Silver Sox can't muster much offense in loss

RENO - One night after scoring the second-most runs in franchise history, the Reno Silver Sox offense went AWOL.

Four San Diego pitchers stymied Reno on seven hits, and the Surf Dawgs scored all their runs in the third inning en route to a 4-2 win Wednesday night at Peccole Park before an announced crowd of 1,303.

The loss dropped Reno into a third-place tie with the Surf Dawgs in the second-half Golden Baseball League standings. Both teams are 10-11.

"That happens," said third baseman Bub Madrid, who collected two of Reno's seven hits. "It happens all the time. A team scores 17 or 18 runs and the next game it barely scores two.

"Hopefully we can score seven or eight tomorrow. I don't think this will get us down. Winning the series would catapult us forward."

Reno manager Les Lancaster was disappointed with the emotional state of his team.

"We jumped out in front, and the next time you look at the board, we were behind," Lancaster said. "The guys were flat. The pitchers did an outstanding job."

Indeed. It was an ugly third inning that cost the Sox, and what's even more frustrating is that the Surf Dawgs didn't hit the ball that hard in scoring their four runs and wiping out a 1-0 deficit. Two of the five hits off starter/loser Jared Bonnell in that big inning were of the infield variety, and both of those took some extremely strange hops.

Vincent Roldan singled over the mound and Johnny Day singled to start the inning. Joey Garcia dropped down a bunt, and Bonnell threw wildly to first, allowing Roldan to score and Day to reach third. Scott Goodman singled home Day and Garcia moved to second. Will Henderson's infield single, which took a strange hop on Madrid at third base, loaded the bases. Joey Huskins hit into a double play, scoring Garcia. Nick Guerra completed the outburst with a run-scoring double.

"One bad inning," lamented Bonnell. "Those two little hits. I made some bad pitches, too. You can't have a big inning like that. It will bite you."

"It wasn't like they hit the ball hard," Lancaster said. "(Both infield hits) off the end of the bat and then Bonnell lobbing a throw to first. You need a good, crisp throw."

After the first inning when Reno scored, San Diego starter Brent Pourciau, 4-3, retired 12 of the next 15 hitters before leaving after five innings with just three hits and one unearned run charged to him.

Reno threatened to get back in the game in the seventh against reliever Chris George.

Madrid beat out a swinging bunt down the third base line, and after Steve Booker struck out for the second out, Phil Grau singled Madrid to third. C.J. Lang walked to load the bases. Enter submarine-throwing E.J. Shanks, who retired Mike Done on an infield roller to third.

Reno made it 4-2 in the ninth when Madrid doubled just inside the bag at third off reliever Josh Rummonds. Madrid moved to third on a balk and scored on Lang's single. The Surf Dawgs let Lang take second uncontested, and then Brandon Carter flied to center to end the game.

Notes: Ben Thurmond (5-4, 4.11) opposes Yoankis Turino (0-1, 4.00) in the finale of the three-game series tonight at 6:30 p.m. ... The Silver Sox will wear red hats to benefit the American Heart Association. There will be a silent auction during the contest for the game-worn hats with all of the money donated to the AHA ... Lancaster said that offensive help may be on the way as soon as this weekend. The deadline to acquire players is Aug. 14. Lancaster said he's talking to a couple of outfielders and a third baseman. He said he's in a bidding war for the Mexican League players with the other independent leagues... Reno got no offense from the three through six spots in the lineup. The group went 0 for 14 with an RBI, a first-inning groundout by Marcus Jensen ... Doug Gredvig returned after missing Tuesday's game to attend the funeral of a family friend. He went 0 for 4, but made four nice pick-ups at first, saving four errors.