Scorpions complete homestand with win

Though the Scorpions won't play another game at Desert Sun Stadium until July 25, they'll certainly head out on the road full of confidence.

The Scorpions got yet another strong starting pitching performance, solid defense and survived a late St. George rally to come away with a 9-8 victory Thursday at Desert Sun Stadium.

Yuma won five out of six on the homestand and seven of their last eight games overall.

"The bats have been there and the pitching has too," said Scorpions centerfielder Jeremy Cleveland, who went 2-for-4 with three RBIs. "The big thing is our defense...We've been making plays behind our pitchers and just doing what needs to be done. When you make just one error a game, that is awesome."

The Scorpions held a 9-3 lead in the top of the eighth, but the Roadrunners scored five runs in the last two innings. Yuma close Jean Carlos Guillen got former major leaguer Wiki Gonzalez - who had homered in the fourth - to strike out swinging at a pitch low and away for the final out and the tying run stranded in scoring position.

"Our pitching was a little tired," Marshall said. "I've been going with Hayes and Guillen (out of the bullpen) and they're a little worn out. They'll be looking forward to these two days off. I'm a little short in the pen right now and those guys have been sucking it up. I appreciate that they went out there."

St. George jumped out to a 3-1 lead, but the Scorpions came back with an explosive fourth inning. A.J. Valentine led off the inning with a double and the next five batters followed with hits to make it six in a row to lead off the inning.

Jeremy Cleveland belted a two-run home run and Pete Farina capped the five-run inning with a two-run double down the right-field line to put the Scorpions on top 6-3.

"Mike was awesome," Marshall said. "All four guys in the infield played great, and Mike really pitched the ball well."

Yuma starting pitcher Mike Esposito worked into the eighth inning. He went 7 2/3 innings, allowing five runs - four earned. He settled down after surrendering a two-run blast to Greg Lemon in the third and Gonzalez's solo shot in the fourth.

"When one guy gets a hit to lead off the inning it just keeps going downhill," Cleveland said.

"We'll just pour on more hits and more hits, that's how rallies start, and we do a heckuva job of it with this team. We do put up a couple five-spots here and there most games."

The Scorpions got needed insurance from a two-out, two-run double by Rich Janeway in the sixth and an RBI double by Cleveland in the seventh inning.

Yuma right fielder Maikel Jova went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Third baseman Henry Calderon hit a solo homer in the bottom of the first.