Tanner Goes Eight, Ballers Bounce Back with 17-4 Win
Oakland Takes 2-1 Series Lead
By Nevada Cullen
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The Ballers lost to the Rocky Mountain Vibes 16-1 on Wednesday. But on Thursday, the Ballers returned the favor.
Oakland plated nine in the third inning and five more in the seventh in a 17-4 smackdown of Rocky Mountain. Gabe Tanner gave the Ballers his all, going a career-high eight innings in the blowout win.
Tanner, who went seven for the first time as a professional last week against the Yuba-Sutter High Wheelers, one upped his previous outing. The Danville native carried a perfect game into the fifth and improved to a spotless 7-0 on the season.
While Tanner was busy retiring the first 12 Vibes he faced, the Oakland offense provided plenty of run support. The Ballers sent 13 men to the plate in their nine-run third inning.
The loudest hit of the frame came off of the bat of Cam Bufford. He walloped a two-run shot to left with an exit velocity of 109 mph, as Bufford extended his hit streak to 10 games with his 14th round tripper of the year.
Following the entry of a new pitcher, Davis Drewek drove in two more with a 396-foot double to left center. Christian Almanza, who started the inning's scoring with a bloop single into left, completed the nine-spot with a two-run double of his own to right field.
Drewek and Almanza were key contributors in Oakland's five-run seventh as well. Drewek scorched an RBI single to right, and Almanza singled in a pair to push the lead to 14-2.
Five times this year, Almanza has managed to collect at least five RBI in a game. The Stockton native's franchise-record RBI total is up to 81 this season.
Tyler Lozano put the cherry on top in the ninth. He emptied the bases with an opposite-field, three-run double, Lozano's second bases-loaded hit of the year after a grand slam against the High Wheelers a couple of weeks back.
Adam Bogosian pitched a perfect ninth for the Ballers, heating up to 94 mph with his fastball. Also, Daniel Harris IV and Lou Helmig each picked up three hits in the victory, with Helmig driving in three.
With their 17-4 drubbing of the Vibes, the Ballers grabbed their 58th victory of the season. That matches their win total from the 2024 regular season, their inaugural year.
First pitch for game four against the Vibes is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. PDT Friday. As always, you can listen to the action on 860 AM The Answer and on the Oakland Ballers YouTube channel.
