Pirates score six unanswered for win

MOSES LAKE — Down 5-0 in the third inning and with many of their regular starters having the day off, things looked bleak for the Pirates in their game with Tacoma Monday.

Rather than concede victory in Monday's non-league game, the Pirates responded by putting up four runs in the third and later scoring the go-ahead run in the seventh inning to defeat the visiting Cardinals 6-5. While the win means nothing in the WCCBL standings, it meant a lot to Pirates' coach Gabe Boruff.

After seeing his team fall behind 5-0, Boruff challenged his players to respond to Tacoma's early surge.

"That was really important to see what kind of kids we have," said the Moses Lake coach of the way his team answered the challenge.

Down five runs, Moses Lake capitalized on a pair of Tacoma miscues to get on the scoreboard. With Robert Reyes on at first base, Justin Mitchell hit a grounder toward second base. With Mitchell running hard down the line, the Tacoma infielder was forced to hurry his throw to first base.

The throw got past the Tacoma first baseman and dribbled into foul territory. Reyes, who broke for second as the pitcher came to the plate, was able to come all the way around from first base to score.

Bobby McCaffery then singled and later advanced to second base to set the table for third baseman Lou Tran.

Tran delivered a bases-clearing double to right field that made the score 5-3. Moses Lake native Brad Tracy followed with a base hit to center that brought Tran around to score.

Mitchell, whose speed helped spark the fourth inning rally, also scored the winning run in the seventh inning. With the game tied at five, Mitchell led off the seventh with a single down the line in left. Jameson Lange followed with another single to left to move Mitchell to second base.

Mitchell then stole third, setting up Brent Rushin's RBI groundout that put Moses Lake up 6-5.

As important as the offensive rally was in the Pirates' comeback, the work of the bullpen also played a key role in Monday's victory.

Relievers Vic Silva, Jorge Reyes and Brian Parker combined to hold Tacoma scoreless over the final six innings. Overall, the Moses Lake bullpen has held opponents scoreless for 14 straight innings.

"Our bullpen came in and just threw strikes," remarked Boruff.

Reyes, the Oregon State University bound hurler out of Warden, picked up his first win of the season by pitching the seventh and eighth innings. The former Warden ace used a 92-mph fastball to strike out four batters while allowing an infield single and a walk.

"He's a competitor," the Pirates' coach said of Reyes. "He doesn't get scared; he throws a lot of strikes."

The Pirates will embark on their first true road trip of the season, heading out to play nine games in the next eight days. Boruff is looking forward to the test, even though he will be without injured starters Bo Thunell and Josh Enyart. Both players were hurt in Sunday's win over Bellingham and will miss significant time due to their injuries.