Inability to finish innings costs Chukars first crack at title

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Idaho Falls Chukars left 10 men on base Friday night, while the Oakland Ballers scored four runs after two outs had been recorded. That inability to shut the door on a defensive inning or come up with the big hit meant the Chukars will have to wait at least one more day before claiming the Pioneer Baseball League championship.

The Ballers delivered significant damage to Idaho Falls ace Gary Grosjean en route to a 10-2 victory in Game 3 of the PBL championship series at Oakland’s Raimondi Park.

Things got off to an ominous start for the Chukars, in search of their first league title in six years, when lead-off man Eddie Pelc was robbed of a home run by Oakland center fielder Darryl Buggs.

Through three innings, though, Grosjean was up to the challenge of a pitcher’s duel with Ballers starter Luke Short. The two tossed matching zeroes into the bottom of the third, but things came crashing down for the Chuks.

With two down and runners at the corners, Tremayne Cobb Jr. got the scoring started with an RBI single. Esai Santos followed with a fly ball to center field, and for the second time in three nights Spencer Rich had an out rattle in and out of his glove — this time, scoring two additional runs.

Oakland added three more in the fourth, before the Chukars could finally muster an answer.

An error from the Ballers and a run-scoring single from Anthony Mata made it 7-2, but with no one out Kirkland Banks was thrown out at home on Mata’s hit, putting a damper on the threat. The Chukars did not score again in the frame, stranding two.

Idaho Falls left another on in the sixth, then two more in the seventh and finally, in the eighth, wasted a bases-loaded, no-out situation, leaving all three men to watch the remainder of the inning from their bases.

Oakland added one in the sixth and two more in the seventh to put things out of reach.

The Chukars still lead the best-of-five series, two games to one. They will lick their wounds and return to the field Saturday for Game 4. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. local, 7:30 mountain.