RENO - Clinching the Golden Baseball League's first-half title apparently hasn't gone to the heads of the first-place Reno Silver Sox.
The Sox broke open a 2-2 tie with a three-run eighth inning to defeat the Yuma Scorpions, 5-2, in front of an announced crowd of 1,059 Wednesday at Peccole Park to improve to 25-14.
"They know. They've been around," said Silver Sox manager Les Lancaster of his team's continued focus. "They want to keep playing at this level instead of slumping. They want to play our game all the way through."
Although he finished 1-for-4, all-star third baseman Edgar Varela made his one hit count, drilling a two-run, first-inning home run to give the Sox a 2-0 lead over the fourth-place Scorpions, now 17-22.
"You gotta keep on playing good baseball and try to stay on a roll," Varela said. "If you play well and let up, it's hard to jump back into sync."
The blast over the left center-field wall, Varela's 10th of the season, traveled an estimated 410 feet and moved him into a four-way tie for second in the GBL.
"It was a changeup and away," the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Varela said of the offering by Yuma starter Jorge Perez (4-1), who entered the game with a 3.17 earned run average. "The wind took it a little bit, but it's an HR in the books. I'll take it."
Reno starter Everett Stull (1-0) entered the game with 10.13 ERA, but allowed only one hit through four innings before surrendering a pair of homers to Jacob Guzman and Steve Smith in the fifth.
Recent acquisition Mike McTamney (now 1-0, with a perfect ERA) came on in relief of starter Stull in the seventh and pitched a scoreless three innings for the win.
"Everett did an outstanding job," Lancaster said. "He had two bad pitches that the wind took. McTamney came in and shut the door like we thought he would. He did what we expected from him. He's throwing 93-94 (miles an hour) - that's hard to find."
The 23-year-old McTamney, of Tom's River, N.J., went to Wagner College, in Staten Island, N.Y., before playing for Fullerton last year. The right-hander signed with Reno on July 5.
"I wanted to get out there for my new team and get the job done," said McTamney, who allowed one hit and struck out one. "They traded for me to get out there and do the job. I was pumped, coming into that situation - a 2-2 game. I came out on fire. I had a lot of adrenaline pumping."
Perez struck out seven and gave up two runs and four hits before Jared Terrebonne relieved him to begin the eighth, when the Silver Sox busted open the game, sending eight batters to the plate.
After Rich Giannotti lined out to first, left fielder James Shanks (2-for-4) singled and designated hitter Marcus Jensen (3-for-4) doubled. Varela hit into a fielder's choice and Yuma first baseman Guzman tried to gun down Shanks at the plate, but instead threw the ball into the dirt, giving Reno the lead.
Doug Gredvig walked to load the bases before Jensen scored on a passed ball for a 4-2 Sox lead. Former University of Nevada infielder Bub Madrid closed out the scoring, singling in Gredvig on an off-speed pitch.
Madrid, who played second base, said his team still hasn't lost its edge in spite of its first-half success.
"After (Tuesday), clinching the first-half title, we did a little celebrating, but we came back strong today," said Madrid, who went 1-for-3 with 1 RBI. "I was talking to (shortstop and fellow Reed High graduate) C.J. (Lang) today and said it would be nice to run away with the second half as well. We'll have the same group of guys to try and keep our fortune rolling.
"(Before the hit) I was telling C.J. again, it could work out to my benefit after I looked horrible the first couple at-bats on the off-speed (pitch). It was bad enough the first couple of at-bats, but he (Terrebonne) fell into my trap that I didn't mean to set."
Terrabonne (1-3) took the loss, giving up three runs (one earned) and three hits in two innings.
With the win, Reno assured itself a series win against Yuma, which it will face in the last of its three-game series tonight at Peccole Park, beginning at 6:35 p.m.
Reno will start all-star left-hander Chris Marini (5-2, with a 4.65 ERA). The Scorpions will counter with right-hander Ryan Amason (1-1, 7.20 ERA).
Notes: The Silver Sox announced Wednesday that they had traded right-handed pitcher Hideki Nagasaka to the Chico Heat for a player to be named later...Right-handed reliever Nate Sevier is still on the disabled list, but will be activated in time to play in the Golden Baseball League All-Star Game on July 18, in Chico, Calif...First baseman Doug Gredvig went 0-for-3 with one walk, snapping his 11-game hitting streak...The Silver Sox's average attendance has swelled to 1,526, fourth in the league. Fullerton is third, with 1,632. Yuma leads the GBL, with 2,104.