In his third start since having Tommy John Surgery, Armada pitcher Seth Etherton struck out 12 batters in seven innings, allowing only three hits and five base runners.  Instead of hanging their heads and looking to tomorrow’s Game 2 of the playoff series, the Orange County Flyers just waited for Etherton to hit the showers, and hung four runs on the Armada bullpen for the 4-2 victory.

Long Beach gave Etherton the early lead, scoring two runs in the second inning.  Catcher Octavio Martinez doubled in Norm Hutchins, and then snuck home from third when Brett Flowers got caught in a pickle between first and second.

When the crowd stood for the seventh inning stretch, the Armada had a 2-0 lead and the Flyers had only three hits.  When the crowd sat down, it was a different game all together.

Flyer reliever Jason Norderum struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh, then Patrick Breen’s two-run double tied it up in the top of the eighth.  Andre Simpson struck out the side in bottom of the frame, before Mark Okano and Brian Rios scored in the top of the ninth for OC.  Dane De La Rosa came in to close it out– and yes, you guessed it– struck out the side for the save.  In the final 2.5 innings the Armada gave up four runs on four hits and three walks, while the last 11 Long Beach batters were sent back to the dugout via strikeout.

With Orange County holding a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five Southern Division Championship Series, the Armada will try to bounce back tonight at Blair Field in Game 2, at 7:05pm.