Baseball loses 12-9 in 10 innings after dramatic 9th inning comeback

The season-long struggles of the FLC pitching staff continued on Tuesday afternoon as the Falcons fell to Santa Rosa, 12-9 in 10 innings at Falcon Field.  Once again, FLC's potent lineup kept the Falcons in the game as they rallied to score four runs in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings.  After falling behind 6-0 in the fourth, Josh Winkler crushed a three-run home run into the scoreboard in left field to cut the deficit in half.  The Falcons made it 6-5  in the sixth on a run-scoring double play and a solo home run by catcher Mason Allen, his second of the season.  The Bear Cubs responded with three more late-inning runs to go up 9-5, but the Falcon offense came to the rescue again in the ninth.  Four consecutive hits to start the inning made it 9-7, then a walk and a hit batter made it 9-8 with the bases loaded and still none out.  After a foul pop-up for the first out,  Mason Allen's single tied the game.  One out later and with the bases still loaded, Grant Heisinger roped a liner to the gap in right-center that looked like the game-winner, but the Bear Cub centerfielder made a great read on it and caught it for the third out.  In the tenth, the Bear Cubs loaded the bases on a hit and two walks (one intentional) before getting a couple of two-out hits that drove in the final three runs of the game. 

Game two of the three-game series is Thursday afternoon in Santa Rosa, with the final on Saturday at Falcon Field at 1:00 pm