Ballers clinch series win over Freebirds on Leehey’s walk-off blast

By Gareth Kwok

OAKLAND, CA – With the Oakland Ballers celebrating Christmas in June at Raimondi Park before their rubber match against the Yuba-Sutter Freebirds, it was only fitting that Saint Nick delivered the best present for all Ballers fans at the end of the game.

Nick Leehey's three-run walk-off homer in the ninth helped the Ballers clinch the series victory over the Freebirds by a final score of 11-10.

With Oakland (16-20) down by two heading into the bottom of the ninth, Jeter Ybarra led off with a single thanks to a bad hop at first base. Paul Winland then walked to set the stage for Leehey. The second baseman received a hanging slider from Tristan Wolf (L, 1-2) and blasted a three-run walk-off homer 387 feet to left-center to complete the comeback for the Ballers.

The Ballers fought back from an early 4-0 deficit with eight runs from the fourth inning to the seventh inning. Ybarra hit a solo shot in the fourth, his league-leading 16th of the season, and Cam Bufford hit a solo homer off the left-field foul pole in the fifth to cut the Freebirds lead in half. 

After T.J. McKenzie singled, Tremayne Cobb hammered a game-tying two-run homer off Yuba-Sutter starting right-hander Anthony Silvas, who did not allow a hit through his first three innings pitched.

Winland singled home Ybarra in the sixth to put Oakland ahead by one before Jaden Collura hit a two-run homer in the seventh, giving the Ballers their biggest lead of the game at 8-4.

Starting left-hander CJ Blowers twirled his third consecutive quality start with seven innings pitched, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and one walk with four strikeouts in a no decision. The 29-year-old at one point set down 13 consecutive batters.

The four-run Ballers lead vanished quickly in the eighth. Five free bases (three walks, a wild pitch and an error) allowed led to six Freebirds runs on three hits with Jordan Donahue delivering the biggest swing of the inning, a go-ahead two-out grand slam to put the Freebirds up 10-8.

Valek Cisneros (W, 3-0) received the win for Oakland after dealing a scoreless ninth inning.

The Ballers will now begin a six-game road trip on Tuesday, June 30 with the first three games against the Long Beach Coast. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m from Blair Field. Fans can tune in beginning at 6:15 p.m on the Oakland Ballers YouTube Channel and HomeTeam Network.