Maximum Frustration; Blaze Strand 14 in 7-5 Loss

The chances were there, but the key hits were lacking as the Bakersfield Blaze left the bases loaded three separate times and watched as the Visalia Rawhide took game two in Bakersfield to move out to a 2-0 lead in the best-of-5 Northern Division Finals.

The back-and-forth game took nearly four hours and featured 12 different pitchers, with each team using the same number of pitchers as runs scored.

Spencer Arroyo and Mike Dennhardt (L, 0-1) got the starting nods, and though Dennhardt went deeper into the game, Mike ended up taking the loss.

After the two teams went back and forth in the early going (thanks in large part to a Sebastian Elizalde homer and a Jeff Gelalich two-run double), the Blaze led 5-4 at the midway point, but Dennhardt ran into trouble in the 6th, and was lifted with two runners aboard.

New Blaze Joel Bender came on but could not stem the Rawhide tide as Kevin Medrano doubled with the bases loaded, turning the deficit into a 7-5 lead, one that Bakersfield would not overcome.

The loss was not for lack of chances, as the Blaze stranded 14 baserunners, the second-most left on base at any point all season.

John Omahen (W, 1-0) got the win for the Rawhide in relief, and Enrique Burgos (S, 2) the save.

The series continues in Visalia, as the Blaze play a do-or-die game three with Wandy Peralta getting the call.

First pitch is set for 6:00pm.