Armada sweep double header, takes 1st place

Game 1
Long Beach - 3
Yuma - 2

Starting pitcher Garrett Murdy kept the Scorpions offense in check, and CF Steve Moss blasted two-run homer to give the Armada a 3-2 win in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader in Yuma, Arizona.

Murdy (3-0) got the win in only his second start of the season. He struck out six Scorpions, walked one while giving up four hits and two runs (both earned).

The Armada (21-16) struck first when 3B Ryan Lehr's RBI double scored Julian Williams for a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. The Scorpions bounced back in the bottom of the second, when AJ Valentine's solo home run tied the game, 1-1. After the blast, Murdy continued to shut down the Scorpions lineup until the bottom of the fifth, when Yuma DH jose Rodriguez knocked a solo home run to give Yuma a 2-1 lead.

Enter Steve Moss. The Armada center fielder two-run blast in the top of the sixth gave Long Beach the deciding runs. Wayne Foltin finished the game, pitching the seventh inning and earning his fifth save of the season.

Game 2
Long Beach - 5
Yuma - 4
F/8

After a late-inning comeback in the first game of the doubleheader, the Armada needed extra innings to sweep the day and defeat Yuma, 5-4, taking sole possession of first-place in the GBL South.

Trailing 4-2 in the sixth inning, Armada DH Norm Hutchins and C David Ramirez singled to get on the bases before LF Dan Trumble’s 2-RBI double tied the game, 4-4. Trumble was thrown out trying to stretch his extra-base hit into a triple, and manager Steve Yeager was ejected for arguing the call.

In the eighth inning, Hutchins tripled to set himself up to score the winning run. Three batters later, Trumble again delivered, blooping a ball into right field to score Hutchins and give the Fleet a 5-4 lead.

Nick Bierbrodt (5-5) earned the win, going six innings, striking out five and walking six while giving up two runs (both earned) on two hits. Bierbrodt came into the game in the second inning to relieve SP Steve Smyth, who went 1+ inning and gave up two runs, striking out one batter and walking four. Wayne Foltin shut down the Scorpions in the eighth inning to earn the save (6), his second of the night. Foltin has yet to give up an earned run in 11.2 IP with the Armada.

Armada 3B Ryan Lehr put Long Beach (22-16) ahead first with a two-run home run (11) in the top of the first. The Scorpions evened things up in the bottom of the frame when Yuma RF Maikel Jova singled to score 3B Dionys Cesar and 1B AJ Valentine’s sac fly brought in DH Henry Calderon.

Scorpions C Jose Rodriguez two-RBI single gave Yuma a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the 3rd inning. The pressure continued to mount as the Armada failed to score again until the sixth inning.

For the second straight night, Edmonton defeated Orange County (20-16) and Chico knocked off St. George (20-17), giving the Armada a one-game lead over the rival Flyers, their next opponent.

The Armada and Flyers start a six-game home-and-home series on Tuesday, August 26 at Blair Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm.

GBL South Standings
Long Beach 22-16
Orange County 20-16
St. George 20-17
Yuma 19-18