Kazmar, rain highlight Beavers 10-8 win

This is a press release courtesy of the Portland Beavers

Sean Kazmar went 4-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs scored, and Chad Huffman and Craig Stansberry each added a pair of RBIs as the Portland Beavers defeated the Colorado Springs Sky Sox 10-8 Tuesday at Security Service Field.

Play resumed Tuesday in the bottom of the fifth inning after a 93-minute rain delay Monday led to the game being suspended in the middle of the frame.

Ben Julianel took the mound in the sixth and promptly loaded the bases with no one out. Two consecutive strike outs followed before Kazmar belted a single to left field that scored two runs and put the Beavers (37-41) up for good.

Jon Ellis (7-3) replaced starter Matt Buschmann in the bottom of the fifth inning and forced three straight outs in one inning pitched to earn his seventh win of the season. After surrendering a single to begin the bottom of the ninth, Edwin Moreno (9) forced a double play and a groundout to end the game and garner the save.

Mike Baxter, hitting leadoff for the first time this season, hit a lead-off single to begin the first inning and Stansberry reached on an error, allowing Val Pascucci to knock in his first RBI as a Beaver with a groundout to third base. Huffman followed with a two-run double to give Portland an early 3-0 lead. 

After Colorado Springs loaded the bases to start off the bottom of the first, Matt Murton hit a sacrifice fly and Christian Colonel followed with a run-scoring single. Sal Fasano added a three-run homer in the next at-bat as the Sky Sox (45-32) batted around in the inning to go up 5-3 on the Beavers.

Kazmar singled and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and a fielding error before Stansberry plated him in the second.

The Beavers retook the lead 7-5 in the third with two straight run-scoring singles by Kazmar and Buschmann and an RBI groundout by Stansberry.

Jonathan Herrera hit an RBI single in the bottom of the third frame to bring the Sky Sox to within a run.

The Sky Sox threatened in the eighth inning, knocking in three consecutive two-out singles to score two runs and cut the Beavers lead to one, 9-8.

The seventh error in the game, fourth by Colorado Springs, allowed Kazmar to score from second as the Beavers tacked on an insurance run in the ninth.

Former Beaver Adam Eaton (3-1) took the loss after giving up seven runs (2 earned) on eight hits in five innings. Buschmann went four, allowing six runs on five hits before the rain came.

Tuesday’s regularly-scheduled contest will be seven innings, with the first pitch coming 30 minutes following the suspended game.

The Beavers and Sky Sox conclude their four-game series Tuesday night at 6:05 p.m. (Pacific).

NOTES: Huffman has now gone 6-for-12 with seven RBIs and a home run in the three games against the Sky Sox … the seven combined errors in the contest (three for the Beavers, four for Colorado Springs) were the most in any Beavers game this season … the Beavers moved into sole possession of third place in the Pacific North Division for the first time since May 6.