RENO - While it may be too late for the Reno Silver Sox to successfully defend their Golden Baseball League championship, the Sox proved Saturday that it's not too late to play like champions.
Reno, which was tied with St. George in last place heading into the first of its two-game series with first-half champ Chico, had an assortment of players step up in rallying for a 7-6 victory over the Outlaws at Peccole Park.
"We've struggled at times lately, but the last couple of times we've come out a little better," said reliever Josh Evans, who improved to 4-0 on the season after pitching a perfect seventh and eighth innings to set up closer Eric Thomas. "Tonight we finally got it back a little. My two-seam fastball was working pretty good."
The Silver Sox bullpen, which had been taking a beating over the last few weeks, had some help from its offense and defense in improving to 11-19 in the second half and 29-38 overall, while dropping the Outlaws to 12-18 in the second half.
In addition to three solo home runs from designated hitter and pitching coach Mike Done, left fielder Kane Simmons and shortstop Sam Walker, the Sox were able to fight back from a sixth-inning, 6-4 deficit, thanks in part to the efforts of Galena High School and Long Beach State graduate Chuck Sindlinger.
Sindlinger went 1-for-3 with 2 runs batted in. His grounder to first scored Simmons to get Reno within one in the sixth and later he had the game-winning hit - a slicing double to the right-field corner to score Done and put Reno up for good at 7-6.
"It was a fastball away," Sindlinger said of his game-winner. "They were throwing me away and I made a little adjustment. Our record may not show it, but we've been battling back. We could lay down, but we're working the game a lot better."
Sindlinger said Reno manager Les Lancaster has spoken to the team about staying motivated in spite of having no hope of going to the postseason.
"For us, it's like a pride thing, trying to finish strong," Sindlinger said. "We had trouble with Long Beach before taking two of three from them (in Reno's last series on the road)."
After Walker (1-for-3, two runs, 2 RBI) scored first baseman Adam Amar to tie it 6-6 in the sixth, Evans relieved Joe Valentin, who surrendered two hits in 1/3 of an inning, to begin the seventh.
Sox starter Adam Harendza went 5 2/3, giving up six runs (five earned) and nine hits, walking three and striking out three.
After Evans retired the side in order in the seventh, he got some defensive help from Amar to begin the eighth. Amar dove to knock down a Todd Gossage grounder and flipped it back to a hustling Evans at first for the out.
The 6-foot-9 Thomas surrendered a single to Steve Boggs to start the ninth, but his patient approach and some help from newly acquired Josh McLeod, who took over in the seventh at catcher for another new acquisition, David Nash (who started his first game for Reno).
After Thomas, who earned his sixth save, got Jesse Kovacs to fly out to left, McLeod gunned out Boggs, who was trying to steal second base, for the second out. Thomas, who made several attempts to pick off Boggs at first base, struck out Craig Kuzmic looking to end the game.
"It was important right then - I wanted to keep him honest," Thomas said trying to pick off Boggs. "I was making sure he couldn't get a big lead. Everyone did a really good job to keep the score right where it needed to be to let me get to do my job. Collectively, it was great."
Reno and Chico went toe to toe over the first several innings.
A Gossage triple to center scored Daniel Nava to give the Outlaws a 1-0 in the top of the second, but Done responded with his eighth homer of the year - to left center - to tie it in the bottom of the inning.
Kovacs scored on a Nash error the following inning, but a Maurice Cole grounder to third scored Walker to once again tie it in the bottom of the frame.
The pattern repeated itself in the fourth after Chico went up, 3-2, on an Eric Pringle fielder's choice. Simmons (2-for-4) responded with his GBL-leading 16th homer over the left-field wall to tie it in the bottom of the inning.
Walker hit his first round-tripper of the season with a first-pitch blast in the fifth to give Reno a 4-3 lead. Chico third baseman Scott Dragicevich answered with a dinger to lead off the sixth and Pringle followed with a two-run shot off Harendza to give the Outlaws a 6-4 lead before Reno rallied.
Chico starter Nick Singleton went 5-plus innings, giving up six earned runs and seven hits, while walking two and striking out seven.
Daniel Howard (1-2) took the loss, allowing one earned run to go with one walk and a strikeout. Jesse Oster finished in relief.
Reno, now 9-11 against Chico this year, will try and sweep the two-game set beginning at 5 p.m. tonight. The Sox will send Carson grad, former major leaguer and current pitching coach Dusty Bergman (5-3, 3.51 earned run average) to the hill against Greg Bicknell (0-1, 10.80 ERA).