October 27, 2009 at 8:16 AM
Solar Sox lose heartbreaker on walk off
10/27 Cup of Coffee: The Mesa Solar Sox and Phoenix Desert Dogs engaged in a back-and-forth affair Monday. Victory wasn't in the cards for the Solar Sox, as they lost on a walk-off grand slam, 9-5.
Phoenix got on the board early as Grant Desme (OAK) hit a three-run homer in the first, his eighth on the AFL season. Mesa would answer in the top of the second, as Hank Conger (LAA) led off the inning with a double. Steve Singleton (MIN) knocked home Conger and later came home on a P.J. Phillips (LAA) RBI single, cutting the deficit to 3-2. The Solar Sox would tie things up in the top of the fourth, as Phillips again knocked home Singleton, making the score 3-3.
The Desert Dogs broke the tie in the bottom half of the fourth when consecutive triples by Corey Brown (OAK) and Jemile Weeks (OAK) plated two runs, giving Phoenix a 5-3 lead. Richie Lentz then came on in relief of Mesa starter Mike McCardell (MIN) and pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, striking out one. The Solar Sox brought the score to within one in the top of the fifth, when Conger's force out scored Starlin Castro (CHC), who had led off the inning with a single.
The score stood at 5-4 until the top of the ninth, when Mesa rallied against Phoenix closer Drew Storen (WAS). Bryan Peterson (FLA) led off the inning with a double, and later scored on a two-out single by Chris Parmelee (MIN). With the score knotted at 5-5, Dustin Richardson came on for the Solar Sox hoping to send the game to extra innings. Richardson quickly got the first out, but allowed a Josh Bell (BAL) single and consecutive walks to Brown and Weeks. With the bases loaded, Nevin Ashley (TB) hit a walk off grand slam to give the Desert Dogs the victory.
Jose Iglesias got the start at designated hitter and went 1 for 4. Luis Exposito entered the game in the bottom of the eighth as a defensive replacement and went 0 for 1.
Mesa takes on the Peoria Saguaros this afternoon at 2:35 EST.
Phoenix got on the board early as Grant Desme (OAK) hit a three-run homer in the first, his eighth on the AFL season. Mesa would answer in the top of the second, as Hank Conger (LAA) led off the inning with a double. Steve Singleton (MIN) knocked home Conger and later came home on a P.J. Phillips (LAA) RBI single, cutting the deficit to 3-2. The Solar Sox would tie things up in the top of the fourth, as Phillips again knocked home Singleton, making the score 3-3.
The Desert Dogs broke the tie in the bottom half of the fourth when consecutive triples by Corey Brown (OAK) and Jemile Weeks (OAK) plated two runs, giving Phoenix a 5-3 lead. Richie Lentz then came on in relief of Mesa starter Mike McCardell (MIN) and pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, striking out one. The Solar Sox brought the score to within one in the top of the fifth, when Conger's force out scored Starlin Castro (CHC), who had led off the inning with a single.
The score stood at 5-4 until the top of the ninth, when Mesa rallied against Phoenix closer Drew Storen (WAS). Bryan Peterson (FLA) led off the inning with a double, and later scored on a two-out single by Chris Parmelee (MIN). With the score knotted at 5-5, Dustin Richardson came on for the Solar Sox hoping to send the game to extra innings. Richardson quickly got the first out, but allowed a Josh Bell (BAL) single and consecutive walks to Brown and Weeks. With the bases loaded, Nevin Ashley (TB) hit a walk off grand slam to give the Desert Dogs the victory.
Jose Iglesias got the start at designated hitter and went 1 for 4. Luis Exposito entered the game in the bottom of the eighth as a defensive replacement and went 0 for 1.
Mesa takes on the Peoria Saguaros this afternoon at 2:35 EST.