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• Government spending, taxes protested in Lodi

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February 9th, 2010

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February 8th, 2010

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February 6th, 2010

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February 5th, 2010

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February 4th, 2010

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February 3rd, 2010

• Correction

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February 2nd, 2010

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The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• Will terrorists be given Miranda warnings? (75)
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One out from victory, Galt's upset bid slammed by the Bruins

One out. With a 6-2 lead in the top of the seventh inning, that was all the Galt High baseball team needed to knock off the Sierra Valley Conference's first-place Ponderosa Bruins to prevent a series sweep and paint a brighter playoff picture.

Ponderosa's Hunter Gallant wasn't about to be that out, however, as the Bruin crushed a grand slam over the left-center field fence to send the game to extra innings. The Bruins then scored three more runs in the eighth for a 9-6 win on Wednesday that concluded a three-game sweep of the Warriors this season.

"Pondo is a tough team. They are a good hitting club," said Galt head coach Joe Garcia. "The only way to play them is to match their offense and they fight to the end."

Galt (4-6 SVC, 9-9 overall) took a 2-0 lead through four innings before Ponderosa (8-2 SVC, 13-4) tied it up with one run in both the fifth and sixth innings.

The Warriors then answered with four runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead. Austin Cannell hit an RBI single up the middle for the go-ahead run and Jaime Herscowitz drew a bases-loaded walk to score Joe Setum to make it 4-2. Taylor Peasha capped off the rally with a two-run single to right field.

"We kind of fought back at the end," said Peasha, who also added a single, a walk and a run scored. "I just did what I needed to do, got a hit when I needed to and then it just didn't fall for us."

Pete Pendley, who went 6 2/3 innings allowing six earned runs, 10 hits, four walks and two strikeouts, retired the first two batters in the following inning as the momentum shifted. Bruins Casey Freiderich and Matt Evanhoff each singled and Michael Cunningham drew a walk between the hits to load the bases for Gallant.

Ponderosa's Mark Fackwell slides past second base, allowing Galt's Taylor Peasha to tag him out during Wednesday's game. (Dan Evans/News-Sentinel)

With one swing, Gallant changed everything.

"We had the momentum and when he hit that (grand slam) it fell through," Peasha said.

Cannell then relieved Pendley on the mound and gave up one hit before Galt center fielder Joey Ruiz made a diving catch — one of many impressive fielding plays for the Warriors — for the final out of the inning.

Trevor Meleski struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh and the game went to the eighth inning. Ponderosa's Marc Fackrell smashed a two-run double in the top of the eighth and Evanoff drove in the game's final run on a single. The Warriors went down in order in the bottom of the inning.

The game was much like the previous two against Ponderosa, in which Galt was ahead or tied with the Bruins through five innings. In each game, the Bruins put together late rallies for victories. "We can beat them in five, we just can't beat them in seven," Garcia said. "They are just tough. Unfortunately our pitcher gave up that unbelievable home run. That was a clutch hit. We had some clutch hits earlier, but it just wasn't enough."

Galt's Charlie Grindrod tags out a Ponderosa baserunner at third during Wednesday's game. (Dan Evans/News-Sentinel)

Ruiz and J.J. Martinez each added a hit and an RBI for Galt, Cannell finished with one hit, one run and one RBI and Charlie Grindrod recorded one hit and scored two runs.

Galt now has eight remaining SVC games to try and secure the second and final playoff spot in league. Garcia says it is possible if the Warriors win all eight games. Galt will face Oak Ridge and Cordova, who are both also battling for the No. 2 spot, twice more as well as two more games with both Christian Brothers and Vista del Lago.

Even though the Warriors lost on Wednesday, Garcia believes they played well and can make they playoffs if they continue playing like they did against Ponderosa.

"If we play like this we will win the rest of our games," he said.

Contact reporter Joelle Milholm at joellem@lodinews.com.