Wild One
- Updated: June 22, 2019
KELOWNA, B.C.- The Kelowna Falcons used a five-un 2nd inning and came back from an early deficit to pick up their second straight victory at home, earning a 10-9 win over the Cowlitz Black Bears on Friday night at Elks Stadium.
A pair of three RBI nights from James Shimashita and Tyler Williams helped the Falcons offence while Tyler Grissom reached base four times in the game and Tucker Grote threw four innings of scoreless ball from the bullpen as Kelowna prevailed for their second victory on home soil and opening their three-game set against the Black Bears on a victorious manner.
The Falcons got ahead in the game in the 1st innings, scoring the game’s opening run for the fourth consecutive game. Tyler Williams lifted a sacrifice fly to left field for his 3rd RBI of the season before James Shimashita drove in another run with an RBI double to left center field and put the Falcons ahead 2-0 after the opening frame.
Cowlitz would answer back, in a big way, bringing ten batters to the plate in the top of the 2nd inning and scoring six runs to take their first lead of the game. A two-run single from Braden DeBenedictis plus RBI singles from Heath Pickhardt and Austin Bell and a bases-loaded walk from Ryan Kim helped the Black Bears to a 6-2 advantage in the top of the 2nd.
Kelowna had a response to that, bringing in five runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame, highlighted by a two-run triple off the bat of Austen Butler and a two-run double from Williams, who earned his third RBI of the night. Kelowna sent nine batters to the plate in the inning and came away with a 7-6 lead after just two innings of play.
Once again, the lead flipped in the way of the visitors as Cowlitz jumped ahead by a run in the 3rd frame as a two-run double, two-out double from Kim to left center field brought home a pair of runs and gave the Black Bears a 8-7 lead heading into the middle innings.
The back-and-forth contest was knotted up in the bottom of the 4th inning with Shimashita collecting his second RBI of the night. The Falcons first basemen slashed a single into left center field that plated a run to get the game on even terms at 8-8, where the bullpens kept things in check until the later innings.
Tucker Grote made his first appearance in a Falcons uniform and the sophomore from Mt. Hood Community College was terrific in his debut. Grote gave the Falcons four scoreless innings of work out of the bullpen, allowing four hits and striking out a pair of batters before giving way to Kristian Scott in the 8th frame.
Kelowna took the lead back in the bottom half of the 7th inning and, once again, it was Shimashita who delivered the knock. He sprayed a ball just over the outstretched glove of the shortstop for a base hit and his third RBI of the game pushed Kelowna to an 8-7 advantage in the late innings.
Cowlitz responded in the 8th inning as Josh Marchese served up an RBI double with two outs that brought home Kim from third and helped the Black Bears to tying the game at 9-9 before Kelowna came up in the home half and took the lead back for good.
Grissom led off the inning with a base hit to left field, reaching base for the fourth time in the game before Williams earned his second hit of the night, curving a double inside the left field foul line. Shimashita would collect his third RBI of the contest with a sacrifice fly to left field that proved to be the winning run, helping the Falcons take a 10-9 lead with Kristian Scott closing the door in the 9th frame.
The Falcons (4-9) continue their three-game series against the Cowlitz Black Bears (4-12) at Elks Stadium on Saturday night. Tickets are available for purchase at the Falcons website as well as at the gate ahead of the opening pitch of the ballgame.
Related Posts
Sponsors
