Rogues Weather Storm, Win Game Three …

Rogues Weather Storm, Win Game Three

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – The Medford Rogues (6-5) defeated the Klamath Falls Gems (4-7) 8-7 on Saturday evening at Kiger Stadium in Game Three of the Southern Oregon Showdown.

It was a cold, windy day at Kiger Stadium. The Rogues team bus had to stop on the way to Klamath Falls because it was snowing. Yes, snowing… in June.

Designated hitter Mitch Neunborn (North Iowa Area CC) lead off the game with a walk. Right fielder Kody Garvin (Lewis-Clark State) singled to right field, his fifth consecutive hit dating back to yesterday’s game.

Left fielder Brandon Bena (Iowa Western) then singled to right field to score Neunborn and move Garvin to third.

With runners on the corners, second baseman Johnny Hawk (Iowa Western) grounded to second base and legged out to beat the double play, which scored Garvin.

In the bottom of the first, starter Michael Moore (Linn-Benton) gave up a four-pitch walk to Gems third baseman and Medford native James Turnbull, but Moore got Gems shortstop and number three-hitter Brice Foster to ground out to a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

In the second inning, catcher Joe Bath (Lewis-Clark State) took second base on a dropped third strike and an error on Gems catcher Easton Waterman. With Riley Way (Lewis-Clark State) at the plate, Bath took off for third. Way grounded to second and was thrown out. Bath, with a full head of steam, rounded third to try and score on the play, but the Gems first baseman Jack Owens saw the play, and fired home to catcher Easton Waterman, who applied the tag on Bath to end the inning.

With two outs in the third, Garvin hit a no-doubt-about-it home run to right field, extending his consecutive hitting streak to six.

First baseman Daniel Nist (Cal State Bakersfield) made a great defensive play in the third inning. He used his entire 6’6 frame to stretch out and dig a ball out of the dirt to retire Jack Owens.

The Gems used a three-run third inning and a three-run fourth inning to knock out Rogues starter Micheal Moore. The three runs in the third inning were unearned due to a two-out error by second baseman Johnny Hawk.

Tanner Simpson (Lewis-Clark State) came on in relief for Moore in the fifth inning. He struck out two in a 1-2-3 fifth.

In the sixth, Garvin extended his hitting streak to seven in a row with a solo blast to right-center field.

Bena doubled and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Third baseman Tommy Ahlstrom (Simpson University) walked to put runners on the corners. The Rogues put on the delayed double steal, and the Gems bit. The throw to second retired Ahlstrom, but Bena scored on the play.

In the seventh, Neunborn lead off with a walk. Garvin stepped up to the plate and hit a deep fly ball to center field, but it stayed in play and was caught by Kyle Yamada, ending Garvin’s consecutive hit streak at seven.

Bath doubled off the wall in left center with one out in the eighth inning. With two outs, shortstop Riley Way (Lewis-Clark State) singled under the glove of Gems shortstop Brice Foster to score Bath and bring the Rogues to within one.

Neunborn then doubled off the centerfield wall to score Way and tie the game at 7 a piece. Center fielder Riley Kasper (Saddleback) walked to put runners on first and second for Kody Garvin.

Garvin hit a grounder under the glove of the diving Gems second baseman Travis Danielson to score Neunborn and give the Rogues the lead, 8-7.

Tanner Simpson came on in the ninth for his fifth inning of work in relief and pitched a scoreless inning to earn the win and the save.

The announced attendance at Kiger stadium was 101.

For the full box score: CLICK HERE

For full game highlights: CLICK HERE

The Rogues will return home on Sunday, June 10th for Country Night against the same Klamath Falls Gems, featuring a post-game concert by Fogline. It is also a Fred Meyer Family Fun Sunday. Fans can get four tickets, four hot dogs, and four sodas for just $44 for Sunday home games. For each ticket package sold, the Rogues will donate $4 to Access, as part of their Zero Waste Zero Hunger campaign.

You can watch every pitch of every game this season online for free on TableRockSports.net

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