With the fearsome Jimmy Shull (3-2, 2.36) on the mound for Vancouver,
all the C’s should have needed to register a win was 3 or 4 runs
against the Everett AquaSox, if they wanted to hold their one-game lead
over Salem-Kaizer.

Alas, 3 or 4 runs seemed to be a challenge beyond tonight’s Vancouver Canadians,
as they left TEN MEN ON BASE, squandering scoring chances by the
bucketload before finally mounting a minor comeback, only for Jose
Corchado to let Everett get away.

Chad Boyd opened the game for the C’s the same way he opened
yesterday’s game - with a lead-off double - but the C’s leaky offense
left him stranded - just as it did yesterday.

Ronald ‘Julia’ Prettyman responded for Everett with a solo homer to
right in the bottom of the inning, which, at Everett’s homeground means
the ball had to travel about 180 feet into a stiff breeze to clear the
bases. In the bottom of the 2nd, Shull was again taken yard to the
Everett charity porch, when Mike Saunders went knocked him over that
same spot to make the score 2-0 to Everett.

But the C’s weren’t totally free of pop themselves, as Steve Kleen sent
a ball over the wall in left center for a (real) solo home run to bring
the score back to 2-1 Everett in the top of the 4th.

Alas, in the bottom of that inning, Jimmy Shull continued to look
surprisingly mortal, giving up a walk, a double, and an RBI-inducing
ground-out to see the Everett lead extend to two.

Shull was not done, however, and after he surrendered that run, he sat
eight straight Everett hitters. Shull righted the Vancouver ship
nicely, and if the C’s offense could just figure out a way to move
their runners around the bases, the game was ripe for the picking…

Alas, it seems a near-outfield wall is all the invitation needed for
some players at this level to swing away when they have men on base.
The pinch-hit decisions didn’t help, with newly promoted rookie-baller
Andre-Piper Jordan being brought in to hit for Jose Garcia, only to
strike out miserably.

Mike Massaro is always good for a little spark, and when he singled to
get on base and Zeke Parraz moved him around to 2nd, a wild pitch was
all the invitation needed for Jeff Baisley to knock Massaro home,
narrowing the gap to one once more.

This was where a rally was likely to happen, if the pitching could only
keep Everett close. Sadly, the pitching couldn’t, as Jose Corchado gave
up an insurance run in the bottom of the 8th to help the Sox back out
to a 4-2 lead which they held onto right to the finish.

September 1, 2005
	Final 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Vancouver 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 7 0 Everett 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 X 4 6 0 wrap | box | log W: H. Williams (1-0, 3.86); L: J. Shull (3-3, 2.55); SV: S. Kahn (11) HR: VAN: S. Kleen (1). EVE: M. Saunders (6), R. Prettyman (5).

GAME NOTES:
* Chad Boyd continued to impress in the lead-off spot, going 1-3 with 2
walks and a double. But Stev Kleen had the offensive performance of the
night (yes, THAT Steve Kleen) with a 2-3 night that included a dinger,
a run scored, an RBI, and a walk. Sadly, nobody else racked up more
than a single base hit. Only four walks were drawn all night, while ten
strikeouts were racked up. Which tells you exactly how much plate
patience the C’s had tonight..

* In Eugene, 2nd place Salem-Kaizer was finally getting a contest from
the Emeralds, who came from behind to level 2-2 in the 6th, but the
Volcanoes pushed back out to a 4-2 lead that stuck. This means the
Canadians and Volcanoes are TIED FOR 1ST PLACE in the NWL West. Let’s
hope that, with the Volcanoes playing Everett three times before facing
us at home three more, their share of the 1st place spot is simply a
loan.

Oh, that it could come to this…