Blues Slug Past the Alameda Merchants 9-1 off a Seven-Run Eighth Inning
With a nailbiter through seven innings, the Blues opened the game up in the eighth, collecting 12 hits and seven walks on the night.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
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0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | X | 9 | 12 | 0 |
By: Julianne Shivers/SLO Blues
San Luis Obispo, Calif. - Behind an incredible start by Oregon State's Connor Mendez, the Blues were able to collect their 15th win of the season and 11th home win.
Mendez collected the win after tossing six complete innings, allowing one run on one hit, no walks, and striking out seven. This was Mendez's second start of the season after his perfect five-inning first appearance on June 16 vs. the Sonoma Stompers. Carson Boyer and Zachary Savino both entered the game and gave up no runs on three combined hits and three combined strikeouts. The Blues' staff walked no one all night.
The offense was quiet through the first seven innings, scoring only two runs on six hits. In the eighth inning, they doubled the number of hits collected, scoring seven runs on six hits and leaving two on base. Cesar Chavez went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, scoring once and walking once.
Kosei Suzuki was the player of the game for the Blues. The Saitama, Japan, native boasted an impressive line, going 3-for-5, scoring two runs, and driving in one RBI. Suzuki is a returner for the Blues after slashing .235/.272/.341 last summer. As one of the team's biggest leaders, he spoke not only about himself but about his teammates after the game.
"Everybody was focused at the end of the game," Suzuki said. "Pass the torch to the next guy, and I made a good game."
For Suzuki's first player of the game award of the season, he had no doubt in the team's ability to keep grinding.
"With games like this, you have to keep believing and keep grinding," Suzuki said. "That's what makes the good things happen later."
The Blues are set to face the Merchants again in the series on Wednesday, with a 6:00 p.m. first pitch.