AirHogs Sweep Doubleheader over Lemurs

Published on June 11, 2012 under American Association (AA)
Grand Prairie AirHogs News Release


GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas -- Another solid outing by Nick Debarr and a combination five-hitter by four pitchers got the Grand Prairie AirHogs a doubleheader sweep of the Laredo Lemurs on Monday, winning 2-1 and 7-1 at QuikTrip Park to move a season-high four games over .500.

DeBarr (5-0) struggled a bit early, getting out of a first-and-third jam in the first and a two-out infield single in the second, along with a strikeout and a double play to escape a first-and-second, no-out jam in the fourth.

Meanwhile, Manny Ayala (0-1) set down the first six AirHogs hitters, but Chris McMurray began the bottom of the third with a double to left-center, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Yasutsugu Nishimoto's one-out single. Grand Prairie (14-10) added one more in the sixth, when Nishimoto singled to start the frame, moved to second on a Keanon Simon sacrifice and to third on a wild pitch by reliever Jesus Martinez, before Bryan Frichter's single gave the AirHogs a 2-0 lead.

They would need that extra run in the seventh, when DeBarr, who was trying to finish his fourth straight complete game, allowed two hits and a fielder's choice to load the bases with no outs. Closer Justin Dowdy came in and struck out Philip Incaviglia on three pitches, but walked Jimmy Mojica on a full-count pitch to force in a run. Up came Anthony Scelfo with the possible tying run 90 feet away, but he lined the first pitch to Frichter at second, who trotted back to the base to double up a straying Brian Peterson to end the game and give Dowdy his fourth save.

In Game 2, rookie Teddy Nowell was making his first professional appearance, and he struck out the first two men he faced and three of the first four to set the tone for the nightcap. The lefty from Northwood University did not allow a run in four innings, giving up two singles and a double with no walks and five punchouts.

His offense started slowly against Leonard Giammanco (0-3), but Grand Prairie got two in the third on Andres Rodriguez's bases-loaded double, before adding another on Nishimoto's RBI single.

Derrick Miramontes (1-1) relieved Nowell in the fifth and worked around a one-out walk, as the Lemurs (10-14) finally pushed across an unearned run in the sixth against Ronnie Morales.

But Grand Prairie opened up the floodgates in the sixth, with four runs on five hits off Stephen Kahn before Jakob Cunningham pitched a scoreless seventh to wrap things up.

Notes: Game 1 was a makeup game from the rainout at QuikTrip Park last Wednesday...Three of DeBarr's five starts (and wins) have been against the Lemurs...Nishimoto went 5-for-5 across the two games, raising his batting average to .288...The AirHogs signed Frichter and Nowell before the game, and released infielder Mike Brownstein and pitcher Mark Herrera, and also put pitcher Lance Janke on the Inactive List, retroactive to June 8.

The 2011 American Association Champion Grand Prairie AirHogs continue their four-game series with the Laredo Lemurs on Tuesday, June 11, at 7:05 p.m. At 2:30 p.m., the AirHogs and the North Texas Collegiate Consortium will be hosting an education fair at QuikTrip Park. It is free to attend and check out any or all of the more than a dozen schools showcasing their programs. Also, all attendees will receive a free ticket to the ballgame. All games are aired live and for free on Ustream by clicking on the link on the AirHogs' home page or visiting http://www.ustream.tv/channel/airhogs-baseball with selected contests aired on Time Warner Cable's Texas Channel. For information on tickets, promotions, advertising, and other opportunities with the AirHogs, check out the Web site at www.airhogsbaseball.com, or call the QuikTrip Park office at (972) 504-9383.

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