ACES WIN: 7-4 over RiverCats in first ever playoff game at Aces Ballpark
Submitted by Chris Graham on Wed, 09/07/2011 - 9:58pm
RENO- The first ever playoff game at Aces Ballpark started out with a somber feel as the Aces observed a moment of silence and the American Flag flew at half-staff for the victims of the IHOP shooting that happened on Tuesday morning in Carson City.
The feel quickly turned to excitement as the Aces took the field ready to take on the Sacramento RiverCats in the first round of the Pacific Coast League Playoffs.
Sacramento and Reno both threw their best arms to start the playoffs: LHP Zach Kroenke 10-3, 5.89 ERA for Reno and RHP Graham Godfrey 14-3, 2.68 ERA for Sacramento.
It didn't take long for either team to get going as the Aces struck first by scoring 2 runs in the 2nd inning on a 2-run home run by Angel Berroa for a 2-0 lead. The RiverCats were not to be out done as they came right back in the 3rd with a RBI single by Adrian Cardenas that brought home Tyler Ladendorf (who reached on a Cody Ransom error).
With Reno in the lead 2-1 in the fourth Reno added one more run on Angel Berroa's second home run of the night to make the score 3-1. The Aces would start to pull away in the fifth when they scored 2 runs on Cole Gillespie's RBI double that brought home Andy Tracy. Gillespie was brought home later in the inning by Angel Berroa's RBI single.
Zach Kroenke was pulled in the sixth inning. He would go 5.1 innings giving up 6 hits, 3 runs, on 2 walks with 5 strikeouts. Sacramento would score 2 runs in that sixth inning both being charged to Kroenke.
Fast-forward to the eighth inning with Ryan Langerhans at the plate for Reno and a runner on, Ryan hit one deep over the center field fence to make the score 7-4 Aces.
That score would stand as the Aces got outstanding work from the bullpen (Newby and Mickolio) and Mike DeMark would come on in the 9th to close things out to give the Aces their first ever playoff victory in their first try in front of 5,000+ at Aces Ballpark.
Kroenke would get the win as Godfrey would be handed the loss. The loss for Godfrey would only be his fourth loss for the entire season.
The Aces and RiverCats go back at it tomorrow night for Game 2 with Reno leading the best-of-five series 1-0.
