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So when the Panthers met the Eagles Tuesday night in Pecos, it wasn't
his No. 1 pitcher, Steven Cordero, or even his No. 2 hurler, Nathan
Reeves, who took the mound, but No. 3 pitcher James Matchett, who relied
almost strictly on cuvreballs to get the Eagles out.
And during the first trip through Pecos' lineup, Matchett was pretty
successful, allowing only one run through the first 2_ innings of play.
But the second time through was a nightmare both for the young Panther
pitcher, and for his infielders, as the Eagles scored 11 times in the
third off Matchett and Cordero, who fared no better in a five--inning
15--5 Pecos victory.
"In the first couple of innings he got us down and had us chasing the
curveball, but once we started putting the ball in play they started
making errors," said Eagles' coach Bubba Williams, as his took advantage
of nine Panther errors to go along with their own 11 hits, ad moved to
within a half--game of the second place Panthers.
The high winds from the northeast caused problems in the field for both
teams and also helped create a rarity at Eagle Field -- two home runs to
right field.
The first, by catcher Bryan Parker off Louis Valencia in the top of the
fifth, scored three runs, and looked as though it would force the teams
to play into the sixth inning, as Fort Stockton cut a 12-0 deficit down
to 12-5. But in the bottom of the inning Cordero tried to get a curve
past John Gutierrez with two on and two out, and he parked one off a
windshield in right, allowing the game to end early under the 10-run
rule.
Gutierrez, who was batting higher in the lineup than usual, in the No.
5 spot, also scored in the third, after his hard grounder was missed by
second baseman Emilio Perales. He stole second, went to third when
neither Perales nor Cordero covered the bag, and scored when center
fielder Cesar Hernandez let the ball get past him as well.
"I moved John up in the lineup, because with the wind blowing out on
the right side, and the curve ball breaking that way, if he ever
connected it was going to be out of there," Williams said.
Gutierrez' homer made a winner out of Jason Abila, 5-2, who pitched
three of the five innings, leaving in the fourth for Valencia, who made
his varsity debut. The sophomore surrendered seven hits, four in the
fourth inning, but was helped out when catcher Mark Abila snuck up
behind Cordero rounding first too far on a single to right and was
thrown out by Eric Abila.
Pecos' first run came when Richard Gutierrez walked, was wild pitched
to second by Matchett and scored when Cisco Rodriguez, high chop to
second bounced under Perales' glove. Matchett then retired the next six
batters he faced before walking Eric Abila with one out in the third.
Richard Gutierrez, who was 3-for-3 on the night, doubled him home, and
Rodriguez then reached on Cordero's error at shortstop. A wild pitch
scored one run, and after Rodriguez was tagged out on Jason Abila's
grounder, he stole second and scored on Perales' error.
After Gutierrez scored, Oscar Luna singled, and McGuiart then brought
Cordero on to pitch. Joseph Strain reached when Jeremy Hickman booted
his grounder, Mark Abila then singled two more runs home, and RBI bloop
singles by Nestor Mendoza and Eric Abila followed.
Richard Gutierrez then got his second hit of the inning, a single to
left which Jonathan Rojas misplayed, scoring Abila to make it 10-0.
Cordero then walked Rodriguez before Jason Abila finished off the inning
with a two-run double to left-center.
Aside from the wind aiding the two fifth inning homers, it also hurt
Valencia in the fourth, when Hickman's pop up to third was blown all the
way across the mound and was misplayed by Gutierrez to load the bases.
An infield hit by Dustin Linhert then scored Reeves to break the
shutout, while an error by new shortstop Jason Chabarria in the fifth
started a four-run inning for Fort Stockton.
"Louis threw some good pitches. We just should have made the plays
behind him," said Williams, whose team is now 2-2 in district, 11-6
overall. Fort Stockton fell to 3-2 and 9-11.
The Eagles would be in second place today, if not for their March 25
forfeit of their 11-2 win over Sweetwater, but they can tie Fort
Stockton for second on Thursday, when they play a make-up game at Big
Spring, starting at 5 p.m.
.......FORT STOCKTON......................... PECOS
................ab....r....h....bi......... ....ab....r....h....bi
Prles 2b-ss....2....0....0....0....E.Abila rf....3....2....1....1
Diaz ph........1....0....0....0....R.Gutrz 3b....3....4....3....1
Rojas lf......3....1....1....0....Rodrguez lf....3....2....1....1
Crdro ss-p......3....1....3....0....J.Abila p....3....1....1....2
Nanez cr.......0....0....0....0....Valencia p....1....0....0....0
Reeves rf.....3....2....2....1....Vasquez ss....0....0....0....0
Parker c......2....1....2....3....Chbrria ss....0....0....0....0
Diaz cr.......0....0....0....0....J.Gutrz dh....4....2....1....3
Herndez cf....0....0....0....0....Luna cf....2....1....1....0
Irigoyn dh....3....0....0....0....J.Aguilr cf....1....0....0....0
Hickman 3b....3....0....0....0....Strain 1b....2....1....0....0
Lenhert 1b....2....0....1....1....Martinez 1b....1....0....0....0
Matchett p....1....0....0....0....M.Abila c....3....0....2....2
Nanez 2b......1....0....0....0....E.Aguilr cr....0....1....0....0
......... .... .... .... .... ....Mendoza 2b....2....1....1....1
............. .... .... .... ....Florez ph....1....0....0....0
Totals.......24....5....9....5....Totals.......29....15....11....11
<xt>
Fort Stockton....... 0 0 0... 1 4... --|5
Pecos............. 1 0 (11)... 0 3... --15
Game ended with two outs in fifth under 10--run rule
E -- Perales 2, Cordero, Parker, Herandnez, Hickman, Nanez, Rojas, R.
Gutierrez, Chabarria. LOB -- Fort Stockton 5, Pecos 3. 2B -- Cordero, R
Gutierrez 2, J. Abila, M. Abila. HR -- Parker (2), J. Gutierrez (1). SB
-- E. Abila, J. Abila, Mendoza. CS -- Rojas (by M. Abila).
......................IP H R ER BB KO
Fort Stockton
Matchett L, 2-3.....2 2--3 2 6 2 2 4
Cordero ................2 7 9 4 1 3
Pecos
J.Abila W, 5-2......... 3 2 0 0 1 5
Valencia............... 2 7 5 3 0 3
WP -- Matchett 2, Cordero. PB -- Parker.
T -- 1:45.
Coaches and managers are needed to help get the field ready for the 10
a.m. opening ceremonies Saturday morning. All those going to the 7 p.m.
meeting should bring shovels and/or rakes to the field.
State and Regional Sports Pages--San Angelo Standard-Times
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