Scorpions forfeit after brawl with Outlaws

The Yuma Scorpions had to forfeit their game at Chico Monday night for not having enough players to field a team after a bench-clearing brawl in the third inning that led to multiple Yuma players’ ejections.

Scorpions general manager Jose Melendez said that Tony Phillips and Chico manager Mike Marshall exchanged words at third base, where Marshall was coaching, before the two started swinging and sparked the brawl.

“Players told me that the Chico bench had been taunting Tony before the game, and once Tony reached third on a hit, Marshall and him argued until Marshall swung at Tony,” Melendez said. “Marshall missed, but Tony did not and it got pretty brutal from there.”

According to a report on the website for the Chico (Calif.) Enterprise Record, video replay shows the two talking as they approached each other before Phillips took down Marshall and appeared to get in at least one punch. The article reported Phillips, Marshall and Yuma’s Jonny Bravo and Jonathan Jaspe were ejected from the game.

Melendez said Yuma manager Jose Canseco was quick to intervene in the fight, but not before players from both teams entered the fray. Melendez said tensions had been rising between both teams over conditions for the series at Chico.

“Things were getting heated with the teams over the game conditions and issues with meals and whatnot,” Melendez said. “From what I heard, Jose did a good job of breaking things up.”
The Scorpions and Outlaws still have three more games scheduled at Chico, but Melendez said today’s game might be a concern.

“I’ll be spending my day working on what’s going on with (today’s) game and making sure we have the players to play,” Melendez said. “It’s crazy. This summer sure has been a ride out here.”