By Aron Rocke, Yuma Times

Friday, July 31, 2009

As previously cited, Yuma and Duluth were to square off.  These teams shared a common trait: they are at the bottom of the PEBA.  Yuma holds down the base of the Desert Hills and Duluth is the anchor of the Great Lakes.  While at the base of, well, organized baseball as we know it, these two teams developed a rivalry of sorts.  "Basically, I hate him," said Duluth GM Joel Dobney of his younger brother and Yuma GM Jared Dobney, "only as a brother can.” 

This stirring tale of brotherly love was brought up again as Yuma travelled to play in Doyle Buhl Stadium in Duluth.  Going into the series, Yuma had a 7-4 record vs. the Warriors on the season.  Said Jared Dobney, "Yeah, we felt good about our chances.  Back in April, we got the sweep.  In May and June we combined to take them 4 out of 6 games; we felt like our losses to them in March were far behind.  'Course, we were wrong."

The series got off to an ominous start for Yuma when, in the first game, they scored 7 and managed to lose by only 1.  "They dropped 3 on us late in the 9^th," said SS Daniel Groves, back in the starting lineup for the first time since his early-season injury and malcontent.  "It was disappointing to watch yet another lead and win slip through our fingers.”

In game two, all it took for Duluth was a run in the bottom of the third and another in the bottom of the fourth.  Yuma managed to cross the plate once in the sixth, but after that their less-than-stellar offense once again ground to a halt.  "We just needed to keep the pressure up and couldn't," said Dobney wistfully, "and that's why we've lost a lot of games.”  Said Duluth's Dobney, "I like big dogs!"

Yuma's final chance came on July 27^th.  In the seventh inning and down 1, Yuma threw up an impressive 8-run inning.  "It was incredible," said Dobney.  "It was horrible to watch," said the other Dobney.  Whatever the case may be, Yuma had a dominant lead, even after Duluth plated a pair in the bottom of the inning.  However, as has been the bane of Yuma's season, their pitching once again gave out and the offense froze up.  Said (Ja.) Dobney, "When that last (6^th) run came across for Duluth in the bottom of the 8^th inning, I knew it was over.  You could feel the energy leave the dugout.”  Bud Hoffman, who has certainly had an emotional career, said, "this was a heartbreaking loss for all of us.  Even Groves showed a little emotion my spiking a Gatorade cooler off of the bench.”  Hoffman was 1-2 on the game with 2 runs and 3 walks, but felt that, "If I'd swung a little more, goshdarnit, I might have helped us win."

Sadly, to cap off a bad week of baseball, the Bulldozers hosted the Omaha Cyclones and brought another sweep upon themselves at the hands of a Dobney-led team.  "It's disappointing to drop 6 to my brothers," said Dobney.  "I just know that this will get brought up next time we go to hang out.” 

Coming up, Yuma hosts the Tenpinners of Reno and then travels north to play the Commissioner-owned Aurora Borealis. 

From Yuma, Aron Rocke