Red-hot Ruby helps the Crabs to series win in Medford this weekend – Times-Standard

Crabs pitcher Andrew Overland catches a runner at first base as the Crabs lost 4-6 to the Lincoln Potters on June 28. After an 0-6 start to the Pacific Empire League, the Crabs have now won three straight PEL series to return to league play. (Dylan McNeill/The Times-Standard)

The Humboldt Crabs secured two important series wins last week and capped it off on Sunday with a 14-2 road victory over the Medford Rogues to win the series.

After three straight wins against league opponents, the Crabs’ record in the Pacific Empire League has improved to 6-9, a strong rebound from their 0-7 start. The Healdsburg Prune Packers remain in first place with their 16-2 record, the Lincoln Potters are in second place at 8-5, while the Crabs are in fourth place, three games behind the Potters.

Humboldt’s series against the Rogues began Friday with a 7-4 Rogues win. The score was 4-4 until the eighth inning, but the Rogues scored three times in that inning, two on a two-run homer and another when a run was scored while the Crabs were making a double play.

The Crabs had to go down in the ninth inning to end the game, but Humboldt had some solid performances at the plate in the loss. Second baseman Jett Ruby had three hits, including a double. Crabs’ center fielder Antonio Avila went 2-3 with a home run and a hit by pitch. While Ruby and Avila combined for five hits, the rest of the Crabs combined for just three in the loss.

Right-hander Andrew Overland started Humboldt, going four innings and allowing four earned runs. Overland was replaced by Eli Yamanaka, who lost after allowing two runs in three innings before Caleb Neiman got the final three outs for the Crabs, allowing one run.

The loss was short-lived for Humboldt, who rebounded with a 9-7 win on Saturday, with offense proving crucial at the end of the game. The Rogues took a 2-0 lead after scoring two runs in the first inning against Crabs pitcher Cameron Saso, but Humboldt soon regained the lead when Humboldt shortstop Colin Callahan scored two runs with a two-out double to tie the game. Callahan came to the point when Ruby scored another two-out hit to give Humboldt a 3-2 lead.

The Rogues didn’t let up, scoring runs in both the second and third innings to take an early 4-3 lead and chase Saso out of the game after just three innings. Max Hippensteel of the Crabs took over and pitched three fantastic innings out of the bullpen, allowing just one walk and striking out four times, dropping his earned run average to 0.90 for the summer.

Humboldt took the lead again in the eighth inning when outfielders Jehee Lee and Michael McKernan scored on an error that allowed Callahan to reach second base. Callahan got back in front when Ruby hit a two-run home run, giving the Crabs a 7-4 lead after Ruby’s first home run of the summer. The Crabs’ lead grew in the ninth inning when first baseman Billy Ham scored two runs on a triple with two outs, bringing Avila and Ruby home.

Following Hippensteel, Blake Ignaciak was on the mound for the Crabs. Ignaciak pitched clean seventh and eighth innings for Humboldt before running into trouble in the ninth inning. The Crabs committed three errors in the ninth inning, giving the Rogues a chance to get back in the game, but Medford’s comeback failed after scoring three runs and having the game-winning run at the plate, but a fielder’s decision ended things and gave the Crabs a much-needed win.

Sunday’s deciding game was less dramatic. The Crabs dominated and finished the short road trip with a 14-2 victory. Humboldt had 17 hits and five walks in the game and loaded the bases with Crabs the entire game. After taking the lead in the first inning, Humboldt never looked back.

Nolan Long got the win on the mound, pitching five clean innings, allowing one run and two hits and recording four strikeouts. Humboldt’s bullpen worked the final four innings, with three relievers combining to allow one run to complete the loss.

Ruby continued his sensational weekend with a 3-5 day at bat that included a double that raised his summer batting average to .376. Ruby leads the Crabs in average, hits, runs and runs batted in so far this season. Designated hitter Keoni Coloma also had a great day on Sunday, going 1-3 with two walks, but his only hit was a grand slam in the second inning that gave Humboldt’s pitching staff some breathing room.

In the fifth inning, Lee cleared the bases with a three-run double, highlighting his 2-6 game in the batter’s box. Callahan, McKernan, Ham and Victor Castaneda all had multiple hits Sunday, as did Lee, Ruby and Coloma.

The Crabs have a quick two-game series against the Alameda Anchors on Tuesday and Wednesday before jumping back into PEL play for a weekend series against the West Coast Kings, also played at Arcata Ball Park. The series against the Kings will kick off the final phase of league play, with 11 consecutive PEL games to close out the summer in the Pacific Empire League’s first year.

Both games against the Anchors on Tuesday and Wednesday begin at 7 p.m., with Humboldt looking to improve on its 18-11 start to the summer.

Dylan McNeill can be reached at 707-441-0526.