photo credit: Inside The Lines Photography
GRANTS PASS, Ore – A pair of sixth inning rallies lifted the Grants Pass Nuggets (3-7, 6-19) past the Klamath Falls Falcons (1-9, 7-20) on Wednesday night at the Reinhardt Volunteer All Sports Park.
GAME 1: GRANTS PASS 2, KLAMATH FALLS 1
Max Price broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fifth inning with an RBI single to score Carson Siems, but the Nuggets responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to secure a series-opening victory.
Two singles and a walk loaded the bases for the Nuggets in the pivotal sixth. A.J. Elzy hit a sacrifice fly to right field to earn Grants Pass their first run of the contest. Later, with two outs and the bases loaded again, an error in the infield allowed Ben Morgan to score an unearned to give the Nuggets a 2-1 lead.
Kollin Tacchini was stuck with the loss in his best start of the season. Tacchini pitched a complete 6.0 innings allowing just four hits, one earned run, and striking out five batters. Luke Morgan picked up the win for Grants Pass allowing four hits, one run, and striking out nine batters in 7.0 innings of work.
Two of the Falcons’ four hits were off the bat of Siems who finished 2-3 with a run scored. Max Price was 1-3 with an RBI and P.J. Safford was 1-2. Four players had one hit each for the Nuggets as Cole Carnes went 1-3 with a double; Jack Matthew, Keller Bloodworth, and Elzy each had one hit. Morgan was 0-2 but knocked in the game-winning run on the Falcons’ error in the sixth.
GAME 2: GRANTS PASS 9, KLAMATH FALLS 5
This game featured three lead changes and another late rally for the Nuggets on their way to a home sweep of the Falcons.
The Falcons opened the scoring in the third with a Marcos Ulloa-Ford RBI single though the infield to score Max Price. Later in the same inning Kollin Tacchini scored on a wild pitch. The Nuggets plated four runs in the bottom of the inning, three of which came on a double from Alijah Zauher giving Grants Pass a 4-2 advantage. The Falcons scored a single run in the fourth to trim the deficit.
Klamath Falls reclaimed the lead in the top of the sixth inning when Ulloa-Ford doubled to score Price and Tacchini. In the bottom of the inning, again with two outs, the Nuggets blasted back to back doubles from Luke Morgan and Keller Bloodworth scoring a pair of runs. The late inning rally continued for Grants Pass as A.J. Elzy and Tyler Ireland picked up RBI singles to balloon the Nuggets lead to 9-5.
The Falcons pitched by committee in the nightcap. Chase Knecht started the contest and allowed three hits and four runs to come across in 2.2 innings. Carson Pimley was the losing pitcher allowing three runs in 3.0 innings. Jacoby Tacchini recorded the final out of the sixth, but not before allowing three hits and a pair of runs. The Nuggets also used three pitchers. Jack Matthew was the winner, only working 1.1 innings and allowing two hits. Jace Elzy started on the hill for Grants Pass and he gave up seven hits and three runs. Ireland allowed two runs in 2.1 innings.
The Falcons collected 11 total hits in the contest. Notables include a 2-4 performance for Ulloa-Ford with a double and three RBI, and Price going 3-3 with a double and two runs scored. Kollin Tacchini was 2-3 with two runs scored and P.J. Safford had two singles in three at-bats. Jacoby Tacchini and Corbin Hamilton added one hit each. Zauher paced the Nuggets going 2-4 at the plate with three RBI.
WHATS NEXT?
The Falcons return home on Friday night to try and snap an eight game losing streak. They’ll rematch with the Nuggets at Kiger Stadium with the first pitch of a double header set for 5:00 p.m. Follow the Falcons with standings, schedules, and live streams at https://www.mybasin.com/falcons/