Scorps sweep Outlaws

Yuma's Carlos Balcazar showed off his pipes prior to the start of Sunday's game, entertaining the crowd with a singing of the Colombian national anthem.
 
And when the time came to enter the ball game, he got to show off his pinch-hitting prowess too.
 
Balcazar's bases-loaded two-RBI single highlighted the Scorpions five-run seventh inning en route to a 6-4 win against Chico in Yuma's final home game of the season.
 
The win gave the Scorpions just their second series sweep at home and a .500 home record (17-17) for the Colombian-affiliated team's first season at Desert Sun Stadium (though two of those wins came at Joe Orduno Park in San Luis).
 
Yuma (18-18 second half), out of playoff contention, will end its season this week against Chico (11-20) in a three-game series beginning at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The Scorpions are 6-3 against the Outlaws this year.

Emiliano Fruto picked up his 21st save of the year, after which the team faced the crowd of roughly 150 fans, waving their hats in a show of appreciation.
 
Trailing 4-1 in the seventh, the Scorpions finally got to Chico southpaw Jo Matumoto, who had retired 15 of his last 16 batters. Reynaldo Rodriguez jumpstarted the inning with a leadoff double and Carlos Arroyo brought him around, forcing Chico to pull Matumoto for Ryne Tacker.
 
Tacker walked Ismael Castro to load the bases, prompting Yuma to pinch hit Balcazar for Jose Mosquera. Balcazar quickly got down 0-2 in the count but looped a single into left field to score two and flipped the game on its side.
 
Rodriguez and Carlos Villalobos each had two hits for the Scorpions. Yesid Salazar pitched five shutout innings before leaving a messy situation in the sixth for Cristian Mendoza, who failed to clean it up but ended up as the winning pitcher.
 
Shane Cronin hit a solo home run in the fifth and Ivan Reyes was 3-for-4 with a run for Chico, losers of their last five.