Oakland Ballers celebrate their win over the Rocky Mountain Vibes at Raimondi Park in Oakland on Thu Jul 10, 2025 (Oakland Ballers photo)

Rocky Mountain Vibes (22-22) 121 010 000 5 9 1

Oakland Ballers (34-11) 002 201 01x 6 6 0

Time: 2:18

Attendance: 2,008

Thursday, July 10, 2025

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–After being thwarted late Wednesday afternoon by a lost challenge on what would have been a game ending strike out followed by crushing defeat in the knockout round crap shoot the Pioneer League uses to decide tie games, the Ballers had to wait until 8:53 this Thursday evening to break the tie for first place with a 6-5 triumph over the Rocky Mountain Vibes and— thanks to the Ogden Raptors’ defeat of the Missooula Paddleheads a bit before that— gain not just a playoff spot, but home field advantage against whomever they face in the full season tournament scheduled for early September to determine the league’s champion.

They did it in stirring fashion, overcoming a poor start by Dylan Matsuoka, who surrendered four runs, all earned, in as many innings. Half of the six hits he yielded went yard. The Rocky Mountain Vibes, the team that had stymied the B’s a day earlier, took the lead on a mighty blast over the center field fence by Sam Linscott, the second Vibe batter, tacked on two runs in the second on a two run round tripper by ex-Baller Steven Wilmer (batting .218 at the time), and Gary Lora’s leadoff four bagger in the third.

Oakland got on the board in the third plating two tallies on Tremayne Cobb’s double to right and Christian Almanaza’s opposite field homer to left and tied things up an inning later Nick Leehey’s two run homer to left. The Vibes came back with Carter Booth’s solo shot, a line drive over the left field fence off Gabe Tanner, who had relieved Matsuoka.

The home team caught up in their half of the sixth, notching a run after Danny Harris led off with a single and advanced 90 feet on each of two consecutive balks before Rocky Mountains’ starter, Malik Binns, was able to throw a pitch. Lou Helmig’s opposite field single to left through a partially drawn in infield brought in the tying run. a walk to Nick Leehay, and Binns was on his way to the showers, replaced by Wyatt Tucker.

James Colyer set the Vibes down in order in the seventh.

Oakland finally, and definitively, took the lead in their half of the eighth. Hunter Bryn took the rubber to relieve Tucker at the start of the inning. He walked Harris, who was erased when Cam Bufford’s grounder to third forced Harris out at second. But the speedy Bufford beat the throw to first and then stole second. Another single by Helmig, this time to right, drove in Bufford with what proved to be the winning run.

Carson Lambert, probably the league’s best reliever, didn’t allow a baserunner in the two innings he hurled, fanning five of the six batters he faced on the way to earning his second win against no losses.

Friday’s encounter with the Vibes will start at 6:35. It may be anti-climactic, but you can be sure it’ll be celebratory.