Walk-Off Walk for Cats Over Aviators on Thursday

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Trailing by one with only two hits in the bottom of the ninth, the Sacramento River Cats found a way to snatch victory from defeat as they tied the game on a wild pitch and then secured a 3-2 victory with a walk-off walk in game three against the Las Vegas Aviators on Thursday.

Action started as a pitcher’s duel as both teams combined for just three hits through the first four innings, all three of which belonged to the Aviators (26-27/63-65). Keeping the River Cats (25-29/69-60) in the ballgame was starter Carson Whisenhunt, who retired each of the first five batters he faced with four going down on strikes consecutively, all the way until a two-out double at the end of the second.

In fact, Whisenhunt worked around another double in the third when Darell Hernaiz also reached on a two-out two-bagger, while Jordan Diaz led off with a double in the third but was left stranded.

Las Vegas finally broke through against the southpaw in the top of the fifth, putting the first two batters on with a single and a walk. After a sacrifice bunt moved both into scoring position, a Hernaiz sacrifice fly brought home the game’s first run, but it could have been more if it were not for a sliding catch in left field from Wade Meckler.

Sacramento’s first hit produced its first run in the home half of the fifth, as a two-out walk to Blake Sabol preceded a Donovan Walton triple to left center, scoring Sabol all the way from first to knot the contest.

Offenses went dormant yet again from the sixth through the eighth, part of which was due to an impressive relay through that saved a run at the plate. On a ball hit into the right-field corner, Bishop and Walton combined to deliver a perfect set of throws that resulted in the ball just reaching Sabol in time to tag out pinch-runner Hoy Park trying to score from second base.

On to pitch in the ninth for Sacramento was Tyler Myrick (3-2), who saw his five-game, eight-inning scoreless streak snapped when Ryan Noda hammered a 2-1 offering over the wall in right-center field to snag a 2-1 advantage.

Entering the bottom half of the frame with just two hits, both of which belonged Walton, the River Cats put the leadoff man Trenton Brooks aboard with a walk and moved him up to third on a single from Marco Luciano. However, Luciano was caught trying to stretch it into a double and was thrown out advancing to second.

A wild pitch then brought home Brooks as the game-tying run, and Sacramento continued to push as both Bishop and Sabol singled while Walton was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Up to the plate stepped the newest River Cats Cavan Biggio, who coming off a night in which he drew four walks yesterday, drew his second walk of the night on four pitches to send the River Cats home with a walk-off walk.

Despite the surrendered lead, Myrick ended the night as the winning pitcher of record, striking out two in his one inning of work. Two River Cats tossed scoreless outings, as Drew Strotman tossed 1.1 run-free frames while Clay Helvey followed that with 2.0 scoreless innings.

It was the bottom half of the lineup that did all the damage, with Walton notching the pair of hits and one each going to Luciano, Bishop and Sabol. Strangely enough, that extended the hitting streaks for all four Cats, who have each now hit in seven straight games.

Leading the series 2-1, Sacramento will try to clinch a series split at minimum when the two teams meet for game four on Friday at 6:45 p.m. (PT).