THE RATTLERS WERE DOWN 9-3 TO THE PACKERS BUT CAME BACK TO WIN, 12-9 Joe Etcheverry went 3-for-6 with two doubles a RBI and a run Santa Maria, CA (July 24, 2010) – After last night’s extra inning loss to the Packers in San Luis Obispo, the Rattlers came out determined to win the game. The Rattlers took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning off of two doubles. Then the Packers came back scoring runs in the first, fourth and the fifth innings. Going into the top of the sixth inning, the Packers led 9-3, but the Rattlers did not let that stop them. They shut down the Packers and scored in the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. Daniel Howell scored the game winning run in the top of the eighth inning with a home run to left center. Kirk Fridrich (Kansas Wesleyan University) got the start for the Rattlers and he went four innings. He gave up eight hits, six runs, four earned runs, two walks and four strikeouts. Mason Radeke pitched two shutout innings striking out three and getting the win
Zach Steele (Cuesta College) singled to center field to start off the game. Jimmy Allen (Rancho Buena Vista HS/ Cal Poly SLO) sacrificed bunted him to second. The next batter Robert Vickers (Collegeo f the Canyons) doubled to center field scoring Zach Steele. Joe Etcheverry (Northern Illinois University) doubled to right field scoring Robert Vickers, but Joe Etcheverry was out try to take third. Daniel Howell (Santa Barbara City College) walked. Bobby Buckner (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) singled to center field putting runners at first and third. The Rattlers took an early 2-0 lead. The first batter for the Santa Maria Valley Packers hit a home run to left field. The Rattlers led 2-1. Matt Anderson (Cuesta College) singled to left field with one out in the top of the second inning.
Robert Vickers reached first on an error to start the top of the third inning. The Rattlers batters were not able to move him over.
Rattlers catcher Chris Hoo (Francis HS/Cal Poly SLO) caught a Packers batter trying to steal second for the second out of the inning. Kyle Wise (Southwest Baptist) doubled to left field with one out in the top of the fourth. The Santa Maria Valley Packers scored five runs off of five hits in the fourth inning. One of the batters hit his second home run of the game. The Packers led 6-2. Robert Vickers walked with one out in the top of the fifth inning. Joe Etcheverry doubled down the right field line putting runners at second and third. With two out, Bobby Buckner singled through the right side scoring Robert Vickers. The score was 6-3 Packers. Trevor Elswick (College of the Canyons) pitched the fifth inning. He gave up four hits, three earned runs, and struck out two. The Packers scored three runs off of four hits. They extended their lead to 93. The Rattlers started chipping away at the Packers lead in the sixth inning. Chris Hoo singled to shortstop and moved to second on a throwing error. Kyle Wise walked and Matt Anderson singled to left center scoring Chris Hoo putting runners at second and third. A double play threatened to end the Rattlers come back, but Jimmy Allen came through with a singled to center field scoring Kyle Wise. The Packers led 9-5. Mason Radeke (Cal Poly SLO) came in and pitched the sixth and seventh inning. That is the longest appearance he has made this summer. He gave up one hit and struck out three. Mason Radeke got the win for the Rattlers and is 1-0 on the season. Joe Etcheverry singled to center field to start off the seventh inning and Daniel Howell was hit by a pitch. Bobby Buckner walked to load the bases. Chris Hoo came up to bat against a new pitcher and doubled down the left field line scoring Joe Etcheverry and Daniel Howell. Kyle Wise singled through the left side scoring Bobby Buckner. Scott Phillion (Central Michigan University) came in to pinch hit for Matt Anderson and he singled up the middle scoring Chris Hoo. Zach Steele scarified bunted, but reached first on a throwing error to load the bases. The Rattlers could not score another run in the inning. The Rattlers tied the game at 9-9. Daniel Howell came up as the first batter of the eighth inning and homered to left center. He gave the Rattlers 10-9 lead. That was his fourth home run and second at Elks Field. DJ Gunderson (Santa Barbara City College) pitched a perfect eighth inning. Davey Schultz (Cuesta College) came in to play right field for Kyle Wise. The Rattlers batters wanted to give their pitchers a bigger lead and did so. Scott Phillion started off the ninth inning and singled to right center. Zach Steele was hit by a pitch. Jimmy Allen sacrifice bunted the runners to second and third. Robert Vickers walked to load the bases. With two out, Daniel Howell was hit by a pitch scoring Scott Phillion. Then Zach Steele scored on a wild pitch. The Rattlers led 129.
Pitcher Todd Simko (Cuesta College) came in for the ninth inning and got the save. He pitched a perfect ninth inning striking out one. That is Todd Simko’s first save on the season. The series continues tomorrow July 25 in Santa Maria at 2 p.m. ### For more information please visit http://www.slorattlers.com or email Cherie Smith at csmith@slorattlers.com. The next series will be July 27-29 against the MLB Academy Barons in Compton. It will be a league series.