Top 20 Moments of 2010
#20 -- Blaze go 10-0 in CCISL to win title
In 2010, the inaugural year of the Central California Independent Summer League, the Blaze Red (10-0) and Blaze Gold (8-0) put together perfect years (two Gold games were postponed). Teams from Visalia (2), Bakersfield (2), Clovis (1), Reedley (1), and Fresno (1) joined the Blaze in the nine team league.
#19 -- Batesole comes back from massive split lip to play next day
Nothing says toughness like someone who takes a crushing blow to the face, split his lip in two, has some teeth out of place, and then returns to the lineup to play … the next day! Kody Batesole was having a routine day in Game 69 against the Clovis Crush. After going 2-2 with 4 RBI, a late-inning ground ball bounced up and hammered the young shortstop. He quickly rose to his feet, was stitched up, and returned to play the next day, going 1-1 with a walk, hit-by-pitch, and two stolen bases.
#18 -- Graef strikes out 4 in one inning
Sometimes if you want to be famous, all you have to do is ask for it! Aaron Graef spent the better part of the day commenting how “I want to be in the Blaze record book.” His wish came true as he did something that only a few major leaguers have ever done (and no Blaze player ever has) – he whiffed four Bakersfield Braves hitters in one inning, in a 5-2 victory.
#17 -- Merlo, Bayman combine for shutout against Clovis Reds collegiate team
Early in the year, the Blaze faced a very good Clovis Reds team, made up of only college players. They happened to be no match for the left arm of Drew Merlo and the right arm of Ryan Bayman. Merlo threw 5 innings (2 H, 5 K) while Bayman slammed the door with a perfect final two innings for a 4-0 win.
#16 -- Alvarez swipes team record five in one game; Blaze steal twelve total
Against the Clovis Bears, the Blaze put on their running shoes. Back in 2005, the Blaze stole 11 bags against the Yosemite Colts up in Oakhurst. But, they bettered the mark by one on this day. In the 11-3 win, Jacob Alvarez also set a club mark as he had 5 of the team’s 12 steals.
#15 -- Luplow goes 6-6 in doubleheader sweep
Against the Bakersfield Braves’ strong senior team, the Blaze needed to bring out their bats. One player who did just that was Jordan Luplow. The senior-to-be had a perfect day with six hits in six at-bats (3 doubles, triple, walk, 4 runs, RBI, and 2 stolen bases).
#14 -- Lozier's complete game (2 H, 9 K's) beats Sonoma County for title
Playing in the consolation bracket of the 20-team 2nd annual Wood Bat Championships, the Blaze needed to put together three straight wins for the consolation bracket title. After winning the first two games, Steven Lozier came to the rescue at St. Mary’s College, throwing a gem against Sonoma County for a 6-1 victory. He threw a complete game, allowing just two hits, no earned runs, and striking out nine.
#13 -- Alvarez's bottom of 7th squeeze beats Danville Hoots
One of the better teams in Northern California put a good fight with the Blaze. But it was small ball that secured a big win for the Blaze and moved them to the consolation title game described above (See #14). Tied 2-2 in the seventh, Jordan Brink was hit by a pitch. Jack Karraker sacrificed him to second. Chisholm Witt and Mike Gilleland were both walked to load the bases, setting up the heroics for Fresno State bound Jacob Alvarez. His perfectly executed bottom of the seventh squeeze scored Brink and gave the Blaze a 3-2 win.
#12 -- Karraker, Gilleland combine to beat San Diego Gamers
Also well-respected on the travel circuit are the San Diego Gamers. On a unusually cold summer morning, Jack Karraker threw 6 1/3 innings allowing just 2 runs (one earned) to secure the 3-2 win. Mike Gilleland came in during the seventh and stranded the tying run, getting a pop up to short and a strikeout to end the game.
#11 -- John Karch throws 1-0 shutout over Sting Baseball
Against Sting Baseball, in the TPR/USSSA Summer Championships, John Karch pitched one of the better games in Blaze history. His complete game shutout featured just six hits, 1 walk and four strikeouts to give the Blaze 1-0 victory.
#10 -- Luplow retires 11 straight hitters in CCISL World Series title game
Playing in the CCISL World Series title game proved to be quite a fight for the Blaze. After taking a 4-1 lead, the Blaze found themselves in trouble as the Bakersfield Braves scored five in the 3rd to take a 6-4 lead. After tying it 6-6 in the top of the inning, the Blaze found more trouble as the Braves walked and singled to lead off the 4th inning. Enter Jordan Luplow, who got the next hitter out on a sac bunt. After walking another to load the bases, Luplow killed the bases loaded rally by getting Bakersfield to ground into a 1-2-3 double play. He then pitched a perfect 5th, 6th, and 7th as the Blaze went on to another championship, with a 9-6 win.
#09 -- Karraker pitches Blaze to 7-4 win over Watsonville in TPR Summer Championships
It took the Blaze three wins on a hot Sunday in Turlock to win the TPR/USSSA Summer Championships (see #2, #1). It was Jack Karraker who started it all. An 8:00 AM morning game was not too early for the hard-throwing righty, who threw a complete game while fanning eight hitters. This was particularly sweet for the Blaze, as they’d been beaten by the same Watsonville team the night before, 9-2.
#08 -- Blaze score 11 in 2nd; nine straight reach base safely
The Blaze scored 11 runs in a huge second inning of an 11-7 win over one of the top teams in the nation, Coach Tom Donald’s Buchanan Bears. The Blaze had the first nine hitters reach consecutive to start the inning: Steven Lozier (1B), Michael Tittle (1B), Chris Mariscal (BB), Jeremy Vollberg (1B), Jack Karraker (1B), Allen Sandoval (1B), Mike Gilleland (1B), Jacob Alvarez (1B), and Zak Taylor (1B). After an error, a double play, and another error, Mariscal belted a 2-run homer to dead center to round out the scoring. The always-tough Bears came roaring back under the guidance of the 3-time Valley Champion Donald, as the Blaze barely held on.
#07 -- Ashford steals home, TWICE in a doubleheader!
It’s one thing to steal home in a game. The feat is quite rare. But it’s another thing to steal home, in two consecutive games, against the same team! That’s exactly what happened on a weekday game in Bakersfield, as Wilson Ashford managed a steal of home in both games. The Blaze won both, 5-2 and 4-0.
#06 -- Blaze throw 3 consecutive shutouts
Pitching was at its best in a 3-game stretch of the TPR/USSSA Summer Championships. John Karch (see #11), Jordan Brink, and Andrew Astone were that starting pitchers in three consecutive wins: 1-0 over Sting Baseball, 9-0 over Red Bluff Renegades, and 3-0 over the San Luis Obispo Tigers.
#05 -- Blaze win 4 straight in 2 days at NorCal Invitational
The NorCal Invitational in Stockton is often regarded as one of the best tournaments in all of California. The Blaze performed in outstanding fashion early, winning their first four games of the tournament with wins over Payters Baseball (11-3), Pro Player Baseball (11-3), the Delta Indians (6-3), and the Utah Baseball Academy (6-0).
#04 -- Gonzales gathers 8 straight hits
Jesse Gonzales had a summer to remember in 2010, finishing with .425 average in 44 games. The left-handed hitting 3rd baseman was hot all summer, pounding out 48 hits in 113 plate appearances (11 doubles, 3 triples, 4 homeruns); but never was he hotter than during the CCISL World Series, where he hammered out 8 straight hits and reached base safely in 10 straight at-bats (8 hits, 2 walks). For the tournament, he was voted MVP, hitting .714 (10-14) with 3 doubles, 1 homerun, 5 runs and 5 RBI.
#03 -- Kruger's 2-out, 3-run HR to left gives Blaze 11-10 win over Watsonville
John Kruger delivered a crushing, late-inning blow that typifies the never-say-die attitude of Blaze Baseball. Trailing the Watsonville Aggies 10-8 in the bottom of the 6th, Kruger drove a late-breaking slider hard over the left-center field fence to put the Blaze up 11-10. The massive hit came with 2 outs. To make things better, he finished the game 3-3 with 6 RBI and pitched the final 1.1 innings to gather the win.
#02 -- Karraker's extra-inning 2-RBI triple secures 18-15 thriller in TPR Summer Championships
No doubt, this game could have been one of the best games in Blaze history. Playing against a very good Stockton-based All-American Baseball Academy, the Blaze needed extra innings and 18 runs to score a huge victory in the TPR/USSSA Summer Championships’ semi-final. Tied 12-12 after seven innings, the Blaze scored 5 in the 9th to eventually win it. Chris Mariscal doubled in two runs, Steven Lozier singled in another, and Jack Karraker delivered a mammoth, crushing 2-run triple to put the game out to reach.
#01 -- Blaze win three games on Sunday (8:00, 2:00, 7:00) to win TPR Summer Championships; Karraker has finest one-day performance ever
A hot summer day in Turlock, combined with the fact that the Blaze needed to win three games over a course of 14 hours, made winning the TPR/USSSA Championship seem an impossible task. However, after beating Watsonville (see #9) and All-American Baseball Academy (see #2), the Blaze had some momentum (coupled with exhaustion). Playing for the third time that day, against an opponent that had railed the Blaze’s Gold Team twice in the last two days, the Red Team persevered and managed the biggest victory in six years of the franchise’s existence. A 14-6 victory over the hard-hitting Arsenal Baseball was anchored by Kenny Corona (3-3; 2 RBI) and Jack Karraker (2-3, 2B, 3B, 4 RBI). Karraker was truly the hero, as he finished the day 4-9 (.444) with a double, 2 triples, a walk, 3 runs, 6 RBI, and a complete game victory at 8:00 a.m. early that same morning.
In 2010, the inaugural year of the Central California Independent Summer League, the Blaze Red (10-0) and Blaze Gold (8-0) put together perfect years (two Gold games were postponed). Teams from Visalia (2), Bakersfield (2), Clovis (1), Reedley (1), and Fresno (1) joined the Blaze in the nine team league.
#19 -- Batesole comes back from massive split lip to play next day
Nothing says toughness like someone who takes a crushing blow to the face, split his lip in two, has some teeth out of place, and then returns to the lineup to play … the next day! Kody Batesole was having a routine day in Game 69 against the Clovis Crush. After going 2-2 with 4 RBI, a late-inning ground ball bounced up and hammered the young shortstop. He quickly rose to his feet, was stitched up, and returned to play the next day, going 1-1 with a walk, hit-by-pitch, and two stolen bases.
#18 -- Graef strikes out 4 in one inning
Sometimes if you want to be famous, all you have to do is ask for it! Aaron Graef spent the better part of the day commenting how “I want to be in the Blaze record book.” His wish came true as he did something that only a few major leaguers have ever done (and no Blaze player ever has) – he whiffed four Bakersfield Braves hitters in one inning, in a 5-2 victory.
#17 -- Merlo, Bayman combine for shutout against Clovis Reds collegiate team
Early in the year, the Blaze faced a very good Clovis Reds team, made up of only college players. They happened to be no match for the left arm of Drew Merlo and the right arm of Ryan Bayman. Merlo threw 5 innings (2 H, 5 K) while Bayman slammed the door with a perfect final two innings for a 4-0 win.
#16 -- Alvarez swipes team record five in one game; Blaze steal twelve total
Against the Clovis Bears, the Blaze put on their running shoes. Back in 2005, the Blaze stole 11 bags against the Yosemite Colts up in Oakhurst. But, they bettered the mark by one on this day. In the 11-3 win, Jacob Alvarez also set a club mark as he had 5 of the team’s 12 steals.
#15 -- Luplow goes 6-6 in doubleheader sweep
Against the Bakersfield Braves’ strong senior team, the Blaze needed to bring out their bats. One player who did just that was Jordan Luplow. The senior-to-be had a perfect day with six hits in six at-bats (3 doubles, triple, walk, 4 runs, RBI, and 2 stolen bases).
#14 -- Lozier's complete game (2 H, 9 K's) beats Sonoma County for title
Playing in the consolation bracket of the 20-team 2nd annual Wood Bat Championships, the Blaze needed to put together three straight wins for the consolation bracket title. After winning the first two games, Steven Lozier came to the rescue at St. Mary’s College, throwing a gem against Sonoma County for a 6-1 victory. He threw a complete game, allowing just two hits, no earned runs, and striking out nine.
#13 -- Alvarez's bottom of 7th squeeze beats Danville Hoots
One of the better teams in Northern California put a good fight with the Blaze. But it was small ball that secured a big win for the Blaze and moved them to the consolation title game described above (See #14). Tied 2-2 in the seventh, Jordan Brink was hit by a pitch. Jack Karraker sacrificed him to second. Chisholm Witt and Mike Gilleland were both walked to load the bases, setting up the heroics for Fresno State bound Jacob Alvarez. His perfectly executed bottom of the seventh squeeze scored Brink and gave the Blaze a 3-2 win.
#12 -- Karraker, Gilleland combine to beat San Diego Gamers
Also well-respected on the travel circuit are the San Diego Gamers. On a unusually cold summer morning, Jack Karraker threw 6 1/3 innings allowing just 2 runs (one earned) to secure the 3-2 win. Mike Gilleland came in during the seventh and stranded the tying run, getting a pop up to short and a strikeout to end the game.
#11 -- John Karch throws 1-0 shutout over Sting Baseball
Against Sting Baseball, in the TPR/USSSA Summer Championships, John Karch pitched one of the better games in Blaze history. His complete game shutout featured just six hits, 1 walk and four strikeouts to give the Blaze 1-0 victory.
#10 -- Luplow retires 11 straight hitters in CCISL World Series title game
Playing in the CCISL World Series title game proved to be quite a fight for the Blaze. After taking a 4-1 lead, the Blaze found themselves in trouble as the Bakersfield Braves scored five in the 3rd to take a 6-4 lead. After tying it 6-6 in the top of the inning, the Blaze found more trouble as the Braves walked and singled to lead off the 4th inning. Enter Jordan Luplow, who got the next hitter out on a sac bunt. After walking another to load the bases, Luplow killed the bases loaded rally by getting Bakersfield to ground into a 1-2-3 double play. He then pitched a perfect 5th, 6th, and 7th as the Blaze went on to another championship, with a 9-6 win.
#09 -- Karraker pitches Blaze to 7-4 win over Watsonville in TPR Summer Championships
It took the Blaze three wins on a hot Sunday in Turlock to win the TPR/USSSA Summer Championships (see #2, #1). It was Jack Karraker who started it all. An 8:00 AM morning game was not too early for the hard-throwing righty, who threw a complete game while fanning eight hitters. This was particularly sweet for the Blaze, as they’d been beaten by the same Watsonville team the night before, 9-2.
#08 -- Blaze score 11 in 2nd; nine straight reach base safely
The Blaze scored 11 runs in a huge second inning of an 11-7 win over one of the top teams in the nation, Coach Tom Donald’s Buchanan Bears. The Blaze had the first nine hitters reach consecutive to start the inning: Steven Lozier (1B), Michael Tittle (1B), Chris Mariscal (BB), Jeremy Vollberg (1B), Jack Karraker (1B), Allen Sandoval (1B), Mike Gilleland (1B), Jacob Alvarez (1B), and Zak Taylor (1B). After an error, a double play, and another error, Mariscal belted a 2-run homer to dead center to round out the scoring. The always-tough Bears came roaring back under the guidance of the 3-time Valley Champion Donald, as the Blaze barely held on.
#07 -- Ashford steals home, TWICE in a doubleheader!
It’s one thing to steal home in a game. The feat is quite rare. But it’s another thing to steal home, in two consecutive games, against the same team! That’s exactly what happened on a weekday game in Bakersfield, as Wilson Ashford managed a steal of home in both games. The Blaze won both, 5-2 and 4-0.
#06 -- Blaze throw 3 consecutive shutouts
Pitching was at its best in a 3-game stretch of the TPR/USSSA Summer Championships. John Karch (see #11), Jordan Brink, and Andrew Astone were that starting pitchers in three consecutive wins: 1-0 over Sting Baseball, 9-0 over Red Bluff Renegades, and 3-0 over the San Luis Obispo Tigers.
#05 -- Blaze win 4 straight in 2 days at NorCal Invitational
The NorCal Invitational in Stockton is often regarded as one of the best tournaments in all of California. The Blaze performed in outstanding fashion early, winning their first four games of the tournament with wins over Payters Baseball (11-3), Pro Player Baseball (11-3), the Delta Indians (6-3), and the Utah Baseball Academy (6-0).
#04 -- Gonzales gathers 8 straight hits
Jesse Gonzales had a summer to remember in 2010, finishing with .425 average in 44 games. The left-handed hitting 3rd baseman was hot all summer, pounding out 48 hits in 113 plate appearances (11 doubles, 3 triples, 4 homeruns); but never was he hotter than during the CCISL World Series, where he hammered out 8 straight hits and reached base safely in 10 straight at-bats (8 hits, 2 walks). For the tournament, he was voted MVP, hitting .714 (10-14) with 3 doubles, 1 homerun, 5 runs and 5 RBI.
#03 -- Kruger's 2-out, 3-run HR to left gives Blaze 11-10 win over Watsonville
John Kruger delivered a crushing, late-inning blow that typifies the never-say-die attitude of Blaze Baseball. Trailing the Watsonville Aggies 10-8 in the bottom of the 6th, Kruger drove a late-breaking slider hard over the left-center field fence to put the Blaze up 11-10. The massive hit came with 2 outs. To make things better, he finished the game 3-3 with 6 RBI and pitched the final 1.1 innings to gather the win.
#02 -- Karraker's extra-inning 2-RBI triple secures 18-15 thriller in TPR Summer Championships
No doubt, this game could have been one of the best games in Blaze history. Playing against a very good Stockton-based All-American Baseball Academy, the Blaze needed extra innings and 18 runs to score a huge victory in the TPR/USSSA Summer Championships’ semi-final. Tied 12-12 after seven innings, the Blaze scored 5 in the 9th to eventually win it. Chris Mariscal doubled in two runs, Steven Lozier singled in another, and Jack Karraker delivered a mammoth, crushing 2-run triple to put the game out to reach.
#01 -- Blaze win three games on Sunday (8:00, 2:00, 7:00) to win TPR Summer Championships; Karraker has finest one-day performance ever
A hot summer day in Turlock, combined with the fact that the Blaze needed to win three games over a course of 14 hours, made winning the TPR/USSSA Championship seem an impossible task. However, after beating Watsonville (see #9) and All-American Baseball Academy (see #2), the Blaze had some momentum (coupled with exhaustion). Playing for the third time that day, against an opponent that had railed the Blaze’s Gold Team twice in the last two days, the Red Team persevered and managed the biggest victory in six years of the franchise’s existence. A 14-6 victory over the hard-hitting Arsenal Baseball was anchored by Kenny Corona (3-3; 2 RBI) and Jack Karraker (2-3, 2B, 3B, 4 RBI). Karraker was truly the hero, as he finished the day 4-9 (.444) with a double, 2 triples, a walk, 3 runs, 6 RBI, and a complete game victory at 8:00 a.m. early that same morning.