Royals on the Farm 9/8

High-A: High Desert was against the wall late after blowing an early lead in Thursday's game 2 with Lancaster but rallied to stay alive with a 15-11 win that sets up a deciding game 3 tonight in Adelanto. Lancaster took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the 3rd but High Desert had a big inning with 5 runs on RBI singles by 1B Kila Kaaihue and RF Bernard Stephens and a bases-clearing 3-run double by 3B Michael Gaffney. The Mavs added a run in the 4th on a Stephens RBI single for a 6-3 lead but SP John Gragg III and RP Greg Atencio gave up 6 runs (thanks in part to back-to-back triples) in the 6th for a 9-6 lead. High Desert trimmed the lead to 2 in the 7th with a Stephens solo homer but Lancaster got the run back in the top of the 8th to make the score 10-7. With 2 out and 1 on in the bottom of the 8th, Kaaihue hit a 2-run homer and, 2 batters later, Stephens cracked a 2-run shot for his second of the game. C Adam Donachie doubled and 2B Walter Sevilla singled him home. Later with the bases loaded, SS Angel Sanchez hit a 2-run single and CF Chris Lubanski hit an RBI single to give the Mavs a 15-10 lead. RP Gabe DeHoyos gave up a solo shot in the 9th but held on to secure the win. Gragg III went 5 1/3 IP and allowed 8 R (7 ER) on 5 hits and 2 walks with 5 Ks to make his playoff ERA 11.81; Atencio blew his 1st save with 1 IP of an ER on 3 hits and a walk with a K to make his ERA 9.00; RP Brian Steffek went an inning and allowed an ER on 2 hits with a K to make his ERA 9.00; and DeHoyos got the with with 1 2/3 IP of an ER on a hit and walk with a K to improve to 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA. Sanchez was 2-5 with a walk, 2 RBI and 2 RS to drop to .500; Lubanski had another standout game in going 5-6 with an RBI and 2 RS to improve to .900 in 2 games; Kaaihue was 2-4 with 2 walks, a HR and 3 RBI to improve to .250; Stephens was 4-5 with 2 HR, 5 RBI and 3 RS to improve to .444; Sevilla was 2-4 with a walk, double and RBI along with 2 RS to improve to .500; and Gaffney was 2-5 with a double and 3 RBI to set a .400 BA.

High Desert finished the second half at 39-31. Overall the Mavs finished 75-65. Game 3 will be at High Desert's place. Tentative pitchers for tonight's do-or-die: Lancaster's Garrett Mock (RHP 13-7 4.20) vs. Billy Buckner (RHP 5-6 5.36). High Desert also has earned home-field advantage in the second round if they advance that far.

Rookie: Idaho Falls finished the season on a 4-game win streak after a 9-2 finale win over Orem Thursday. 3B Brenan Herrera blasted a 2-run homer in the 1st (his 2nd) for a 2-0 IF lead and the Chukars added runs in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th on an RBI single by PH Antonio Sabatini, an RBI ground out by RF Byron Barber and an RBI single by CF Felix Peguero for a 5-2 lead. Idaho Falls put it away with 4 in the 8th on a 2-run Orem throwing error, another fielding error by the Owlz and an RBI double by C Jeff Howell. SP Phillip Davidson got the win with 5 IP of 2 ER on 5 hits with 5 Ks and 0 BBs to improve to 7-3 with a 4.73 ERA; RP Brandon Brantley got his 1st hold with 3 IP of 1 hit and 6 Ks to drop his ERA to 7.11; and RP Matt Kniginyzky went an IP and K'd 2 to drop his ERA to 4.66. 2B Joshua Johnson was 3-5 with a triple to finish at .249; Howell was 2-3 with 2 walks, a double and RBI to finish at .346; SS Chris McConnell was 0-3 with a walk to finish at .331; Barber was 0-3 with a walk and RBI to finish at .304; and PH Kiel Thibault was 1-1 to finish at .310.

Idaho Falls finished the second half like the first half -- 17-21 -- and 3 games back of first. Overall the Chukars were 34-42.