Report by the Armada’s Marcelo Figueroa
Jose Lima gave up the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and Long Beach was unable to come back as Tucson led 5-4 and would hold on to win 8-4 at Blair Field. The Fleet are now 0-1 in the second half and 20-19 on the season.
Lima worked out of a no-out bases loaded jam in the top of the second surrendering just one run, inducing a double play and a groundout.
The Armada answered in the bottom of the inning. New addition Matt Hirsh singled and scored on an Andy Bouchie double. Bouchie scored all the way from second on a wild pitch that skipped away from catcher Luis Apodaca to give Long Beach the 2-1 lead at the end of two.
Lima found his groove in the third. He walked the first batter then got a double play and a groundout to end the inning. In the fourth and fifth he retired the hitters in order to keep the game at 2-1.
Long Beach threatened in its half of the fifth but came up empty. With runners on second and third and one out Jonny Kaplan lined out to right. Casey Garrison broke for home but was thrown out at the plate by right fielder Curt Miaso to keep the game at 2-1 at the end of five.
That play seemingly gave Tucson the momentum. The Toros strung together four doubles in the sixth inning, resulting in three runs to take a 4-2 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth, Napoleon Calzado began a two-out rally with a single and advanced to second when Hirsh struck out swinging but reached base on a wild pitch. Bouchie continued his hot hitting with a long double to left that plated both runners. At the end of six the game was tied at 4-4.
This back-and-forth battle wouldn’t stay tied long. Miaso led off the top of the seventh with a single and moved to second on a sac bunt. Ryan Priddy’s doubled allowed Miaso to score and give Tucson its first lead of the night at 5-4 at the end of their half of the seventh.
The Armada had the tying run 90 feet away but was not able to capitalize. Josh Womack singled and stole second with one out. He made it as far as third on a past ball but reliever Toby Nordman struck out the next two hitters to end the threat and the inning with Tucson leading 5-4.
In the next inning the Fleet had a runner at third with just one out. Calzado was left stranded when Hirsh grounded out to third and Bouchie struck out looking to end the inning.
Tucson blew the game open in the ninth. Long Beach reliever Ryne Tacker struggled, giving up a hit and walking a couple to load the bases. The Toros scored three runs on three hits in the final inning to pad their lead to 8-4.
Reid Price came in for the Toros in the bottom of the ninth and pitched a 1-2-3 inning to end the game. Ben Fox will take the hill for the Fleet tomorrow night in the second game of this three game series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm.