Coast Pull Off Late Eight-Run Comeback to Keep Streak Alive

LONG BEACH, CA – The Long Beach Coach (11-3) pulled off their biggest comeback of the season over the RedPocket Mobiles (1-13) at Blair Field on Wednesday night.

Coast starter Nathan Hemmerling had only given up two runs in his previous two starts, but in the top of the first, the Mobiles got a quick 4-0 lead off of five hits. Hemmerling’s offense tried to match the initial lead with a Cuba Bess two-run single and an RBI fielder’s choice by Matthew Bardowell, but still trailed by one.

After a scoreless second, the Mobiles took advantage of a pair of errors with a seven-run rally (all of which were unearned) to surge to an 11-3 advantage. Hemmerling was removed from the game with two outs in the third, marking his shortest start of his initial three on the year.

After Hemmerling left the game, the four Coast bullpen arms did not give up another run, allowing the momentum to shift back in Long Beach’s favor. After Hemmerling gave up 11 hits, the back-end of the hillsmen gave up a combined three in the final 6.1 innings.

The Coast offense had no shortage of baserunners despite the deficit for the first five innings. The Mobiles pitching staff gave up 11 walks and six hit-by-pitches, but many of those runners were left on base until the tide shifted in the sixth. 

Aidan Cardeñas was the third pitcher for the visiting team who made his Mobiles debut in the bottom of the sixth inning, Cardeñas loaded the bases, but struck out Bardowell to get one out away from evading the bases-loaded jam. Emilio Corona pinch hit for Jaylen Edmonds, who reached on an error by Mobiles shortstop Gianni Horvat that sparked a six-run rally to get the Coast within one.

JJ Almeda threw a perfect shutdown inning in the top of the seventh to carry the momentum into stretchtime. Mobiles reliever Miguel Ochoa gave up the tying run on his second batter faced, allowing Patrick Roche to hit an RBI double to center to tie the game 11-11. Two batters later, Emilio Corona punched the Coast ahead with the go-ahead RBI single to left field, scoring Roche.

Jake Dixon and Zach Voelker faced only four batters in both the eighth and ninth frames, with Voelker striking out the side to seal the eight-run comeback and secure his second save of the season.

Almeda (2-0) received the win in his second professional start. Ochoa (0-2), who gave up the six-and-a-half inning lead in the seventh, received the loss.

The Coast had half the amount of hits (7) as the Mobiles (14) on the night, leaving 13 stranded on base, but the 12-11 victory carries on their win streak to eight heading into the middle game of the six-game series on Thursday night at 6:35 PM PDT.

Joey Miller