Gold Sox continue strong season finish with big win

With the McCullough Division title already sewn up, some would expect the Marysville Gold Sox to let their guard down and relax heading into the last full weekend of the summer.

Not this ballclub. Instead, the Gold Sox are going out with a flurry.

Tyler Kuresa drove in six runs, Mitch Wilhite finished with four RBIs and Marysville erupted for nine extra-base hits en route to an easy 16-7 victory over the Solano County Bluebirds Friday night at Appeal-Democrat Park.

It's been a season where team records have fallen, and even more were broken on Friday as Marysville rolled to its 18th consecutive win — and did so in dominating fashion.

"They're locked in until the end of the summer," Marysville skipper Jack Johnson said. "They don't want to give up or give in, and that's fine with me."

The Gold Sox (37-8-1) wasted little time getting the offense rolling. The first three batters of the game reached base before Kuresa was hit by a pitch to put them on the board. Wilhite followed with a two-run single later in the frame to put Marysville up 3-0 and the Gold Sox all but put the game away by hitting for the cycle and sending 11 batters to the plate in the second inning.

Brent Ohrman tripled, Kuresa stroked a double into the left-center field gap to drive in three runs and Wilhite drove a ball deep into the net in left for a two-run homer to give Marysville an insurmountable 9-0 cushion after two.

Kuresa and Wilhite both had four RBIs after the first two innings and the Gold Sox never looked back.

"They take pride in what they do at the plate," Johnson said. "Their approach is to not waste any at-bats and that's the way you're supposed to play the game."

Mark Shannon smoked a two-run double to deep center field in the fifth to up the score to 11-2 and the offensive barrage continued in the seventh when the Gold Sox smacked three doubles, a triple and a two-run Kuresa homer.

Kuresa's home run was the 19th of the season for the Gold Sox, setting a new club record. Coy added his 20th double of the summer in the inning as well, setting yet another team mark.

"These are guys who had successful seasons at their programs so they're all good hitters," Johnson said. "Hitting is contagious and when you play with good ballplayers with good work ethics it spreads."

Kuresa finished the evening 2 for 4 with a double, a home run and six RBIs, while Wilhite was 3 for 4 with a homer and four RBIs to lead the Gold Sox, who tallied 16 hits in the game.

A.J. Alexander went 3 for 5 with a double, Ohrman was 3 for 4 with two triples and Shannon went 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles and three RBIs to help the cause for Marysville.

Edgar Vela (3-1) allowed one earned run over five innings to earn the win.