By Benjamin Boxer
One thing that teams throughout the Pacific Coast League are finding out about the Salt Lake Stingers is that you can never count them out.
On Monday, June 4, the Stingers beat the Portland Beavers to win the non-division series three games to one.
After taking two out of three games from the Beavers, the Stingers had some struggles in game four.
Beavers pitcher Carlton Loewer was too much for the Stingers to handle. Through 6 1/3 innings, Loewer scattered six hits and not one Stingers” runner reached second base safely until the 7th inning.
Stingers manager, Garry Templeton, was impressed with Loewer”s performance.
“He had good stuff,” Templeton said. “That guy was working it in, working it out and changing speeds. Finally our guys figured out that they had to stay back and drive the ball to the opposite field on him.”
The Stingers figured it out in the 7th inning when shortstop Jose Fernandez lined a single into right field and Left fielder Scott Morgan followed it up with another base hit. With two men aboard and one out, Loewer”s night was over as manager Rick Sweet looked for his bullpen to end the threat and close out the game.
Once Loewer was gone, however, the Stingers began to get some hope.
The very next batter, designated hitter, Chris Prichett, launched a long fly ball to deep center field that scored Fernandez and Morgan and catapulted the Salt Lake Stingers back into the game.
Two more runs in the 8th inning tied the game 4-4.
Following a scoreless ninth, the Stingers and the Beavers were headed for extra innings.
Stingers reliever Bart Miadich sent the Beavers down in order – including two strikeouts.
In the bottom of the 10th inning, it only took two batters for the Stingers to get the win.
Center fielder Kimera Bartee lead off with a base hit and moved to second base on a passed ball. Second baseman Jose Nieves brought him home on a 2-1 pitch to left-center field.
The Stingers have made a habit of coming on strong in the later innings to win games. The trend has lead Templeton to joke that he will go gray before his time, but when it comes right down to it, Templeton is very proud of his team”s determination to win games, even when they are behind late in the game.
“This team has a lot of fight in it,” Templeton said. “I think that the teams that have played us know that late in the game is when we”re really dangerous. I am just proud of the way these guys play.”
On Wednesday, June 6, the Stingers welcome the North Division leading Tacoma Rainiers to Franklin Covey Field for a four game series. The match-up will premiere two of the best teams in the league and could give fans a preview of the playoffs.
