Cold Bats and Defensive Blunders Cost Vibes in 15-7 Loss to Ballers
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Oakland Ballers | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 18 | 1 |
|
Rocky Mountain Vibes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 5 |
By: Andrew Della Piana
After scoring 42 runs in the first two games of the series, the Rocky Mountain Vibes were unable to maintain their momentum on Thursday, leaving 14 runners on base, including the bases loaded in three innings of a 15-7 setback to the Oakland Ballers.
Oakland starter Derrick Cherry gave the visitors its best start of the series, allowing only three runs, one earned, across five innings. This allowed the Ballers to score a flurry of runs in the middle innings, capped by a four-run fourth and a two-run second.
On defense, Rocky Mountain made a season-high six errors, and Oakland took advantage of every opportunity created by those mistakes.
The Vibes' best chance for a comeback came in the seventh inning, with the bases loaded and two outs, and they had already scored three runs to trim the margin to 11-7. Rocky Mountain shortstop Ernie Yake stepped in as the potential game-tying run to face Oakland reliever Abraham De Leon, whom he had previously doubled off in the first game of the series.
After a lengthy eight-pitch at-bat, De Leon caught Yake looking for strike three, retiring the side and putting an end to the Vibes' momentum. The Ballers sealed the game in the ninth inning, scoring four runs to put it out of reach.
