Coast Drop Series Finale in First-Ever Knockout Round

LONG BEACH, CA – The Long Beach Coast (19-5) fell short in their series finale to the Modesto Roadsters (13-11) on Sunday afternoon in the franchise’s first Knockout Round finish.

Long Beach never trailed the visitors in the second day game of the homestand. The Coast scored first in the first inning for the second time in the past three games, taking a 1-0 advantage on a Jacob Jablonski RBI single. 

The Roadsters tied the Coast three separate times in the game, with the first tie in the top of the third. Coast starter JJ Almeda allowed a leadoff single to Modesto designated hitter Max Handron, who scored the first Modesto run after a Bryce Cannon RBI single. 

Almeda left the game after the top of the third. His offense took the lead back in the bottom of the same inning – Jablonski hit his second home run of the homestand (and the first in 11 games) to accrue three RBI in his first two at-bats. 

The Coast put up two more insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly from pinch hitter Cuba Bess and an RBI single from left fielder Eddy Pelc, who reached base safely in four of his five plate appearances. Pelc took three walks, becoming the first in the Pioneer League to reach 40 base-on-balls.

The next two arms out of the Coast bullpen, Ricky Tibbett and Jake Dixon, gave up a combined four runs in the following two-and-a-third innings, including a game-tying three-run rally in the fifth, resulting from three RBI hits among four consecutive Modesto batters.

Long Beach broke the 5-5 tie after stretchtime, when Modesto reliever Cooper Garrison threw a wild pitch to score Johnny Pappas, who recorded his first hit in 10 at-bats four innings prior.

Modesto spoiled the home team’s final lead of the game, when Jacob Lojewski took Coast reliever Steven Ordorica deep to left field for a solo home run. Lojewski knocked Modesto’s second four-bagger of the series, both of which were the responsibility of Ordorica.

Following a scoreless ninth inning and a 6-6 tie, Long Beach participated in their franchise’s first Knockout Round, the home run derby style battle the Pioneer League introduced in 2021 to determine a victor after regulation. 

No balls left the park in the first two rounds, when Modesto’s Osiris Johnson matched up against Long Beach’s Cuba Bess and Modesto’s Kingston Liniak faced Long Beach’s Emilio Corona. Bryce Cannon, who finished a 3-for-5 regulation game with two RBI for Modesto, hit three home runs, followed by just one from Coast right fielder Matthew Bardowell.

Cannon’s win in the third Knockout Round clinched the victory for the Modesto Roadsters, who finish the first-ever I-5 series with two wins in the six-game series. The Long Beach Coast lose their four-game win streak, dropping only two of their initial 12 home games of the season.

The Coast will head to Oakland tomorrow on their second road trip of the season. The three-game series and the third series matchup against the reigning champion Oakland Ballers will kick off at 6:35 PM PDT on Tuesday night at Raimondi Park.

Joey Miller