Fuego win; last game is today
Willie Doll and Eric Maria had three hits apiece, leading the Santa Fe Fuego to a 7-6 win over Garden City in Pecos League action Friday night at Fort Marcy Ballpark.
The Fuego (32-26) close out the 2017 season Saturday night against the Wind. Neither team has qualified for the playoffs.
Doll doubled and hit his fifth home run of the season. It was one of five homers for Santa Fe, which opened a 7-1 lead through six innings to make a winner out of starting pitcher Ed Brandsema (5-3). He tossed 7⅓ innings, striking out 13 batters and allowing just five hits. Nick Hornbaker worked a perfect ninth for his third save of the season.
Doll finished the night 3-for-4, raising his batting average to .468 in the process. He would finish the season as the league leader in that category but will fall well short of the requisite number of minimum at bats. He has just 111 through Friday’s game; the minimum to win the batting title is 159.
Caleb Baker hit his 18th homer of the season which is one short of teammate Matt Haskins for the league lead.
STORM CHASERS 5, ISTOTOPES 4
In Albuquerque, Cam Gallagher hit a runscoring double in the sixth inning, leading the Omaha Storm Chasers to a 5-4 win over the Albuquerque Isotopes on Friday.
Eric Stout allowed a run, but struck Jordan Patterson out with a runner on second to end the game for his third save of the season.
The double by Gallagher, part of a tworun inning, gave the Storm Chasers a 3-2 lead before Ryan O’Hearn scored on an error later in the inning.
The Storm Chasers tacked on another run in the eighth when O’Hearn hit a solo home run.
Albuquerque saw its comeback attempt come up short after Derrik Gibson scored on a ground out in the ninth inning to cut the Omaha lead to 5-4.
Omaha right-hander Christian Binford (4-8) picked up a quality start and the win after allowing three runs on eight hits over six innings. Opposing starter Chad Bettis (0-1) took the loss in the Pacific Coast League game after allowing four runs and five hits over 5⅓ innings.