AirHogs Eke out Late Runs, Survive to Beat Cats

Published on June 15, 2011 under American Association (AA)
Grand Prairie AirHogs News Release


FORT WORTH, Texas -- FThe normally steady eighth and ninth inning relievers for the Grand Prairie AirHogs, Dustin Cameron and Jon Fulton, were both tasked with protecting a slim lead against the Fort Worth Cats on Tuesday night - a club each of them had played for in the past. It was not the smoothest of nights for the Grand Prairie duo, but they held on to keep the Cats off the board despite allowing a combined five baserunners, as the AirHogs won 4-2 at LaGrave Field to even the three-game series at one apiece.

Cameron came in with Grand Prairie (21-10) leading 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning. After striking out Trent Lockwood on a check-swing, Kelley Gulledge singled to left on a 3-2 pitch, before John Allen reached on an error by shortstop Guillermo Martinez. But Martinez got a chance for redemption on the very next pitch, and he started an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Brian Fryer to get Cameron out of hot water.

After the AirHogs had scratched out a run on a David Espinosa sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth to make it 4-2, Hunton was wild as soon as he stepped on the mound, walking the eight and nine hitters in the Cats' order on eight straight pitches. Leadoff man Cory Morales then took a strike, and missed a bunt on the next pitch that got behind catcher Zane Chavez and allowed the runners to move up. Hunton was able to strike Morales out, but he then walked Travis Metcalf to load the bases with one out. Marcos Rodriguez then popped up the first pitch to short for the second out, and Trent Lockwood followed suit with another first-pitch pop-up, this time secured by leftfielder David Thomas to end the ballgame and give Hunton his ninth save of the season.

The Airhogs got their lead on a sixth-inning sacrifice fly by Tyler Henley to break a 2-2 tie, with Grand Prairie only able to score once after the bases loaded with no outs. Each team scored in the fourth to set the tie up, with John Alonso's two-run homer off starter Wade Mackey (3-1) giving the AirHogs a 2-1 lead before Fort Worth (14-17) tied it up with a single by Fryer and a double by Johnathon Moore to chase starter Bo Schultz - in his first start since 2008. But Jon Fulton (1-0) held the Cats off the board for four more innings in his longest outing of the year, earning his first win of 2011.

The Cats had taken a first-inning lead for the second day in a row when Gulledge fouled off five 3-2 pitches from Schultz to bounce a single up the middle to score Metcalf from second.

Notes: Each team was exactly 11-for-34, but the Cats, who lost by two, left two more men on base than the AirHogs (11-9). Five AirHogs had exactly two hits...Gulledge (three) and Fryer (two) had nearly half of the Cats' hits, although six of the other seven hitters had one hit each...Six of the eight hits Schultz allowed were on grounders...The teams combined to make seven outs on the bases, including four on double plays.

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The AirHogs conclude their three game series against the Fort Worth Cats on Wednesday, June 15, at 7:05 p.m. The next home game at QuikTrip Park is Thursday, June 16, at 7:05 p.m. against the El Paso Diablos, with Thirsty Thursday, featuring $2 16-oz. beers and Coors Light Jerseys off our Backs Night, with a chance to win the specialty jerseys that the AirHogs will wear that night.. Don't miss the renewed commitment to excellence and affordable family entertainment. All games are available with live, free streaming video on ustream.tv. Individual game tickets are on sale and can be purchased by calling 972-504-9383 or by visiting www.airhogsbaseball.com.

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American Association Stories from June 15, 2011


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