PECOS ENTERPRISE

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April 18, 1997

Moves made by Eagles for Chiefs


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PECOS, Apr. 18 -- Pecos Eagles' coach Bubba Williams is hoping to throw
the San Angelo Lake View Chiefs a curve Saturday afternoon, and he knows
that's what the Chiefs' pitchers will be trying to do to his squad as
well.

Williams plans to give senior Eric Abila his first start on the mound
this season, when the Eagles travel to San Angelo for a 1 p.m. game
against the Chiefs.

It's one of several changes Pecos will make, following Tuesday's 10-0
loss to Andrews and the loss of third baseman Richard Gutierrez due to
grades for the rest of the season. The defeat left Pecos with a 12-8
season record, 3-4 in District 4-4A, while Lake View improved to 9-12
and 4-3 with their 15-2 win at Fort Stockton.

Moses Martinez took the loss on Tuesday, while Jason Abila was touched
for five runs (three earned) after winning two games last week. Earlier
this month, he survived first inning problems to defeat San Angelo by an
11-1 score, but Williams said with the way Lake View has been hitting
lately - and with the way they hit Abila a year ago in San Angelo - he
would make the change on the mound.

"Eric's got good breaking stuff. Hopefully, he'll keep the batters
off-balance," he said. "They hit the fastball real good, but hopefully,
Eric will be able to keep them off-balance."

Abila pitched as a sophomore and junior, but has spent all of this
season in the outfield.

Along with his move to the mound, Williams said John Paul Vasquez would
take over for Gutierrez at third base, and Joseph Contreras would be
brought back up from the junior varsity to take Eric Abila's spot in
right field.

Bad plays in the outfield hurt Pecos in San Angelo a year ago, when they
got to Jason Abila for nine runs in the second inning, turning a 5-1
deficit into an eventual 13-5 win. "We've just got to go up there and
play good defense and hit the ball," said Williams. "It's going to be a
tough ballgame, and I feel like we're going to have to outhit them."

Pecos hit Lake View's Sterlin Gilbert hard in their April 1 win. Jason
Abila went 4-for-4 with a home run, and Joseph Strain also homered off
the senior. Gilbert is the likely starter again on Saturday, but Cordova
could come back with Chris Martinez, a freshman curveballer who four-hit
Fort Stockton in Tuesday's five-inning win, and allowed just one run in
the first five innings two weeks ago at Andrews, before losing by a 5-0
score.

While Pecos is seeking their first playoff berth since 1991, a win by
Lake View would all but assure the Chiefs of their first-ever
post-season trip.

Even with a loss to Lake View, the Eagles could still probably clinch a
playoff spot next week by defeating big Spring and Fort Stockton to
close out regular season play, if the Steers defeat the Panthers on
Saturday. Those teams are currently tied with Pecos for the third
bi-district playoff berth.

Williams said Martinez, who lasted just one-third of an inning Tuesday,
would get a chance to work out his problems today, when the Eagles' JV
hosts Midland High at 4:30 p.m. It's part of a tripleheader that will
have Pecos' freshmen face Van Horn at 6:30 p.m., followed by the JV
taking on Tonrillo's varsity at 8:30 p.m.

May 3 date set for physicals


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PECOS, Apr. 18 -- Physicals will be given on May 3 to
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah students entering grades 7 through 12 in August,
athletic director Mike Belew said Thursday.

Physicals will be given to girls beginning at 8 a.m. in the new Pecos
High School gym, while boys physicals will begin at later in the morning.

For further information, call PHS trainer Joel Birch at 447-7220.
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State and Regional Sports Pages--San Angelo Standard-Times


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Copyright 1997 by Pecos Enterprise
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324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
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