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Five consecutive losses point toward hitting struggles

May 31, 2013 - American Association (AA)
Amarillo ThunderHeads News Release


AMARILLO, TX - The Sox continue their losing streak from the road as they fall 6-1 to the Grand Prairie Airhogs at Amarillo National Bank Sox Stadium. After the Airhogs jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, they never looked back, taking the first game of the series in two hours and forty-seven minutes on free admission night.

Free passes were given to the Sox on five separate occasions in the game but with runners on base, the Sox left those runners stranded. In each inning except the second and the sixth, Amarillo was unable to score after runners reached successfully. Sox starter, Matt Larkins gave up a two-run homer to the second batter of the game, Brandon Pinckney after walking the leadoff man. After leaving two on in the first, and the side being struck out in the second, the Sox managed to score a run on a Chris Grossman single in the third. That hit up the middle drove in Jason Martin, who led off the inning with a walk, and then reached third on a stolen base and errant throw by the Airhogs' catcher. The score after three, was 2-1 in favor of Grand Prairie.

Larkins started the fourth inning on a rough note, allowing a run on two straight doubles by Andres Rodriguez and Juan Richardson. Following a groundout and a walk, there were two runners on base with one down. Kenny Held came up and made it a five-run game with his three-run bomb to left. The score did not change after the middle of the fourth inning. KC Serna would single and steal second in the bottom of the fourth, but was left stranded on a Martin fly out to centerfield. The first two Sox batters in the fifth reached on singles before Airhogs' starter, Jared Mortensen retired three in a row to get out of the inning.

Chris Grossman, in an individual achievement, went four for four with a walk, reaching base all five times to the plate for Amarillo. The closest the Sox came to scoring again, however, was in the eighth with the bases loaded due to a hit, error, and a walk. But Martin could not drive the runners in as he popped up to the shortstop. Defensively, the Sox committed one error while the Airhogs committed two. Offensively, Amarillo left thirteen runners on base while Grand Prairie only left four stranded.

Matt Larkins (L, 2-1) pitched five innings in a losing effort, allowing six runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Jared Mortensen (W, 1-2) for Grand Prairie went six full, giving up a run six hits while walking three and striking out eight. The relief pitchers for both sides were almost flawless.

The bullpens allowed no runs in a combined seven innings total relief. The Airhogs used Marshall Schuler for an inning and two-thirds and he gave up no runs on two hits with a strikeout. Left hander David Quinowski succeeded Schuler to go an inning and a third, allowing no runs or hits with two walks and one strikeout. The Sox bullpen featured John Holdzkom, lefty Joe Testa, Erik Draxton, and another lefty, Cory Patton out of the designated hitter spot in the lineup. Each relief pitcher went one inning and combined for no runs allowed on three hits with a walk and a strikeout.

With the loss, the Sox drop to 4-10, at the bottom of the south, while the Airhogs continue their four-game win streak, going to 5-7 on the season. Saturday, the Sox host Grand Prairie in the second of a three-game series. The game is set to begin at 7:05pm with the Aqua One Pre-Game Show at 6:55pm on Ustream via www.amarillosox.com. Game time is tentative and is subject to blackout.

Season tickets are available for purchase in-person by visiting the Sox Front Offices at 801 S. Polk or over the phone by calling (806) 242-4653. For more information on tickets, game times and schedules, promotions, marketing opportunities, and everything else Sox, visit the "Official Website of the Amarillo Sox" at www.amarillosox.com.

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