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Big Second Inning Sends AirHogs by T-Bones

August 9, 2011 - American Association (AA)
Grand Prairie AirHogs News Release


KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- After going down in order in the first inning, the Grand Prairie AirHogs began the second inning with a double by Cesar Nicolas to left. John Alonso then singled up the middle to bring in Nicolas and the floodgates opened after that, as the AirHogs scored seven times in the frame to take a commanding lead and cruised to a 8-0 win at CommunityAmerica Ballpark on Tuesday.

Joey Gomes followed Alonso's single with a base hit, and David Thomas made it 4-0 by crushing the first pitch he saw over the rightfield fence for his now team-leading ninth home run. Chris McMurray and Jake Taylor singled to re-start things, and Danny Figueroa bunted both runners over. Stephen Douglas doubled down the right-field line to make it 6-0, and after David Espinosa walked, starter Matt Mitchell (2-5) was lifted.

Grand Prairie (51-31) got another run when Douglas and Espinosa executed a double steal, and Douglas scored on an errant throw by catcher Kala Ka'aihue.

T.J. Large limited the AirHogs to one unearned run for the final 7 2/3 innings, throwing 120 pitches and allowing eight hits and no walks, with five strikeouts.

But the second inning was more than enough for Jason Jennings (9-1) and a pair of relievers, as they held the T-Bones (39-42) to six singles and two walks with eight strikeouts.

Jennings was working on two days' rest after his three-inning, rain-shortened outing against Lincoln on Saturday. He allowed one-out singles in the first and second, two walks in the fifth and a leadoff single in the sixth but nothing more, getting four strikeouts and starting a double play to end the fifth on a liner back to him by Gerardo Caceres.

John Fulton struck out four more in his two shutout innings, allowing a pair of singles, while Matt Sartor worked around a two-out single in the ninth to complete the combined shutout.

Notes: The AirHogs left nine men on base for the fourth straight game...All nine AirHogs hitters had at least one hit, led by Douglas's three...Jennings threw 83 pitches, 51 of them for strikes...Kansas City hitters were 1-for-13 with runners on base in the game...The AirHogs clinched their first winning season since their inaugural year in 2008, when they went 56-40.

The AirHogs continue their four-game series with the T-Bones at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday, August 10. The next AirHogs home game at QuikTrip Park is Friday, August 12, for Faith and Family Night presented by KLTY Radio, featuring a postgame concert and testimonies of praise from former and current athletes. The game begins at 6:05 p.m. There will also be a postgame Boy Scout camp-out on the field. 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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