Red Raiders sweep Beetles at home, take series 3-1
Casey McCarthy/Sun Tribune Jaxon Rocha focuses up as he steps to the plate to lead off the Red Raiders in game one against Yakima in Othello.
Casey McCarthy/Sun Tribune Nathan Garza Jr. crosses the plate to score to make it 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning for the Red Raiders.
Casey McCarthy/Sun Tribune Joshua Garza hits a shot for the Red Raiders against the Yakima Beetles. Othello took the series 3-1.
Casey McCarthy/Sun Tribune Jaxon Rocha pitches for the Red Raiders in game one against the Yakima Beetles in Othello.
Othello Red Raiders 4, Yakima Beetles 3
OTHELLO — The Red Raiders came back to pick up the win in the first home game of the series against the Beetles on July 9. Othello jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first, going up 2-0, before Yakima responded in the next inning to tie up the game. The Beetles took the lead in the third, to go up 3-2.
After a scoreless fourth, the Red Raiders put a pair of runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth to retake the lead for good. The home team held off a Beetles squad that had the bats rolling, knocking nine hits for three runs. Seven errors in the field cost the visitors, ultimately.
The Red Raiders finished with three hits as a team, but capitalized off their opponent’s mistakes while playing error-free themselves. Nathan Garza Jr. led Othello from the plate, finishing 1-3, with an RBI and a pair of runs scored.
Jaxon Rocha pitched the entire game for Othello despite taking a baseball to the head late in the game. Rocha allowed nine hits for three runs while picking up the win. Rocha also finished 1-2 from the plate, with one run earned.
Red Raiders 8, Beetles 1
The Red Raiders got the bats going in the last game of the day against the Beetles, defeating the visitors big to take the series 3-1. Three runs in the bottom of the first opened up the lead for Othello, while holding the visitors scoreless until the top of the seventh.
Yakima had chances, finishing with eight hits in the game, but were unable to translate the hits onto the scoreboard. The Beetles cleaned up mistakes from the first game of the day, with both teams playing error-free in the second game.
Concepcion Sauceda and Trey Garza each picked up a pair of RBIs for Othello, while both knocking a double as well. Joshua Garza smacked a home run for the Red Raiders, to add an RBI and earned run. The Red Raiders finished with nine hits as a team in the game.