Snake Stars
3 stars: Jamie Westbrook, Visalia - 2-for-6, R, HR (2), three RBI
2 stars: Cameron Smith, Missoula - 5 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO, L (0-1)
1 star: Kevin Cron, Visalia - 1-for-1, R, PH game-tying HR (1) in ninth, RBI
0 stars: Luke Lowery, Missoula - 0-for-3, 3 SO
High-A Visalia 4 @ San Jose 5 (13). The Rawhide jumped out of the gates early, getting three runs before recording an out, as 2B Jamie Westbrook struck a three-run homer, his second, after CF Breland Almadova had singled and SS Domingo Leyba reached on an error. However, the Giants struck back against Blake Perry, scoring two in the second and a further two in the third inning to take a 4-3 lead. Perry ended up going 5.2 innings, allowing five hits and two walks with six strikeouts, but there was no further damage. Indeed, there was no scoring by either side through the eighth, but Visalia tied it up on PH Kevin Cron's home-run, leading off the ninth.
The Rawhide bullpen tossed 6.1 scoreless innings after Perry's departure, with Bud Jeter working 2.1 scoreless, Joek Krehbiel putting up a zero in the ninth, and Tom Jameson striking out five over three extra innings. But Mason McCullough was tagged for a walk-off home-rrun with two outs in the bottom of the 13th. DH Gerson Montilla had three hits, Almadova two hits and a walk, and Westbrook a single in addition to his homer. 2B Kevin Medtrano also got himself ejected in the second inning. The North Division decider between these two takes place tomorrow in Visalia, with a first pitch at 6pm Pacific time.
Rookie Missoula 3, Idaho Falls 5. Each side made a pair of errors, but the difference was the Chukars took better advantage, with all five of their runs here being unearned. As with the Rawhide, the Osprey hit the ground running, scoring twice in the first inning on a RBI double by RF Jason Morozowski and an error. They extended their lead to three the next time up, as C Francis Christy launched his second long-ball of the post-season. However, 3B Kal Simmons committed an error in the fifth which allowed the Idaho Falls' lead-off man to reach, and that bit starter Cameron Smith, as he couldn't get the third out before four runs scored, including a three-run homer with two outs.
Smith went five innings, with all four runs unearned, on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Another error, this one by SS Isan Diaz, allowed the Chukars to score an insurance run in the eighth inning. Though the Osprey did put the tying run on base with one out in the ninth, they were unable to come through. Austin Mason tossed a pair of hitless relief innings, and Morozowski singled in addition to his RBI double, but Missoula were held to only four hits and one walk, striking out 13 times, and going 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Winner of the deciding game tomorrow will become the Pioneer League champions for 2015, starting at 6:05pm Pacific time.