The Dirtbags got their offense going late in their 7-3 victory over the Utah Valley Wolverines.
It should have been a high scoring game for the Dirtbags (8-6) , who came into Saturday’s game with 23 runs on 29 hits in their last two games. They were fresh off a win against Utah Valley (3-11) in which they set a season high in runs (12) and hits (18). Utah Valley’s pitcher, Ryan Evans, came into the game with a 5.17 ERA in three starts.
Through six innings, however, the Dirtbags could not figure out Evans. He only gave up two hits through the first six innings, but it fell apart in the top of the seventh. Trailing 3-1, Dirtbags right fielder Richard Prigatano drew a one-out walk. Ino Patron hit a single and Johnny Bekakis walked to load the bases. Alex Bishop delivered the game-tying hit with a two-run double to left center.
“I was just trying to do whatever I could to help the team,” Bishop said. “I love that situation. Bases loaded, chance to help the team come back. Luckily, I got a pitch up and hit it well.”
The Dirtbags took the lead on the very next batter, when pinch hitter Zack Rivera hit a routine fly ball to right. With Bekakis preparing to tag up, right fielder Riley White positioned himself to make a throw to the plate. He forgot to catch the ball, however, and that allowed Bekakis to score easily. Colby Brenner followed that up with a perfect suicide squeeze to score Rivera and give the Dirtbags the 5-3 lead. The Dirtbags added two more runs in the eighth.
“He was actually gonna hold me up,” Bekakis said. “I saw him drop the ball and I just kept running in.”
Dirtbags pitcher Andrew Rohrbach was essentially the opposite of Evans. Rohrbach entered the game with 14 consecutive scoreless innings. He breezed through the first two, but got in trouble in the third. Three singles, a passed ball and a sacrifice fly gave the Wolverines their three runs in the game. He bounced back from that and retired the next 12 Wolverines. In total, Rohrbach went seven innings, giving up the three runs on four hits and striking out five.
“Rohrbach did enough,” head coach Troy Buckley said. “He kept us in the game. He had the one big inning, but other than that he did a good job to minimize things. He went deep into the game which shortened the game for us.”
Ty Provencher entered in the eighth and threw two scoreless innings to preserve the Dirtbags fifth straight victory.
The Dirtbags will look to sweep the Wolverines in the series finale on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
