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Jacks Keep Rolling with 10-3 Victory

July 26, 2015 - Texas Collegiate League (TCL)
East Texas PumpJacks News Release


The Pump Jacks rode starting pitcher Joe Bernhard's arm, and even his bat, to a lopsided win on Seat Cushion Giveaway Night.

Who needs a designated hitter?

The East Texas Pump Jacks beat up on the Texas Marshals Saturday night, sending the crowd home happy with a 10-3 victory on Seat Cushion Giveaway Night.

Joe Bernhard earned the win by allowing just a pair of earned runs over eight innings. When the Jacks eschewed the designated hitter midway through the game, Bernhard contributed at the plate as well, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.

The Pump Jacks blew the game open in a six-run fourth inning, but until then, it was a neck and neck contest.

East Texas opened up the scoring in the second with the help of speedster James Lear. Lear lined a single with one down, and one out later, stole second base with T.J. Friedl at the plate.

With the infield playing back, Friedl laid a perfect bunt on the first base side of the infield. His speed put the pressure on Texas starting pitcher Ryan Hill, whose throw to first sailed into right field. The error allowed Lear to score uncontested, and Friedl showed off his wheels by advancing to third on the miscue.

The Marshals evened things up at 1-1 in the top of the third, but the Jacks took the run back with back-to-back, two-out doubles from Tyler Moore and Alex Bell to take a 2-1 lead.

Texas answered once again with a run in the top of the fourth, and East Texas decided that trading scratch runs just wasn't going to work. So, they sent 12 batters to the plate in the fourth as part of a six-run inning.

Lear led off the inning with a single, and came around to score when Tristan Clarke crushed a double to the left-center field gap. Clarke tried to stretch the double into a triple, but was tagged out at third for out number one.

Friedl flied out to deep center field, and with two down the Pump Jacks' next eight hitters all reached base safely.

Anthony Donovan drew a walk and moved to third on a single from Weston Pitts. Texas right fielder Andrew Plunkett failed to gun down Donovan at third, and Pitts easily took second base on the throw.

Dylan Mecham brought both runners home for a 5-2 lead when he grooved a single down the line into left field, and Moore walked to put runners at first and second. Bell, who extended his hitting streak to 11 games the inning prior, was given a rest and Bernard was sent to the plate for his first at-bat of the summer.

Bernhard found a 1-0 fastball up in the zone and shot it to right field, scoring Mecham and giving the Jacks a 6-2 lead. Hunter Owens drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases again, and consecutive RBI singles from Lear and Clarke brought Moore and Bernhard in to score and made it 8-2.

Bernhard put the Marshals away quietly in the top of the fifth, and the Jacks pushed across their ninth and tenth runs in the bottom half of the frame.

Donovan led off the inning with a walk, and advanced to third base when Marshals' reliever Hunter Spielman's pickoff attempt sailed to the fence. One out later, a wild pitch to Mecham allowed Donovan to score.

Mecham was put away for out number two, but Moore kept the inning alive with his second double of the night.

Bernhard beat out an infield single for his second hit of the night, and a throwing error by the shortstop cleared the way for Moore to score from second base.

Bernhard allowed a one-out RBI double in the seventh, and set Texas down in order in the eighth to cap his outing. Drew Robertson took over and struck out two in a scoreless ninth.

Moore backed up his solid night behind the plate by going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles. Lear finished 4-for-5 with four singles, two runs scored, and a stolen base. Pitts went 2-for-4, and Bernhard went 2-for-3 with an RBI in his offensive debut. Mecham and Clarke picked up two RBI each.

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