Van Deventer's Complete Game Secures Series Sweep
For the first time in team history, the Long Beach Coast (31-8) used just one pitcher with left-hander Garrett Van Deventer rifling a complete game by the Oakland Ballers (16-23) in a 14-1 drubbing on Thursday night.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 3 |
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0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | X | 14 | 16 | 1 |
LONG BEACH, CA – For the first time in team history, the Long Beach Coast (31-8) used just one pitcher with left-hander Garrett Van Deventer rifling a complete game by the Oakland Ballers (16-23) in a 14-1 drubbing on Thursday night. That victory marks the third-straight for the Arkansas-native, and it finishes off the fifth sweep of the inaugural campaign.
The third-year Pioneer Leaguer allowed nine hits across nine innings of work, striking out one batter and tossing just 83 pitches. That bests southpaw Brett Wozniak’s eight-inning ride on the third day of the season at Yuba-Sutter on Thursday, May 21 for the longest outing by a single L.B.C. pitcher. Van Deventer’s defense helped him out, tying a season-high five double plays.
The bats blasted a pair of home runs with designated hitter Cuba Bess slugging a two-run shot in the sixth inning and center fielder Emilio Corona repeating the feat in the eighth. Six “Coasters” finished with multi-hit games headlined by Corona’s four-spot. The San Luis Obispo-native ripped a pair of doubles to end the day with nine total bases, one behind the team record set by right fielder Matthew Bardowell on the road against the Ballers on Wednesday, Jun. 17.
Five Long Beach hitters finished the weekday series recording a hit in at least one third of their at-bats with Corona ending 6-for-13, Bess and second baseman Jacob Jablonski batting 5-for-13, Bardowell going 4-for-10, and first baseman Cooper Vest wrapping up 4-for-11.
The L.B.C. cuts the magic number to clinch a playoff berth at the end of the first half of the season down to just three with eight contests remaining before the midway point.
The Coast hit the road up to Marysville to take on the Yuba-Sutter Freebirds for three games away from home before the teams flip back to Blair Field on Tuesday for another three in the L.B.C. First pitch for Friday’s away matchup is set for 6:35 p.m., and fans can keep up with the action by following @lbcoastbaseball on Instagram and @longbeachcoast on all other platforms.
Jesse Cook