The Crabs rolled into week three of summer with their undefeated record intact. On Tuesday night, they welcomed the Fresno A’s to Arcata Ballpark for the first of a quick two-game midweek set and the hometown team would pick up right where they left off, with some help from the A’s.
In the second, Kawana Soares, who would have a huge week overall, got things going with a single that brought Jaden Shabry and Adam Enyart in to score and put the good guys up 2-0. While Enyart, Shabry and Daniel Osbourne would all have multi-hit games, it was the A’s seven errors that led to five unearned runs. With Ben Lukens, Evan Miranda and Nathan Bunyard combining to throw a shutout, the Crabs would go on to take a game one 7-0.
Wednesday night proved to be more of the same.
The Crabs would get big nights out of Jason Arriola, who drove in three runs, and Alex Harrington, who had four hits and three RBIs. Jamie Mullen and Enyart also stayed hot with three hits apiece and a six-run second inning put the A’s in the rearview. Daniel Osbourne would also drive in three runs while the A’s had four more errors and 13 walks from their pitching staff as the game got out of hand. With the win in hand, Soares turned to head coach Jeff Giacomini and said, “Put the kid in.” The kid he was referring to is high school senior Tanner Kees. Kees’ father Nate has been the longtime head trainer for the Crabs and Tanner has grown up at the ballpark with the team. After winning a CIF championship last season, he started catching bullpens and working out with the catchers. The senior even dressed out for the last few games but didn’t see any action. After the Crabbies had a catcher go down with an injury earlier in the week, Tanner Kees was signed to a six-day contract and suited up. On Wednesday night, he went in.
In his first at bat, in front of a crowd he grew up in front of, his dad and a team that raised him as a baseball player, he laced a single to right field to pick up the first hit of his Crabs career. How can you not be romantic about baseball? The next night, Tanner graduated from high school. “This has been a week full of emotions, standing in the box was a real full-circle moment. When I got the hit, a sense of calm came over me.” The Crabs went on to win 16-7.
Friday night the Crabs welcomed the Rocklin Stonecutters to town for a three-game weekend series. Trailing 2-0 in the second, RBI singles from Osbourne and Harrington would even things up. In the third, a Mullin double would bring in two and put the good guys out in front. Mullin would add another RBI single in the sixth. Things would stay relatively competitive until the eighth, when a four spot would put things out of reach. RBI doubles from Enyart and Ryan VandenBrink and RBI singles from Everett Johnson and Eli Burnham were the nail in the Stonecutter’s coffin. The Crabbies won 10-2.
On Saturday, with the crowd from Oyster Fest spilling into the ballpark, the Crabs were feeling the beat. After giving up a quick run and falling behind in the top of the first, the Crabs would do what they do best: Respond with a big inning. In their half of the inning, they scored seven — highlighted by back-to-back home runs from Mullin and Soares. Both shots landed on U.S. Highway 101.
Soares, who hit a triple to the deepest part of the yard earlier in the week, smiled and said, “I’m not strong enough to hit it out there, so I hit it over there,” pointing to the left field foul line. Mullin and Soares, already standouts for the week, would continue that trend. Mullin added another hit and drove in three overall while Soares added another two-run double, going 4-4 on the day. Joe Fagan, VandenBrink and Burnham all added multi-hit games. The good guys won again 13-5.
On get-away day, with another sweep of the week in sight, the Crabs got off to a slow start. The game would stay scoreless until the fourth when Soares got things started with an RBI single. The team then added three runs in each of the next two innings. Nikko Taylor ruled the day with two doubles, three hits and three RBIs. Meanwhile, three shutout innings from pitcher Spencer Jacob kept things in place and the Crabs walked away victorious at 7-3.
After starting the summer 12-0, the Crabs open conference play with their first road trip on Tuesday as they take on the Lincoln Potters for three games. “We are ready, we have been playing well and getting everything in place. The team is gelling well, and we’ve got some good momentum headed into what’s gonna be a tough schedule playing the most games we’ve ever played,” coach Giacomini said.
The Crabs strengthened their staff by adding last year’s NCJ pitcher of the year Myles Standish. Standish was a standout this year at Santa Rosa Junior College, earning pitcher of the year honors, First team all-conference, and second team All American recognition.
Brandon Dixon (he/him) is a former All American who played college baseball for Orange Coast College, Point Loma Nazarene and the Peninsula Oilers. Father to two little girls, he’s also the host of The Brando Show podcast.
This article appears in Miranda’s Rescue Under Scrutiny, Part 1.
