The Blues Stay Hot as They Slug Past the Seagulls, 12-5

By: Julianne Shivers/SLO Blues

SAN BRUNO, Ca. - With win number six in a row the Blues stay atop of the California Collegiate League rankings with a 7-2 conference record. The Blues scored 12 runs on 16 hits and two walks including two home runs hit by San Diego Torero CJ Moran and his future teammate Kyle Becker. 

Kyle Becker earned the title of player-of-the-game after going 3-5 with five RBIs after his 4 run jack in the sixth. Brendan Comerford collected two extra base hits with a double and triple and walked once. CJ Moran gave the Blues offense energy early in the game with a homerun of his own in the third.

The Blues pitching  staff gave up five runs on five hits, five walks, and struck out 11. The Blues starter Justin Cuellar was tagged as the winning pitcher on the night tossing five complete innings allowing three runs, walking two, and striking out five. The Seagulls staff struggled with the Blues offense. Matthew Potter was tagged with the loss after giving up five runs on four hits walking one and striking out two.

When talking about last night and going into the game Friday, Becker is looking forward to the energy.

"I'm glad to get the guys going, and it was a fun time," Becker said. "I think going forward the Blues are going to be hot, and I think we're going to do the same thing we did today."

The Blues face the Seagulls on Friday for the second game of their two game series. First pitch is at 6:05 at San Bruno City Park in San Bruno, California with Spencer Gallimore getting the nod to start.

Play-by-play

1 | Declan Mendel started for the Seagulls. CJ Moran was the first Blue to come to the plate to face him. Moran flew out to left with Chavez following him standing on first with a hit-by-pitch. Comerford flew out to right field. Chavez then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the Seagulls catcher. Tate Blasi had his first plate appearance as a Blue but struck out to end the inning. Cueller took the starting position for the Blues on the mound. AJ Hurtado was the first batter faced, he drew a walk. Emilio Feliciano was the next Seagull and he flew out to Cesar Chavez in right. Christian Lamothe was able to put the Seagulls on top with a two run home run out to right making the game 2-0. Davis Germann was the next batter reaching second by way of an error on Chavez. Germann was then able to advance to third on a passed ball. Caid Heflin hit a sac fly to center to score Germann making it a three run ball game. Ethan Lopez ended the inning with a flyout to center.

2 | It was a quick second inning with both teams going 1-2-3. Kyle Becker led off the inning grounding out to first for an unassisted groundout. Kosei Suzuki flew out to left and in Kevin Spear's first appearance as a Blue struck out. Cueller stayed in the game for the Blues forcing Alan Ramirez to fly out to right for the first out. Derek Waldvogel was the next batter faced and he struck out. Brandon Swanson was the last out of  the inning, flying out to right.

3 | Mendel stayed on the bump for the Seagulls. Webb was the first batter for Mendall to face in the third, drawing a walk and advancing to second on a passed ball. Alves grounded out to short but was able to advance Webb to third. Moran was able to show off his power with a two run homerun to right to make it a one run ball game, 2-3. Chavez flew out to center. Comerford collected a hit with a double hit into the left center gap. To end the inning Blasi flew out to center. Cueller stayed in for the Blues only facing four batters in the bottom of the third. Hortado grounded out to short. Feliciano struck out, Lamothe walked to follow. Germann was the final out of the inning going out swinging. 

4 | Becker led off the fourth inning, singling into right off of Mendel. Suzuki followed with another hard hit single past a diving third baseman. Spear struck out but was followed by an RBI single hit by Webb into right. Alves struck out but Moran coming back to the plate was enough for the Seagulls to switch to righty Matthew Potter. Moran was hit-by-pitch to load the bases but the inning was finished with Chavez grounding out to short. Cueller put the Seagulls down in order with Heflin popping up to short, Lopez striking out, and Ramirez flying out to left. 

5 | Potter stayed in for the Seagulls and got the Seagulls out of the inning scoreless. Comerford was the first Blue down with a groundout dribbler back to the pitcher. Blasi flew out to right, Becker got on first by way of an error on the second baseman. Suzuki was hit-by-pitch to have two runners on for the Blues but Spear struck out to end the threat. Cueller had another beautiful inning going 1-2-3. Waldvogel grounded out to the pitcher, Swanson struck out, Hortado flew out to right.

6 | The top of the sixth saw an offensive explosion for the Blues seeing five runs cross the plate. Webb led off the inning with a hit into the infield the second baseman couldn't handle. Alves struck out but Moran was able to get to first safely with a single into left center. Chavez collected an RBI driving in Webb but grounding out to the shortstop. Comerford drew a walk with Blasi getting hit to load the bases for Becker. Becker hit the first grand slam of the Blues season out to right making the score 8-3. Suzuki then singled to left causing the Seagulls to reach into their bullpen for a new arm in Joseph Steidel. The first batter faced for Steidel was an out in the form of a flyout hit by Spear to right. The bottom of the sixth saw Lucas Shannon enter the game for the Blues. Feliciano was the first Seagull to the plate, grounding out to third. Lamothe walked but the following two batters Germann and Heflin struck out. 

7 | The top of the seventh saw the Blues go three up three down with Webb striking out looking, Alves flying out to center, and Moran striking out. The bottom of the seventh saw one run cross the plate for the Seagulls. Shannon stayed in the game for the Blues. The first batter he faced was Lopez who flew out to left. Ramirez was the next Seagull and he struck out. Waldvogel sent a solo shot over the left field fence to make the score 8-4. Jake Brewer pinch hit for Swanson and struck out to end the inning.

8 | JB Ferreira was handed the ball in the eighth. The eighth saw a similar story to the sixth for the Blues with four runs crossing the plate. Chavez led off the inning with a flyout to right. Comerford hit a single to right with Blasi following with a single of his own to left. Becker hit an RBI double to right to score Comerford that looked like it almost got out of the park, but was ruled a ground rule double taking a hop over the fence. Suzuki joined in the hit party with a single to center, scoring Blasi. The Seagulls just couldn't seem to stop the bats with Spear joining in with a single shot past the third baseman. Spear was tagged out trying to steal but Webb followed with his third hit of the night into left. Alves flew out to a diving centerfielder to end the inning. Bettencourt entered the game for the Blues in the eighth only allowing one run on one hit and one walk. Marcus Graham led off for the Seagulls pinch hitting for Hortado drawing a walk in his appearance. He was able to get to second on a wild pitch. Feliciano grounded out to short in his appearance. Lamothe was able to collect an RBI off a sac fly hit to center. Germann got on base for the second time that evening with a single hit to left. Heflin ended the inning with a strikeout leaving the damage at one run.  

9 | Connor Wood was the pitcher in the ninth for the Seagulls. Moran was the lead off batter striking out. Chavez followed with a pop up to first. Comerford had his second extra base hit of the night with a triple hit over the heads of the left and center fielders. Blasi ended the inning for the Blues with a strikeout. Bettencourt returned on the mound for the Blues keeping the damage at zero. Bryce Brooks entered in for the Seagulls pinch hitting for Ethan Lopez. Brooks hit a double into center. Sebastian Ultreras followed pinch hitting for Alan Ramirez popping up Moran at first. Waldvogel struck out, Brewer hit a single over the head of Comerford at third. Graham walked to load the bases for the Seagulls. Bettencourt was able to get out of the jam with Feliciano grounding out to Webb at short who was able to keep the ball and step on second for the force out and final out of the game.