July 25 2017 The High Desert Yardbirds held off the Bakersfield Train Robbers 5-4, scoring the go-ahead run in the eighth inning to secure the victory. High Desert finished with nine hits, while Bakersfield collected seven.
High Desert built an early 2-0 lead in the first inning and added two runs in the third. Bakersfield answered with one run in the third, two in the fourth and one in the fifth to pull even at 4-4. The Yardbirds broke the tie in the eighth, then shut out the Train Robbers in the ninth.
Dominic Zaher,
Donald Glover and
Blake Butcher each had two hits for High Desert, with Zaher and Glover driving in a run apiece.
Rupert Watson and Kyle Ulanday recorded two hits each for Bakersfield. High Desert starter
Gregory Turner worked five innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits with four strikeouts.
Jonathan Fleckenstein added two scoreless innings,
AJ Epstein earned the win with a scoreless eighth and
Zach Williams recorded the save with a scoreless ninth. Bakersfields
Garrett Alvarez struck out seven over seven innings, while
Alexander Pearson took the loss after allowing the deciding run in the eighth.
