Pirates stung by Kitsap
Pirates stung by Kitsap
Moses Lake goes 15 innings with Bluejackets
MOSES LAKE — While the Pirates had their best offensive performance in some time, they were unable to sustain their scoring outburst as they lost to Kitsap 8-7 in 15 innings.
Moses Lake went into the ninth inning with a 7-5 lead, but allowed the Bluejackets to send the game into extra innings, where a pair of base hits and a deep double to center field gave the visitors the winning margin.
The marathon game tested the endurance and mental toughness of both teams, as temperatures were well above 100 degrees for the duration of the four and one-half hour contest.
"It's a different animal," said Pirates coach Gabe Boruff of the challenges of playing in the intense heat. "You can't let the heat get to you. You just have to overcome."
The Pirates opened the game on a good note when Roberto Reyes led off the game with a single and was driven home by a Boo Christenson double. Ryan Fobert added to the Pirate lead with an RBI single that scored Christenson.
After Kitsap tied the game at two in the fourth, the Pirates answered with runs in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings to regain their two-run lead.
In the top of the sixth, Pirates' starting pitcher Jordan Esparza gave way to the Moses Lake bullpen. Normally a strength for the Pirates, the bullpen allowed Kitsap to take a 5-4 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning.
"Our bullpen has been struggling," said Boruff. "They're not making the pitches they need to."
In the bottom of the seventh, the Pirates got runners on at first and third with one out, but an inning-ending double play kept Moses Lake from tying the game.
The Pirates' offense would not be held down in the eighth however, as the team would score three runs to take a 7-5 lead.
A Richie Snider walk and a Bobby McCaffery pinch-hit single got the Pirates started, and a Billy Krause single tied the game at five.
From there, Lou Tran's second sacrifice RBI of the game gave Moses Lake a one-run lead. Severo Rodriguez added an insurance run with a single to center field that scored Krause from second base.
Moses Lake took their two-run lead into the ninth inning, but Kitsap loaded the bases and got a two-out single off Pirates' closer Dale Reneau to send the game into extra innings.
After lighting up the scoreboard in the first nine innings, both teams' offenses went cold in the extra innings.
Until a leadoff double by Kitsap's Brian Burmester in the top of the 14th inning, neither team was able to get a runner in scoring position.
After Kitsap took the lead in the 15th, Moses Lake started the bottom half of the inning with a single and a hit batsman to get runners on first and second. From there, the Pirates' lead runner was caught stealing third base for the first out of the inning, and a ground-ball double play ended the contest.
On Friday, Brent Munster drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning as the Pirates defeated Kitsap 3-2. Munster and Richie Snider each collected three hits for Moses Lake in the win.
Saturday, Kitsap defeated the Pirates 9-3 as the Bluejackets scored seven runs off the Pirate bullpen.
Moses Lake has today off before heading out on a nine-game road trip. The Pirates return to Larson field on Aug. 4 to open a three-game series with Kelowna, their final series of the regular season.
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