Fitch’s Walk-Off Blast Lifts Bees to Friday Night Win Over Isotopes

Colby Fitch crushed the first pitch he saw with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and Jake Gatewood on base to lift the Bees to a walk-off 7-5 win over Albuquerque Friday night. The Bees improved to 22-18 and will remain in first place in the PCL West. The Isotopes fell to 17-23 with the loss.

Fitch went 1-for-3 with the walk-off home run and three RBI. Juan Lagares had a two-run triple to go 1-for-4 in the game as six different Bees had hits. Jonathan Aro got the win on the mound as he pitched a hitless ninth inning and combined with Andrew Wantz and Gerardo Reyes for 3.2 scoreless innings of relief work.

Albuquerque opened the game with two runs on a home run that went off the foul pole down the right field line. The Bees answered back with a four-run second inning, sparked by the Lagares triple. Salt Lake added another run in the third, but by the end of the sixth inning Albuquerque had tied the game at 5-5.

Things remained tied until the bottom of the ninth with the Bees down to their final out before having to head to extra innings. Gatewood worked a four-pitch walk and then Fitch hammered the first pitch he saw onto the right field berm, sending Bees fans home happy on a Friday night.

The win locks in at least a split of the series for the Bees and they can clinch the win with a win tomorrow night. Salt Lake and Albuquerque will play game five tomorrow night at 6:35 p.m.