The Diablos beat the Cats 6-5 in 12 innings!

Published on June 28, 2008 under American Association (AA)
El Paso Diablos News Release


Bryan Cooksey's walk-off fielder's choice gave the El Paso Diablos a 6-5 12th inning victory against the Fort Worth Cats in the finale to the first-half of the regular season.

El Paso scored the first run in the bottom of the opening inning. Walter Olmstead hammered an RBI triple to right-center field plating Bryan Cooksey for the 1-0 lead.

The Fort Worth Cats took the lead in the top of the fourth inning. Aaron Sisk had a run-scoring single and John Allen scored on a ground-ball double play for the 2-1 advantage.

El Paso re-gained the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Matt Kent blasted a two-run homer to right field, propelling El Paso to a 3-2 lead.

Fort Worth tied the contest in the top of the seventh. Cameron Blair lifted a sacrifice fly to right field plating Osiel Flores and knotting the score at 3-3.

The Cats had a productive top of the eighth inning. Fort Worth hit three doubles in the frame, with Ken Lup and John Allen picking up RBI's for the 5-3 lead.

The Diablos cut the deficit to just one run in the bottom of the eighth inning. J.D Reininger led off the inning with a double. He advanced to third base on a Brandon McConnell single. Stantrel Smith plated Reininger when he bounced into a 3-6 fielder's choice, making it just a 5-4 game. Brian Martin came into the contest and struck out Bryan Cooksey, ending that threat.

El Paso tied the game off of closer Jon Hunton in the bottom of the ninth inning. Kory Drew led off the inning with a single. He advanced to second on a wild pitch. Down to their final out, Bryon Smith ripped an RBI single to left field scoring Drew for the 5-5 score. Matt Kent flew out to deep left against Hunton, which sent the game into extra innings.

The Diablos had a great opportunity in the top of the 11th inning. Bryan Cooksey led off the inning with a double off the right-center field wall. Kory Drew laid down a sac-bunt moving Cooksey to third base with just one out. Jon Hunton then intentionally walked Jorge Alvarez and Walter Olmstead to face Bryon Smith with the bases loaded. Smith grounded into an inning ending 5-3 double play sending the game into the 12th.

El Paso won the game in the bottom of the 12th inning. J.D Reininger hammered a one-out triple to right-center field. Kyle Yates intentionally walked both Brandon McConnell and Stantrel Smith to face Bryan Cooksey. Cooksey became the hero when he chopped a ground-ball to third which Aaron Sisk fielded and threw to second base. Cameron Blair dropped the ball, ending the contest on an error. J.D Reininger scored the winning run!

Mike Cervera (1-0) picks up the victory as he threw one and two thirds innings scoreless.

Kyle Yates (0-4) is the loser. He threw an inning and a third giving up one run off of one hit.

Ryan Riddle threw six innings allowing three earned runs off of nine hits with two walks and three strikeouts for no decision.

Josh Kauten threw seven and two thirds innings allowing three earned runs off of 12 hits with no walks and three strikeouts getting no decision in his first start in El Paso.

The Diablos will take two days off, before opening up the second half in Grand Prairie, TX on Tuesday night at 6:05 PM MST. Josh Neitz will get the start for the Diablos. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio 1380 AM as well as at www.diablos.com with Jon Barr on the call.

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American Association Stories from June 28, 2008


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