Potters rally, win series with Mudcats

The Lincoln Potters stayed hot Wednesday night, extending their winning streak to five with an 11-6 comeback victory over the Solano Mudcats at McBean Stadium. Lincoln erased an early 4-0 deficit and pulled away late, scoring seven runs over the seventh and eighth innings. The Potters found their spark on the road last weekend, sweeping the Medford Rogues to keep their Pacific Empire League postseason hopes alive. Lincoln kept the streak going Tuesday with a 10-6 win over the Mudcats in Vacaville. With Wednesday's win, Lincoln is 2½ games out of a playoff spot with nine remaining. Potters Manager Eli Garcia says the team is handling the ups and downs of a summer season well and their cool demeanor is keeping the team in the playoff hunt. "It's just baseball. That's why you love the sport, because some days it doesn't go your way, and some days it does," said Garcia. "The biggest thing is when things aren't going your way, how do you respond? This team just responded really well. Playing in Medford is not easy and they did a good job of taking three games over there. We just need to keep that momentum to end the season." The Potters were elevated Wednesday night by a two-run homer by Ty McGraw that tied the score in the bottom of the seventh inning. McGraw's long ball was the momentum shift Lincoln needed, and it sparked a dominant night offensively. McGraw had two hits, scored three runs and had three RBIs. "That guy can hit," Garcia said. "I feel like anytime there's a big moment, he's just super cool, calm and collected. He could tell you he's just trying to put a good swing on it, and he did, and it just so happens that it got out of the yard. I love watching Ty McGraw play. He's a real fun player to watch." Complimenting McGraw's performance was Tristan Russell, who picked up three RBIs and three hits. Russell has notched 11 hits during Lincoln's five-game surge and had a 17-game hitting streak through Wednesday. Quinten Marsh earned the win in relief, his first of the season. Marsh pitched 1⅓ innings and struck out two without allowing a runner. The Potters also saw a strong relief outing from Jake Morell, who hurled 2⅓ shutout innings to allow the team to stay in the game. Lincoln completed the three-game sweep Thursday at Solano with a 7-5 victory. The Potters welcome the Rogues to McBean for a three-game weekend series. Said Garcia, "Let's get our work in and just have fun doing it. We just look forward to taking it one day at a time."