A ninth inning collapse on Sunday was simply the tip of the iceberg.
“I’m not disappointed in how the ninth inning went,” vented Manager Tom Kotchman, “I am disappointed in the stuff that happened. We just came out and laid an egg.”
In the third inning the Owls forfeited two runs by missing an easy double play and not getting any outs, then dropping the ball, literally and figuratively, on a play at the plate. Those two miscues put Billings up 2-0.
“The only pitch Vargas-Villa made that was bad was an 0-1 breaking ball that the guy hit out for the home run, other than that he was pretty good,” Kotchman continued. That home run put the mustangs up 3-0 in the fourth.
After that inning Kotchman brought in reliever Suammy Baez, one of the few bright spots for the Owls this afternoon. Baez pitched three innings, retiring all nine batters he faced, six by strike out.
“Every time he’s pitched he’s been around forty on his pitch count. That’s what’s been sent down, that’s what they want. I’ve got my hands tied with four or five pitchers like that,” commented Kotchman, “Trust me, he would have been out there in the ninth.”
The bottom of the eighth brought a ray of hope as The Owls scored three runs. Trevor Hairgrove started things with a two out double. Wes Hatton got him home on an RBI single. Frazier Hall then hit a two run home run. That comprised all of the scoring for The Owls. As the eighth ended the score was tied 3-3.
Shane Riedie, Eddie Sipple, and Aaron Tullo, combined to allow three runs on four hits and a walk in one inning to give The Mustangs back a three run lead going into the bottom of the ninth.
The Owls failed to recover. Ray Jones walked to begin the ninth. Then Drew Martinez struck out and Hairgrove grounded into a game ending double play.
“We made our bed now we have to deal with it,” finished Kotchman.
