BOX SCORE
The Shepherd's season comes to an end in the third round of the Playoffs as they fall to the Inland Valley Pirates 5-1 after advancing to the round earlier in the day with a 5-3 win over the Arroyo Seco Sentinels.
The Shepherds survived and advanced after another late comeback in the first game to keep their season alive after they beat the Arroyo Seco Sentinels 5-3, taking the lead in the eighth inning. The Sheps continued their playoff run after making the tournament as the last seed to get in, they knocked out two teams during their run and were one game away from the championship series.
The Action started in game one with back-to-back singles to start the second inning from Drew Salyers and Brandon Adams, Charlie Pierce would hit another single to score the game's first run and give the Shepherds a 1-0 lead.
The Sentinels retaliated quickly after as they got a two out, two run single to take the lead for themselves in the bottom of the second.
After an error and a single in the top of the third, the Shepherds tied the ballgame at two after a wild pitch allowed Alex Laureano to score from third.
The Sentinels took the lead right back after a single and a double in the bottom half of the inning to go back up 3-2 going into the fourth inning.
After the third, the pitching from both teams settled as each of the next four innings were scoreless with one hit between the two teams after 12 hits in the first three innings.
The Shepherds would end the drought in the eighth as two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases for the Sheps before Andrew Lujan knocked in two and took back the lead with a two-out single. The Shepherds would add another after a wild throw on a stolen base attempt allowed Drew Salyers to score.
Charlie Pierce would shut down the Sentinels in the ninth and finish his day with 3 ⅔ innings pitched, allowing two hits and no runs with two walks to earn the 5-3 win and get the Sheps within one win from the championship series over the weekend.
Game 2
The Sheps struck first again in game two with a single from Drew Salyers to score Shane Poe from second base and give So-Cal the 1-0 lead in the top of the second as the Shepherds lead in each game this playoffs.
The Pirates were shut out in the first three innings but broke through in the fourth with a bases loaded walk to tie the game before a sacrifice fly earned them the 2-1 lead in a game where runs seemed to be hard to come by.
A two-out double for the Piratesin the sixth scored a runner from first and extended their lead to 3-1 as the game went into the final three innings as the Sheps opportunities to score were decreasing.
A solo shot and a wild pitch would add two more to the Pirates lead before the Inland Valley Pitching would continue to keep the Shepherds from scoring to earn the 5-1 win and end the Shepherds playoff run and season one game short of the Championship series.
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