Big 8th Cements Comeback, Series Split

June 11, 2012 - American Association (AA)
Grand Prairie AirHogs News Release


EL PASO, Texas -- A back-and-forth-series ended with a back-and-forth game, as the Grand Prairie AirHogs scored four times in the eighth inning to post a 9-7 victory over the El Paso Diablos at Cohen Stadium on Sunday night, splitting their four-game series at two apiece.

Grand Prairie (12-10) took the lead with a run in the first and one more in the third, and John Brownell cruised through the Diablos order the first time through after allowing a leadoff walk - retiring the next nine hitters.

But the AirHogs starter ran into trouble in the fourth, allowing three runs on five hits to give the Diablos (5-18) the lead.

With two outs in the fifth, Andes Rodriguez smashed a line-drive home run over the leftfield wall to give Grand Prairie the lead again, but the Diablos quickly responded in the bottom of the fifth.

Brownell's own error on an infield single put runners at second and third with no outs, and Nelson Teilon brought them in with a single to put El Paso in front 6-5. A wild pitch made it 7-5 in the sixth, but the AirHogs answered with a run in the seventh to close to within one again.

But the Diablos got that run back on a bases-loaded walk issued by Griffin Bailey (1-3) in the seventh, although Bailey got out of further trouble when Derrick Pyles bounced into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning with the bases loaded.

Kyle Cremers (0-1), who got all three outs in the seventh to keep El Paso in front, started the eighth by walking Trent Lockwood. Zane Chavez then singled to right, and JJ Muse's throw to third in a vain attempt to get Lockwood allowed Chavez to go to second. Pinch-hitter David Thomas then walked, loading the bases for Yasutsugu Nishimoto. In came reliever Reyes Dorado, and Nishimoto hit his first pitch back to the mound. The righty got the force at home, but Nishimoto just beat the return throw to first, keeping the bases loaded.

Up came Keanon Simon, and he sliced the first pitch he saw to left-center to clear the bases and give Grand Prairie the lead for good. Brian Myrow's single two batters later finished the scoring, as Jakob Cunningham and Justin Dowdy each worked a scoreless inning to finish things off, with Dowdy picking up his third save of the season.

Notes: Eight of the 10 AirHogs had at least one hit...Grand Prairie got its first win in nine tries when allowing five runs or more...Each team left nine men on base...Simon, Chris McMurray each had three hits for the AirHogs, and Muse had three for the Diablos...Brownell got a no-decision for the first time in five starts.

The 2011 American Association Champion Grand Prairie AirHogs return home on Monday, June 10, for a twinbill with the Laredo Lemurs with Game 1 at 6:05 p.m. 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.



American Association Stories from June 11, 2012


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central