Kelowna sweeps Moses Lake
Derrick Pacheco/Columbia Basin Herald<br> Moses Lake starting pitcher Mike Herrmann (32) throws a pitch during his start against the Bellingham Bells on July 12. Bellingham rallied late for a 14-7 victory.
KELOWNA, British Columbia — The Kelowna Falcons wrapped up a three-game series sweep of the Pirates with their second straight 5-4 victory over Moses Lake Sunday night.
Moses Lake jumped on Kelowna in the top of the fourth inning, but the Falcons scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth to help drop the Pirates to 4-28 overall in West Coast League play.
Moses Lake relief pitcher Billy Armstrong threw one inning in relief, allowing one run on three hits to get credited with loss. Armstrong fell to 1-5 overall this season for the Pirates.
Moses Lake starting pitcher Brandon Rohde kept the Falcons off balance through the first five innings Sunday night and the Pirates held on to a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth.
The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning when shortstop Chris Casazza drew a one-out walk from Kelowna starting pitcher Cody Springer.
Left fielder Brock Gates followed Casazza’s walk with an infield single and advanced to second on the play.
Casazza scored the first run of the contest following an error by Springer.
Moses Lake added to their 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth inning when catcher Brady McGuire hit his first home run of the season to put the Pirates ahead 2-0.
McGuire’s two-out home run to left field gave the Pirates their league-leading 14th team home run.
The Pirates took their 2-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth before Kelowna managed to get to Rohde.
Kelowna center fielder Dwight Tanaka singled to lead off the inning and scored on a single from shortstop Louie Templeton to cut the Moses Lake lead to 2-1.
Templeton stole second and the Falcons pulled even when he scored on a single up the middle from first baseman Ryan Jenkins.
With the Falcons pulling even with the Pirates with one out in the sixth, Kelowna’s Jeremy Mayo recorded his fourth home run of the season when he drove an offering from Rohde over the left field fence to put the Falcons on top 4-2.
Kelowna’s 4-2 advantage proved to be short lived when Moses Lake answered with two runs in the top of the seventh.
With one out in the seventh, center fielder Richie Allen walked and advanced to second on a single from right fielder Zane Bator.
Moses Lake pulled even when first baseman Justin Cooper doubled into the right-center field gap with two outs.
The Pirates pulled even and went into the bottom of the eighth tied at 4-4.
Armstrong came on in relief of Rohde in the seventh. Despite allowing a pair of hits in the inning, kept the Falcons off of the scoreboard.
The left hander from West Connecticut State University wouldn’t be so lucky in the eighth.
Armstrong faced Mayo to start the eighth.
Mayo connected on a pitch from Armstrong, driving his fifth home run of the season, and second of the contest, over the fence in center field.
The home run moved Mayo into a tie for the league lead in home runs with Casazza at five apiece.
Mayo’s blast in the eighth proved to be the game winner for the Falcons.
The Pirates return home tonight with the first game of a three-game series against the visiting Wenatchee AppleSox.
The first pitch for tonight’s contest is scheduled for 7:35 p.m.