Almanza, Tatum, Bullpen Account for Oakland's Fifth Consecutive Win
Ballers take fourth consecutive victory in Kalispell and fifth overall.
By Nevada Cullen
KALISPELL, Mont. -- Oakland's bullpen entered Friday without having allowed an earned run in its first 11 innings of the series against the Glacier Range Riders. By using an opener to begin Friday's contest, the Ballers had a tall task on their hands to continue the scoreless streak.
Four relief pitchers combined to hold the Range Riders to just two hits and one walk over 6.2 scoreless innings, striking out six. The dominant bullpen performance carried the Ballers to a season-high fifth straight victory, clinching the series against Glacier with a 5-2 win.
Xavier Casserilla smacked an opposite-field solo shot in the first, and JT Mabry slapped an RBI single to right in the second to give Glacier a 2-0 edge. Those were the lone two runs allowed by Oakland's opener, Ethan Paulson.
Christian Almanza got one back for the Ballers in the fourth. He slugged a solo blast to right center, as his fourth long ball of the season beat the tall wall and fell 406 feet from home plate.
Oakland finally got to Glacier starter Grant Taylor in the fifth. Nick Leehey nearly homered to right, but had to settle for a leadoff double off the wall.
Dillon Tatum, who doubled earlier in the second, smashed a high fly to straightaway center. Kingston Liniak looked like he might catch it, but he ran out of room, and Tatum put Oakland ahead with a two-run moonshot. His first home run of the season sailed over the centerfield fence and traveled 412 feet in the end.
Following a couple of singles later in the fifth, Almanza struck a two-out line drive to center. It landed in front of Liniak and plated two, extending the lead to 5-2 for the Ballers.
All the bullpen needed was a lead to protect. James Colyer struck out the side in the fourth and earned his first professional win in the process.
Brody Eglite took over from there. He walked the first batter he faced and retired the next nine. Eglite did not permit a hit in his three scoreless frames, and fanned three.
Carson Lambert sat down the Range Riders in order in the eighth. Glacier brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but Connor Sullivan kept the Range Riders at bay and picked up his league-leading fourth save of the year.
The Ballers hope to stay unbeaten in June with a sixth win in a row at 6:05 p.m. PDT on Saturday. As always, you can listen to the action on 860 AM The Answer and on the Oakland Ballers YouTube channel.
