Ryan Ward Continues His PCL Dominance

OKC Comets 7 – Las Vegas Aviators (A’s) 4

Ryan Ward hit his league-leading 23rd home run of the season and finished with four RBI to take over the Pacific Coast League lead in RBI as the Oklahoma City Comets defeated the Las Vegas Aviators, 7-4.

With Bobby Miller on the mound, Las Vegas grabbed an early 2-0 lead.  Miller issued a BB, allowed an infield single of Miller’s glove, two more BB to plate the 1^st run, and a sac fly for the 2^nd.   In 3.2 IP, Miller allowed the two runs on 3 hits and 3 BB with his 4 K.  He threw 79 pitches/47 strikes.

Ward cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the inning with a solo home run out to left field. The Comets took the lead with three runs in the second inning, tying the score on a solo home run by Nick Senzel before a two-run single by Ward put OKC ahead, 4-2.

Ward’s RBI single in the fifth inning pushed the Comets’ lead to three runs.

Zach Penrod relieved Miller with 2 out in the 4^th, and pitched 3.0 scoreless innings.

The Aviators later cut the lead to one run in the eighth inning when they scored two runs. Nick Frasso walked the two first batters he faced.  He threw a WP, and a ground ball fielder’s choice plated one run, and a sac fly scored the 2^nd.

The Comets answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Chuckie Robinson and RBI single by Alex Freeland for a 7-4 advantage.

Ryan Ward hit his 23rd home run of the season, third home run in the last five games and fifth homer in his last 11 games…He went 3-for-5 with four RBI, recording his fourth game of the season with four or more RBI and second in the last nine games (18 RBI). He surpassed teammate James Outman for the overall PCL lead with 76 RBI this season.

Over his last seven games, Ward is batting .333 (11-for-33) with three homers and 14 RBI.  In addition to home runs and RBI, Ward also leads the league with 67 runs scored and 191 total bases and is tied for first in the PCL with 43 extra-base hits.

Nick Senzel went 3-for-4 with his seventh home run of the season and scored two runs. He has hit safely in six straight games, batting .435 (10-for-23) with four extra-base hits and five runs scored.

Alex Freeland finished with a second straight multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a RBI and run.

Noah Miller went 2-for-4 and scored a run. He has hit safely in each of his first three Triple-A games, going 4-for-12 with a double and three runs scored.

Justin Dean singled, walked and scored a run. Over his last five games, Dean is 10-for-21 and has also hit safely in seven of his last eight games (13×32).

Box Score

Wichita Wind Surge (Minnesota) 15 – Tulsa Drillers 13

This was a real pitcher’s duel.  16 runs scored the 1^st two innings, 8 for each side. The teams traded leads until the Wind Surge put up 4 in the 7^th and led by 2.  Each team scored a run in the 8^th, and the Drillers left a runner on in the 9^th but did not score.  7 of the 8 Wind Surge runs were via a grand slam (1^st inning) and a three run HR (2^nd inning).

Each team had 15 hits, and 2 errors.  The Wind Surge pitchers issued 4 BB while the Drillers pitchers issued 7.  The Drillers also had 2 WP.

Tulsa scored 7 in the 1^st inning, and Wichita countered with 5.  Tulsa plated a run in the 2^nd and Wichita pushed across 3 to tie the game at 8-8 after only 2 innings.

The Drillers had 6 batters with at least 2 hits.  Only Chris Newell did not reach base.

• Griffin Lockwood-Powell – 3-4, 1 BB, 2 runs, triple (1)
• Kole Myers – 2-4, 1 BB, 3 runs
• Kyle Nevin – 2-2, 1 BB, 2 Sac Fly, 3 runs, 5 RBI
• John Rhodes – 2-5, 2 runs, 2 RBI, HR (6)
• Ezequiel Pagan – 2-4, 2 RBI
• Sean McLain – 2-5, 1 run, 2 RBI, HR (2)
• Kendall Simmons – double (5)

Box Score

Great Lakes Loons 4 – West Michigan White Caps (Detroit) 2

West Michigan scored and led twice in the game, but each time, Great Lakes matched them in the bottom of the inning.  In the 3^rd with Christian Romero on the bump, the White Caps scored on a double and single for a 1-0 lead.  In the bottom of the 3^rd, Frank Rodriguez slugged his 3^rd HR of the season to left-center to knot the game at 1-1.

In the 5^th, Romero allowed a one out single and was relieved by Evan Shaw.  Shaw struck out the first batter he faced but the runner on 1^st stole 2B.  Another single brought the run home and a 2-1 lead.

In the bottom of the 5^th, Jordan Thompson singled and stole 2^nd.  He came home on a Kendall George batted ball that generated a both fielding (SS) and throwing (CF) error.

In the 7^th, Joe Vetrano singled and scored ahead of Cameron Decker’s 2 run HR (1).

Carson Hobbs and Reynaldo Yean closed out the game with 3.0 scoreless innings.

• Josue De Paula – 2-3, 1 BB
• Cameron Decker – 1-3, 1 run, 2 RBI, HR (1)
• Zyhir Hope – 1-4, double (21)

Box Score

Visalia Rawhide (Arizona) 3 – Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 2

Sterling Patick was the SP and was pitching into and out of trouble for 2.0 innings.  He walked 3 and allowed 2 singles  but no runs in his 2.0 innings.

Domingo Geronimo followed Patick and completed 3.0 additional scoreless innings.  However he allowed 1 hit with 0 BB and 1 K.

Visalia broke through in the 6^th off Connor Godwin.  Godwin allowed a one out HBP, BB, BB, and a 2-out run scoring BB, and a run scoring infield single.

RC tied it up in the 8^th in a similar fashion.  2 BB and a HBP loaded the bases.  A SF and a WP put runners on 2^nd and 3^rd with one out.  Another BB  loaded the bases, and the tying run scored on a WP.

Ryan Brown allowed a go-ahead 2-out HR in the 8^th.  RC went out in order in the 9^th.

The Quakes hit 2 singles and received 9 BB, but only the 2 runs.

Box Score