Yargh! Pirates win!

Moses Lake forces game three in playoffs Four-run eighth inning keeps post-season alive

MOSES LAKE — Trailing 3-0 to the Wenatchee AppleSox in the eighth inning Wednesday, the Moses Lake Pirates' offense awoke to the tune of four runs, giving the home team an improbable 4-3 victory and forcing a deciding game three in the WCCBL Divisional Series.

Zach Hedges capped the eighth-inning rally with a two-out, 2-RBI single into right field that gave the Pirates their first lead of the game, and Daniel Wolford used a double play and a strikeout in the top of the ninth to pick up the save.

While a four-run rally is quite a feat in itself, the circumstances surrounding Moses Lake's stunning comeback make what is to date the biggest win in Pirates' franchise history even bigger.

"This is probably the best one I've seen," said Moses Lake coach Gabe Boruff when asked how Wednesday's game ranks in terms of incredible comebacks. "It doesn't get much better than that, especially in the playoffs."

Facing elimination Wednesday, the Pirates' Michael Ratigan took to the mound against Wenatchee's Jeremy Stumetz. On July 10, the two pitchers met in a game won by Moses Lake 11-9. In that regular-season contest, Stumetz lasted only four and one-third innings, giving up eight hits and eight runs to the Pirates' offense.

While history was in favor of the Pirates' offense, Stumetz used an array of off-speed pitches to baffle the Moses Lake hitters early on. Through seven innings, Moses Lake had only three base hits, one of those a bunt single.

"He pretty much owned us through 71/3 (innings)," said Boruff of Stumetz. "I couldn't be more proud of these players."

In the eighth inning, Moses Lake used a Zach Kim single, an error that allowed Steve Tinoco to reach base and a single by Mike Capbarat to load the bases with one out.

Marcus Tackett then came to the plate and knocked a base hit just over a leaping Wenatchee second baseman to bring Kim home for Moses Lake's first run of the game. Kevin Coddington followed with a sacrifice groundout that brought Tinoco in from third to make the score 3-2.

With runners at first and second and two out, Zach Hedges came to the plate with a chance to be a hero for a night. Hedges did just that, delivering a low, sharp single into right field that scored both Capbarat and a hustling Tackett from second base.

"Before the at-bat, Gabe (Boruff) told Tackett he was running hard and gonna score on anything through the infield," said Hedges. "I was hoping he got a good jump on it."

Tackett got a great jump on the play, forcing the Wenatchee right fielder to make a hurried play on the ball that led to a bobble in the outfield and a sure run for Moses Lake. While it appeared Tackett would have scored regardless of the play in the outfield, the miscue prevented the AppleSox from having any chance of gunning down Moses Lake's go-ahead run.

"I wanted to be the guy up in that situation," said Hedges of his eighth inning at-bat. "It felt great."

For a team that had been dominated by Wenatchee for the first 16 innings of the WCCBL Divisional Series and looked to be all but dead in the water, the Pirates suddenly find themselves in great position to win their first ever playoff series.

"It gives us a lot of momentum," said the Moses Lake coach. "They've yet to beat us in our home park."

"It energized us and gave us a lot of confidence," remarked Hedges of the comeback win. "I think that's what we need going into game three."

Tonight at Larson Field, Ben Guidos will start for the Pirates in game three of the WCCBL Divisional Series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. In his last two starts, Guidos is 2-0 with 15 strikeouts in 12 innings and only one earned run allowed.