Ninth-inning rally keeps Pirates undefeated

Moses Lake tied for first in WCCBL standings

MOSES LAKE — With a 2-run rally in the ninth inning capped off by a Jesse Ayala sacrifice fly that drove in the game winner, the Moses Lake Pirates defeated the Kitsap BlueJackets 3-2 to complete the three-game sweep of their league-opening series Saturday.

With the win, Moses Lake improved to 9-0 on the season, and currently is tied for first place with the Corvallis Knights in the WCCBL standings.

On Friday, the Pirates scored four runs in the seventh inning to break open a 1-1 game that they eventually won 5-2.

While each of Moses Lake's first three league games have been edge-of-your-seat affairs, it appears that the 2007 Pirates are making a habit of winning close games.

"I feel like we come to the ballpark, we feel like we're gonna win," said Moses Lake coach Gabe Boruff. "Learning how to win early in the season is important."

In 2006, the Pirates were just 2-6 in one run games during the first half of the season, part of a 7-14 start that left them out of playoff contention at the all-star break. While the outcomes of this year's games have improved from last year, the way the Pirates are getting it done on the field has not.

"In a wood bat league, not making mistakes on defense is how you win ballgames," said Boruff. "Defense is the key to winning."

Saturday, Moses Lake took advantage of a critical ninth-inning Kitsap error to steal the victory from the BlueJackets.

In the ninth, with a man on first and one out, Mike Capbarat singled to put runners at the corners. Capbarat then stole second base, forcing a Kitsap error that allowed Zach Kim to score on the play and sent Capbarat to third.

From there, Ayala ended the game with a sacrifice fly to center field that brought in Capbarat.

After Moses Lake took a 1-0 lead in the first inning off a Steve Tinoco RBI double, the BlueJackets tied the game in the sixth inning and took a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning. Moses Lake, which scratched out just three hits in the game, struggled to find their offense until their ninth-inning surge.

Ben Guidos started the game for Moses Lake, going five scoreless innings before giving way to the bullpen. It was a third straight good outing for Pirates' starters, who have compiled a 2.12 earned run average in league play thus far.

"I think I've got a starting staff that can win us a lot of ballgames," said the Moses Lake coach. "The pitchers look like they have a lot of confidence."

Friday's game was again decided by errors, as two Kitsap miscues in the seventh inning led to three unearned runs and the difference in the ballgame.

With the bases loaded and one out in the seventh, Zoey Angulo reached base on a ground ball when the Kitsap third baseman who fielded the ball threw wide of first base. While Kim would have scored from third base on the throw to first, the error allowed TJ Bernardy to come around from second base on the play for another run.

A pair of wild pitches then brought Billy Swanson home, making the game 4-1. A second error by the Kitsap infield allowed Angulo to come in for the fourth run of the inning.

Earlier in the game, Moses Lake starter Michael Ratigan got out of a big jam in the fifth inning. With the Pirates holding a 1-0 lead, Kitsap strung together three straight singles to load the bases with no outs. Ratigan then struck out Kitsap's Jack Greenburg, and followed that with a force out at the plate on a weak grounder.

Ratigan walked in a run, but then came back to get the third out of the inning on a fly ball to strand three Kitsap base runners.

"I think Michael Ratigan beared down and he competed," said Boruff of his starter in the fifth inning. "He trusted in his pitches and he didn't get scared on the mound."

The Pirates have Monday off, as they head out on the road for the first time this season. Moses Lake travels to Kelowna, British Columbia to take on the Falcons Tuesday at 7 p.m., with Dale Reneau scheduled to get the start for the Pirates.

Following the series with the Falcons, Moses Lake returns home for a three-game series with the WCCBL co-leading Corvallis Knights.