The Blues Defeat Team Philippines 5-4 for their 13th Win in a Row

By:Julianne Shivers/SLO Blues

San Luis Obispo, Ca. - The Blues collected five runs on five hits and drew nine walks en route to their victory. The Blues saw 17 batters enter the game, with Gavin Constantine being the only Blue to stay in for the whole game. Team Philippines scored four runs on four hits and collected nine walks in their loss. The game featured four errors and was sloppy at times, but the Blues did enough to overcome the miscues and come out on top.

Miles Mador entered the game for the Blues in the sixth and went 1-for-1, collecting one hit and one walk while stealing one base. Cesar Chavez was the batter who opened things up for the Blues in the fifth, coming in to pinch hit and driving in two runners to tie the game 2-2.

Brendan Comerford earned player of the game honors after coming in to pinch hit as well as entering as a pitcher in the eighth. Comerford was awarded the save in his second-ever appearance on the mound in his collegiate career. When asked what he's been doing to prepare, he credited the coaching staff.

"I've been throwing a lot of bullpen with Dean (Treanor) and just working on my stuff and throwing strikes," Comerford said. "That's all I was doing."

Comerford, nicknamed "Ohtani" after two-way player Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, was named a captain of the 2025 team, with this being his third year playing for the Blues. In his first year ever on the mound, he hasn't allowed a run in his three innings pitched, striking out three and walking none. Comerford is also slashing .423/.545/.596 and is tied for first in the CCL in stolen bases with nine.

The Blues face the Orange County Riptide at Sinsheimer Baseball Stadium with a 4:00 p.m. first pitch, with Blues record holder Spencer Gallimore taking the bump.

Play-by-play

1 | Lucas Shannon was the starter for the Blues. Shannon faced only four batters striking out one and walking one. Christian Santiago was the lead off hitter grounding out to second. Nomar Vazquez was in the two hole and he flew out to center. Isaiah Chavez drew a walk in his appearance. Micah Tagium ended the inning striking out. Jake Hixenbaugh led off for the Blues facing Philippines starter, Julius Haim. Hixenbaugh drew a walk and stole a base. Brady Alves was the next batter, Alves struck out in his appearance. Jack Gradel popped up to first for the second out. Tate Blasi was hit to get on first. Caleb Cassidy was the last Blue to the plate striking out to end the inning. 

2 | Shannon faced four batters again in the second. Ajani Wrighsterled off with a single into shallow left field. He was then picked off by Blues catcher Anthony Marnell IV for the first out. Caden Lewis was the six hole hitter for the Philippines. Lewis was hit to reach first. Lewis was also able to advance to second on a passed ball. Dylan Tagium came to the plate and struck out for Shannon's second K on the night. Hector Piña was the last batter of the inning, popping up to Alves at second.  Joey Blank led off the second inning for the Blues for his first appearance at Sinsheimer. Blank struck out. Sebastian Lopez followed in his second game of the season and popped up to short. Anthony Marnell IV reached first on an error by the third baseman. Gavin Constantine hit a single into center, advancing Marnell to third. Constantine stole second to have two runners in scoring position. Hixenbaugh walked to load the bases. Alves flew out to right to end the inning. 

3 | Titus Gocke entered the game for the Blues in the third. Erick Espinoza was the first batter he faced and he reached on a throwing error by Blank. Santiago was the next batter and he grounded out on a hit and run play to Constantine at third. Vazquez walked to have two Philippines players on. Chavez popped straight up to Marnell. M.Tagium was the last batter Gocke faced, striking him out for his first K on the evening. Gradel led off for the Blues, flying out to left. Blasi collected the second hit for the Blues hitting a single to left. Cassidy grounded out to third. Blasi was able to advance to third after attempting to steal and no Philippines players covered the bag tagging an error on the catcher. Blank flew out to right to end the inning for the Blues. 

4 | Gocke stayed in for the fourth inning. Wrighsterwas the lead off batter for the Philippines. Wrighstergrounded out to Lopez at first. Lewis drew a walk in his appearance. D.Tagium and Piña also drew walks in their appearance. Espinoza hit a sac fly to center to collect an RBI and score Lewis. Santiago also drew a walk and that marked the end of Gocke's day. Hunter Koehler entered the game and faced Vazquez. Vazquez popped up to Blank at short to end the inning. The fourth saw the Blues go three up three down. Lopez flew out to left, Marnell IV struck out, and Constantine grounded out to short.

5 | Koehler stayed in the game during the fifth inning. He faced four batters. Chavez grounded out to third, M.Tagium drew a walk, Whritster struck out looking, and Lewis grounded out to Constantine. The Blues were able to score two runs on two hits and two walks in the fifth. Hixenbaugh led off popping up to second. Alves was hit to reach first. Alves stole a base during Gradel's at bat. Gradek struck out for the second out of the inning. Blasi walked and advanced to second with a double steal with Alves during pinch hitter Cesar Chavez's at bat. Chavez hit a 2 RBI single up the middle to put the Blues on top 2-1. Diego Murillo entered the game to pinch hit for Blank and hit a single in the 5-6 hole. Sean Rivas also came into the game to pinch hit for Lopez and ended the inning grounding out to the pitcher after a check swing tagged the ball down the first base line. 

6 | The sixth saw two Philippines players cross the plate. Koehler stayed in the game and faced D.Tagium. D.Tagium flew out to right. Austin Basch came in to pinch hit for Piña and he popped up to Constantine. Espinoza hit a single to left. Santiago hit a single to right. Both players advanced on a passed ball. Vazquez drew a walk to score Espinoza. Felix Stork entered in relief for the Blues. Chavez was able to reach on a throwing error by Constantine that scored Santiago and Vazquez attempted to score as well, but was gunned down by Rivas and tagged out by Marnell IV. Miles Mador led off and pinch hit for Marnell IV in the sixth. Mador hit a single into right to get on. Mador also stole during Constantine's at bat. Constantine drew a walk. Both Mador and Constantine advanced on a wild pitch. Hixenbaugh struck out. Kutter-Gage Webb pinch hit for Alves and drew a walk to load the bases. Brendan Comerford came in to pinch hit for Gradel and collected an RBI drawing a walk to walk Mador in. Kyle Becker pinch hit for Blasi and hit a sac fly to left, scoring Constantine. Chavez drew a walk. All runners advanced with Webb scoring on a passed ball making the score 5-2. Murillo ended the inning of damage grounding out to short.

7 | It was a 1-2-3 inning for Stork in the seventh. Stork struck out M.Tagium in three pitches for the first out of the inning. Wrighsterdrew a walk. Lewis flew out to center and M.Tagium was gunned down trying to steal second by Mador. Gavin Vanderpool entered the game in the seventh for the Philippines. Rivas was the lead off hitter for the Blues and he struck out. Mador drew a walk and advanced to second on a passed ball. Constantine was deemed out after a batters interference call. Najar ended the inning flying out to center. 

8 | Stork stayed in the game for the Blues. Duke Aloy came in to pinch hit for D.Tagium in the eighth. Aloy reached on an error by Rivas coming off the base on the throw from Murillo. Basch hit a single that bounced off the pitcher's mound Espinoza reached on a walk to load the bases. Brendan Comerford then entered the game as a relief pitcher for the Blues in his second collegiate appearance. He faced Santiago who hit a sac fly to Najar in left who was able to throw to Webb on second and get Basch who wandered too far off the bag. Aloy was able to score and make it 5-4 Blues. Comerford got out of the inning with no earned runs striking out Vazquez. Vanderpool stayed in for Team Philippines in the eighth. Webb was the first batter he faced and he popped up to the shortstop. Comerford came to the plate and wore a pitch in the arm to reach first. Becker came to the plate and drew a walk.  Chavez popped up to short and Murillo struck out to end the inning.

9 | Comerford came in again in the ninth to close the game out and threw a 1-2-3 inning. He faced Chavez who flew out to right, M.Tagium who grounded out to short, and Wrighster who grounded out to second.