One night after losing 5-0 to the dreaded Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, the boys of summer came back and shellacked the opposition, 14-0.  No typo.

So how big of a beating was that?  Well to give you an example of how unlikely it was, the biggest margin of defeat last year was 8 runs, in the back half of a doubleheader against Everett, 10-2 was the score.

The last drubbing Salem and the C’s had, which is the biggest margin of defeat in club history, was a 19-3 beating on August 29th, 2006, by the Volcanoes over Vancouver.

A shutout on Canada Day in 2007 against the same Salem club, was 9-0, and is the biggest shutout defeat Vancouver has played in until Monday.

This was the biggest defeat for Vancouver since September 3rd, 2006 when they clobbered Everett 20-7.  

Back to tonight’s game, starting lineup:

RF Jose ‘Gifted’ Crisostomo, CF Conner ‘Crumbler’ Crumbliss, 2B Nino ‘Lay Out’ Leyja, DH Kent ‘Wheels’ Walton, LF Rashun ‘Bullet Train’ Dixon, C Ryan ‘Lil Papi’ Ortiz (right), 1B Anthony ‘Alliteration’ Aliotti, 3B Ryne ‘Journey’ Jernigan, SS Leo Gil, SP Chad ‘Unstoppable’ Lee.

First off, let me say this game would’ve been much more high scoring if the umps can watch the play.  A night after Rashun Dixon was called ‘out’ on a stolen base attempt where the ball never touched him (clearly viewable from the stands), Jose Crisostomo beat out an infield hit, only to be called out by Shaun Lampe.  Crisostomo had stopped running past first because he had beat out the play, yet was called out.  

I don’t like to criticize umps because they’re trying their best, but this was absolute BS.  Considering they’ve been in charge of both homestands, they need to get their acts together, this was Spencer-Flynn-like.

This game was legitimately a boring game, despite a no-hitter and what was to follow, until maybe the 4th inning, with Vancouver already up 1-0.

Two walks opened the inning (Dixon, Ortiz), and a wild pitch advanced them each a base, before Dixon scored on a groundout, advancing Ortiz.

Ryne Jernigan doubled him home, then Journey stole 3rd, and was one of two Canadians to score on an error by Juan Martinez.  5-0.

In the 6th, Chad Lee (bottom) departed with a five inning no-no, and Ronny Morla kept it up, not allowing a hit in his part of the 6th.

Conner Crumbliss scored in the 6th for the C’s, 6-0.

Dan Cook broke up the no hitter with one gone in the 7th, as he had an infield single, that Leo Gil and Nino Leyja almost caught.  Had I been scorekeeping, it would’ve been an error but then again that’s cause I have never seen a no-hitter. ;)

The C’s exploded in the 7th, scoring 5 runs while all 9 hitters came up to bat.  Ryan Ortiz, Anthony Aliotti, Ryne Jernigan, Leo Gil and Nino Leyja all scored, 11-0 Vancouver.

Dan Straily gave up two hits in the 8th, so it didn’t really matter about the one hit anymore, but he got out of a jam and pitched well, striking out a pair.

Vancouver piled on 3 more in their half, with Leo Gil hitting a 2-RBI triple, and Marcos Luis hitting a pinch-hit single.

It capped off 3-RBI, 2-Run, 2-Hit performance for Leo, who had just one hit going into the night.  Luis’ pinch-hit was his first at-bat since June 24th, and appeared in only his third game of the year.

Juston Street closed it out for Vancouver, pitching a scoreless inning on the mound, 14-0 Vancouver.

Nat Notes Hitter of the Game: Ryne Jernigan 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 Runs. It could’ve been anyone based on tonight,  but Jernigan had a great 3-hit performance, and raised his average to .455 as he excels during his second year in Vancouver.  Anthony Aliotti was definitely considered.

Nat Notes Pitcher of the Game: Chad Lee, 5 IP, 2 BB, 5 SO, Win.  It has been a rough four years for Chad Lee, who pitched well in 2006 here in Vancouver, before returning in ‘08, and then getting injured again, forcing him to return in 2009.  He made the most of his opportunity tonight, piggy-backing on his one-hit start 5 days before.  Kane County should be waiting for him.

Game Notes:

- Vancouver only gave up four hits in this one, striking out 8 over the 9 innings.

- Ronny Morla pitched his second scoreless appeared in as many chances, as he looks to improve from a bad Opening Night.

- Straily and Street (right) gave up 3 hits, striking out two, over two innings.

- Umping was dreadful, and I don’t like to speak out against it, but that was a joke.  Jose Crisostomo had at least one, maybe two base hits that he was rejected on by Shaun Lampe.

- 5 errors were committed by the Volcanoes, including two by LF, Dan Cook.

- Everyone on the Canadians reached base tonight, via a hit, walk or hit-by-pitch.

- Aliotti, Jernigan and Gil were a combined 9-13, and if you include Nino Leyja, the infield was 10-19.  Phenomenal stuff.

- After going 1-7 in his last two games, DH Kent Walton picked up two hits and 2 RBI, raising his average to .308.

- Rashun Dixon’s two hit performance gives him four multi-hit games this year, as he is hitting .400 at The Nat.

- 3,462 saw this one, and I’ll hold back my thoughts on the extra attendance, in dogs, that were present.

Great effort by the Canadians, Fireworks tonight.