Aces Fall to RGV, 6-3
May 31, 2013 - United League Baseball (ULB)
Alexandria Aces News Release
ALEXANDRIA- If there has been an overriding weakness around the Alexandria Aces this season, it has been their propensity to make errors.
It spelled their doom again in Friday night's 6-3 loss to the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings.
After Rio Grande Valley's Thomas Shull hit a 2-run home run down the line in right field in the top of the fifth with no outs to tie the game, 3-3, the Aces defense fell apart.
First, first baseman Nick Mahin dropped a throw from second baseman Eddie Murray on slowly hit ball by Aaron Gates that allowed the WhiteWings' right fielder to reach.
Then, after Eddie Murray dove to his left to knock down a ground ball hit by Johnny Bowden, he elected to make the fancy play by trying to double up Gates. But the throw went into left field, and suddenly Rio Grande Valley (3-5) had gifts at second and third base.
When Clay Vanderlann (0-1) threw a wild pitch allowing the WhiteWings to take the lead, 4-3, Aces manager Von Hayes saw enough. He pulled Vanderlann immediately for righthander Alex Schmarzo.
But Schmarzo allowed a long double to Ryde Rodriguez to centerfield to plate Bowden. Then, with .105 hitting Justin Juneau at the plate, Rodriguez took off for third as Schmarzo threw a fastball Juneau hit into right field to plate the runner in motion for the game's final run.
"It's the same type of loss we've lost most of our games in. We can't make three errors in a game," Aces manager Von Hayes said.
The Aces (3-5) have committed errors in seven of their eight games and three or more in six of their games.
"Two of our errors were mental," Hayes said. "We're just overplaying."
Before the 5-run Rio Grande Valley fifth the Aces held a 3-1 lead off Rio Grande Valley righthander A.J. Smouse, who was making his first professional start. Nick Mahin drove in Zack Cadet in the first inning with a single to center for the game's first run, and after the WhiteWings tied the game in the fourth when second baseman Jordan Etiera laid down a perfect bunt on a suicide squeeze bunt to score Juneau, the Aces scored two runs on a Michael Haynes single in the bottom of the inning.
With Derrick Pyles at third base and Cameron Dullnig on first, Hayes' one out hit easily plated Pyles.
But Haynes took too far of a turn around first base and was put out in a short rundown on his way back to first. It was enough time for Dullnig to dash home and he slid under Bowden's tag to give the Aces a shortlived 3-1 lead.
Pitching dominated the second half of the game. The Aces could not muster a single baserunner off Smouse in the fifth and sixth innings and only one hit the rest of the game.
"He did a heckuva job for his first start," WhiteWings manager Chris Paterson said of Smouse. "He threw strikes, pounded the zone, everything you'd want. In the one inning you thought he'd get away he was able to contain it."
"He [Smouse] attacked the zone but we hit it right at guys," said Mahin.
Rio Grande Valley's Paul Montalbano II pitched a perfect eighth inning and Kyle Wahl a perfect ninth for his second save. The Aces' Jadd Schmetzer, Brandon Creath, and Nathan Stewart also added scoreless outings.
The WhiteWings' victory allowed them to split the four game series. Former Fordham star Mike Mobbs leads the San Angelo Colts into Alexandria to begin a four game series with the Aces. New Orleans native Ryan "Bubba" Waters of LSU-Alexandria gets his first start of the season for the Aces.
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United League Baseball Stories from May 31, 2013
- Aces Fall to RGV, 6-3 - Alexandria Aces
- Colts Crush Roadrunners - Edinburg Roadrunners
- Colts Crush Roadrunners in Finale - San Angelo Colts
- Thunder Stop Tying Run at Plate, Cats Split Series - Fort Worth Cats
- Shull Leads The Way As Wings Split Series - Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings
- Aces Sign RHP Brandon Creath - Alexandria Aces
- Aces win over Rio Grande Valley - Alexandria Aces
- Cats Rebound to Split Doubleheader - Fort Worth Cats
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