Derek Mayson was the winning pitcher, coming into the game in the second inning for an injured Tony Mancha. Mayson surrendered only 4 hits to a powerful New York lineup, struck out 7, and survived six walks. None of the four Gremlins hits were for extra bases. One of the keys to the game for Mayson was holding the 3-4-5 hitters for the Gremlins hitless.
The Gremlins starter, Dean Holoien also left the game in the second inning with an injury. Andrew Kirkpatrick was initially inserted into the game in place of the injured Holoien, but did not throw a pitch. While he was warming up, New York made a hardship appeal, to replace Holoien on the roster with Sean Whitten, due to Holoien’s injury. (Whitten was an out of region pitcher). The hardship was granted, and Whitten came into the game after a lengthy delay.
Whitten struck out 15 on the night, including the side in the seventh, but three key hits by the A’s in the 7th gave California the game, and the biggest win in the California A’s franchise history.
In the first inning, the Gremlins threatened, putting two aboard on back-to-back walks by Mancha. New York ran themselves out of the inning though, when a runner was caught stealing.
The Gremlins took a 1-0 lead in the second on a two-out single up the middle by the 9 hitter Nick Mullin, driving home Travis Wilson who reached on a walk.
The A’s came right back to tie the game in the third on a solo home run by Jenner Christiansen.
In the fifth, the Gremlins loaded the bases, but could not score, as Mayson registered a strikeout and ground out to escape the inning.
The game remained tied until Chase Turner led off the 6th inning with a solo home run, putting the A’s up 2-1.
The Gremlins came back to tie the game with a run of their own in the 6th, on a sacrifice fly by Matthieu Roy that brought home Bryan Abrey, who had led off the inning with a single, advanced to second a walk to Wayne Lalu, and was sacrificed to third by Nick Mullin. The A’s Mayson got the final out of the inning, stranding Lalu at third.
In the seventh, the California offense came to life, turning a single (Kevin Castillo), RBI double (Derek Mayson) and 2 run homer (Josh Johnson) into a 3 run lead. Mayson retired the heart of the New York batting order in the 7th to seal the win, and put the California A’s further into the winner’s bracket than they have ever been at the ISC World Tournament – The Final Four.
The A’s are now 3-0 in the tournament and will face PA Power at 8:30 p.m. EDT (5:30pm on the west coast) tomorrow (Thursday night). The game will be carried live on the ISC Network.
Live Broadcast on ISC Network
Game 80 of 94
Here’s what John Thompson’s Diamond Dirt had to say about the game:
Thursday August 14, 2014
California A’s make it interestingMayson’s arm/bat grounds Gremlins The West Coast California A’s of Bakersfield CA have been a question mark, even an enigma. With all the hoopla around the top six seeds in the East, #7 A’s were quietly assembling a more that respectable team. The questions were answered Wednesday in the night-cap game as A’s and #2 New York Gremlins battled in a thriller. Deadlocked at two runs apiece (solo HRs by A’s SS Jenner Christiansen and RF Chase Turner) after six stanzas, in T-7 timely hits by 3B Kevin Castillo, Derek Mayson (double) and a dinger by LF Josh Johnson plated three runs. It was more than enough as Mayson on the mound, who relieved starter Tony Mancha (injury) in the B-2, scattered four hits – Gremlins stranded 9 runners, including a bases-loaded fifth. Gremlins’ OF/3B Bryan Abrey had a pair of hits, half the Gremlins output. Gremlins’ pitcher Sean Whitten, in relief, took the loss despite striking out 15 A’s.
A few things:
Whitten actually ended up with 15 strikeouts.
Chase Turner’s HR to give the A’s the lead was in the 6th inning, not 7th.
I’m not sure Josh Johnson’s HR has landed yet!!!!!!
Thanks Aaron, correcting as we speak.