland, went a career-high six innings and punched out a season-best five hitters. He earned the victory to improve to 2-0 on the year and picked up his first professional win as a starting pitcher.
A win and a Missoula loss on Saturday puts Oakland in sole possession of first place in the Pioneer League. The Ballers and PaddleHeads each hope to be the first team to 20 wins.
First pitch for Saturday's clash with the Range Riders is set for 4:35 p.m. PDT. The Ballers are having a Block Party and celebrating Rickey Henderson, so come hang out! If you can't make it, you can listen to the action on 860 AM The Answer and on the Oakland Ballers YouTube channel.
