Sports

A wild finish in Klamath Falls snapped the Kelowna Falcons six game winning streak Friday night, as the Gems came away with an 8-7 win 13 innings.

In the top of the 13th inning Greg Friesen hit his second homer of the game to break a 5-5 tie as the Falcons were vying for their seventh consecutive win, but the Gems had other ideas.

In the bottom of 13th, Juan Padilla came out of the pen and gave up three runs on a two out rally.  All three runs were unearned as Patrick Johnson made two errors in the inning.

Earlier in the game the Falcons would score first on Friesen’s first home run of the season in the second inning.

The lead was short lived as the Gems would score three in the bottom of the inning off Falcons starter Brandon Marris who left the game after five innings due to dehydration.

The Falcons would finally tie the game in the sixth on RBIs from Jace Conrad and Kyle Pearson.  However the lead was once again short lived as the Gems would take the lead 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth.

They would add another in the seventh off reliever Preston Gray.

Down 5-3 with one out in the top of the ninth the Falcons DH Jerry McClanahan would connect on his third homer of the season to tie the game at five and push into extra innings.

The score remained tied before Friesen’s second home run of the game in the 13th.

The Falcons don’t lose any ground in the standings as first place Wenatchee had the night off and third place Bellingham also lost.

Game two between the Falcons (13-6) and Gems (3-18) is scheduled for Saturday night at Kiger Stadium at 7:05 p.m.

The Falcons return home on Friday July 6, when they host the Corvallis Knights at Elks Stadium.

--by Ryan Watters