Pirates lose late lead, Knights rally to win

MOSES LAKE — Even while they struggled to score and found either ways to win close, low scoring games, or get nipped for a loss in the end, the Moses Lake Pirates’ head coach Steve Keller never wavered.

The hits would come, he said. Things would come together if the young men just stuck to the right approach, he insisted.

Also, he could always count on his pitching to keep things close.

But on Wednesday night at Larson Field the Pirates pitchers proved they like all humans can only do so much.

Leading 4-2 going into the top of the ninth inning, Moses Lake (5-9 overall, 4-7 in West Coast League play) was two outs away from clinching their series against the Corvallis Knights but then lightning struck on  a clear evening at Larson.

The Knights (5-7) rallied for five runs in the frame and held on for a 7-4 win.

An announced total of 567 fans took in the game which set up tonight’s rubber match with Corvallis to see who can claim the series victory.

“We have to be more prepared as we get into the later innings of the games and watching intently,” Keller said. “Kudos for the pitchers for trying hard but they need to be more in the moment and make good pitches. It was one of those days but we have to be more prepared. It is tough to be locked in every single time out and just didn’t have it tonight.”

The Pirates got two runners on base in the bottom half of the ninth inning but couldn’t push any runs across and dropped the contest.

Leo Rosetti (Pomona College) started for the Pirates and was looking for his second win on the season after going 6.1 innings while allowing only one earned run despite scattering eight hits.

“It was tough for him not to get the win,” Keller said. “Leo has been tough and has been a good competitior for us every time out. For it to slip out of his grasp is tough. The cruel thing is that it’s not over when that 27th out is made.”

Nathan Johnson (Whitworth University) came in to relieve Rosetti and eventually gave up three runs, two of them earned, in the ninth to take the loss.

Duncan Blades  (Salt Lake CC) continued his strong hitting this season, finishing 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI while Andrew Rodriguez (San Jose State University) scored two runs and stole two bases.

The Pirates scored in their half of the third when Rodriguez got on with a bunt single and after getting to third base on a steal and sacrific bunt he came across home plate on a one-out ground out to tie the game at 1-1.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, two runs scored off of a wild pitch and a passed ball during Nick Frederick’s (Pomona College) at bat for Moses Lake, to give the Pirates a 3-2 lead.

Rodriguez scored again in the next frame after getting on base on a two-out fielding error. He then stole second and came in off of a Blades infield single as he blazed around the diamond to make it 4-2.

“We need to be more involved and as we have shown during the course of the season when we play with excitment good things happen,” Keller said. “As far as young players go hope they learn from the fact that no one pitch is more important than the other.”

NOTES: Scott Birdwell (Vanguard University) is scheduled to start tonight for the Pirates in the series finale against the Knights which begins at 7:35 p.m...The Wenatchee Apple Sox have opened up a five-game lead in the WCL East after last night’s action. The Pirates are tied with Walla Wala for second place in the East...It’s “Facebook Fan Night” at Larson Field this evening. One “lucky” Facebook fan of the Pirates will throw the first pitch. Special will be held on the Moses Lake Pirates’ Facebook Fan page and they encourage more people to add them on the social website. Also popcorn will be on sale for $1.