San Diego Makos Win Series 2-1 Over St. Louis Hornets

 

Game 1: San Diego Makos 4, St. Louis Hornets 2

 

San Diego, CA - The San Diego Makos capitalized early in the series opener, scoring three runs in the first inning and holding off the St. Louis Hornets to secure a 4-2 victory.

 

The Makos wasted no time, with Ryan Jackson leading off with a double, followed by a single from Trevor Prince to advance Jackson to third. After an out, Damien Shipley struck out, but Roger Dawson drove in the first run with a single to left field. Consecutive singles by Jeff Slaterly and Ish Braddock pushed the score to 3-0.

 

St. Louis attempted to rally in the second inning when Bill Shelton singled, and Victor Navarrete hit a two-run homer to center field, reducing the gap to 3-2. However, San Diego's pitching, led by Hector Machado, held firm.

 

Machado pitched six strong innings, allowing four hits and two runs while striking out two. Royce Dobson and Justin Mills provided solid relief, with Mills securing the save. Edwin Fitzgerald and Dennis Joseph combined for a solid pitching effort for the Hornets, but the early runs proved too much to overcome.

 

Game 1 Box Score:

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
STL	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	6	0
SDG	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	X	4	14	0

 

 

Game 2: San Diego Makos 5, St. Louis Hornets 4

 

San Diego, CA - Game 2 saw a back-and-forth battle, with the Makos emerging victorious 5-4 thanks to a late eighth-inning run.

 

The Hornets started strong with a run in the first inning, followed by a three-run second inning highlighted by Ivan Castillo's two-run homer. San Diego responded with three runs of their own in the first inning, driven by Damien Shipley's two-run double and Ish Braddock's RBI single.

 

In the fourth inning, Braddock homered to tie the game at 4-4. The game remained tied until the bottom of the eighth when Anthony Sanderson scored on a fielder's choice, giving the Makos the decisive run.

 

Gerome Sayers pitched eight innings for the Makos, allowing four runs on seven hits and striking out six. Cedric Downs closed the game, earning the save.

 

Game 2 Box Score:

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
STL	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	8	1
SDG	3	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	X	5	9	0

 

 

Game 3: St. Louis Hornets 10, San Diego Makos 5

 

San Diego, CA - The Hornets salvaged the final game of the series with a powerful offensive display, defeating the Makos 10-5.

 

St. Louis struck first with a four-run second inning, highlighted by back-to-back home runs from Orlando Rosas and Cameron Dudley. The Hornets continued to pour on the runs, with John Rhodes hitting two home runs and Victor Navarrete adding another.

 

San Diego's offense tried to mount a comeback, scoring two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth, but it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit. Johnny Robinson pitched six innings for the Hornets, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out seven. Edgar Stanford provided three innings of relief to close out the game.

 

Game 3 Box Score:

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
STL	0	4	2	2	0	2	0	0	0	10	13	0
SDG	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	1	1	5	11	0

 

 

Series MVP: Jeff Slaterly

 

Jeff Slaterly earned the series MVP for his consistent performance at the plate and solid defense at third base. Slaterly went 4-for-11 with three runs scored, playing a crucial role in San Diego's offensive output and providing stability on the infield.