Bees save best for last — again

Another night, another dramatic, come-from-behind win in the final at-bat for the Salt Lake Bees in the PCL playoffs.

This time it was Adam Pavkovich who came through with a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth to give the Bees an 11-10 victory over the Sacramento River Cats at Franklin Covey Field on Thursday night. It was the first lead of the entire game for the Bees and it came on the heels of Wednesday night's three-run rally in the bottom of the 10th.

As a result the Bees have a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five Pacific Conference championship series.

"The whole team is confident," said Pavkovich. "We've done it all year. It's not like we are going into (the final) inning disappointed or feeling like underdogs. We know we can comeback. We know we can get guys on and it can get exciting."

It was the 12th time this season the Bees have won a game on their final

at-bat.

"That was some kind of game," said Bees manager Brian Harper. "I don't know what to say. I don't even know how to explain it. The guys just kept fighting back to get into the game."

The River Cats opened up a 5-0 lead after three innings. Three different times the Bees were able to pull to within one run — after a four-run fourth, a two-run seventh and a three-run eighth, but the Bees could never catch them.

Until the ninth.

Brandon Wood, Wednesday night's hero, led off the bottom of the ninth with a single to right. Matt Brown followed with a double to center. That put runners at second and third with no outs for Pavkovich.

"I like having Pav up in those kind of spots," said Harper. "He's a clutch hitter. I like having him up there in big spots."

Pavkovich didn't play in the first game of the series and wasn't a starter on Thursday night, either. He came into the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning and stayed in as the designated hitter.

"It's the playoffs, so we're all ready if (Harper) needs us," said Pavkovich.

And he came through.

Now the series will head to Sacramento for today's third game. The fourth and fifth games, if necessary, will also be on the River Cats' Raley Field.