Visalia Rawhide Fall Short in California League Finals

Another day, another affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks loses a decisive fifth game. The Visalia Rawhide, gunning for their first California League title since 1978, dropped a 10-2 decision to the Lancaster JetHawks. The Houston Astros’ affiliate used a five run sixth inning to pull away for good, spoiling the Rawhide’s chances of closing out a torrid second half run (41-20) with a championship.

In Game One at Recreation Park in Visalia, Rawhide second baseman Kevin Medrano beat out a double play attempt in the bottom of the ninth inning, allowing center fielder Breland Almadova to score the winning for a dramatic 3-2 victory. Right fielder George Roberts went 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored while starting pitcher Blayne Weller allowed two earned runs over 5 2/3 innings. Enrique Burgos pitched a scoreless ninth inning, striking out two batters, to record the victory. The next day, Lancaster evened the series behind six shutout innings by Lance McCullers. The Rawhide did manage to pound out nine hits during the game, including two each by Medrano, Roberts and designated hitter Andrew Velazquez, none of them timely, as the JetHawks won by a score of 3-0. John Omahen gave up two runs in 5 1/3 innings to take the loss.

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The series shifted to Lancaster where the JetHawks scored an extra inning victory in Game Three. Third baseman Rio Ruiz‘s tenth inning, solo home run off Visalia’s Joey Krehbiel gave Lancaster a 4-3 victory and a 2-1 series lead. Medrano went 2 for 5 with a double and an RBI while Velazquez went 2 for 4. In Game Four, the Rawhide used late thunder to turn a 2-1 deficit into an 11-3 victory. Two runs in the sixth and seventh and six in the eighth blew the game open. Left fielder Alex Glenn provided the big blow, a three-run home run in the eighth with pinch-hitter Tyler Baker providing a two-run shot of his own. Third baseman Raul Navarro‘s solo blast in the first got the scoring started. He went 3 for 5 with 3 RBI’s.

It all came down to Game Five last night. Lancaster jumped on Visalia starting pitcher Blake Perry for four runs (three earned) on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. The Rawhide got their two runs in the third inning on a Socrates Brito ground out and with Roberts scoring on a fielding error. Visalia had multiple base runners on in the fourth , fifth and eighth innings but could not take advantage. Daniel Gibson, Kyle Schepel and Keith Hessler were the victims in the pivotal sixth inning giving up five runs on six hits.

Despite the loss, it was a tremendous season for the Rawhide. We look forward to 2015.