Cats and Prairie Dogs Combine for 29 Hits, Cats Win Shootout 9-7

June 16, 2012 - North American League (NAmL)
Fort Worth Cats News Release


After only mustering up four runs on 12 hits in the first two games against the Abilene Prairie Dogs, the Fort Worth Cats came out with their bats hot and battered Abilene's pitching with nine runs on 15 hits in Saturday's 9-7 win at LaGrave Field. Left fielder Chad Gabriel was responsible for three of those hits and two runs and improved his team leading batting average to .384.

"I'm not fully locked in. I feel really fortunate to be mixing in hits here and there. I'm just gonna keep grinding it out," Gabriel said.

Gabriel certainly wasn't the only one providing support for his team. Six of the ten Cats' batters scored runs and seven of those ten knocked in runs.

Fort Worth was fortunate to have two familiar faces back on the field in Saturday's game with shortstop Shelby Ford and right fielder Chuck Caufield returning to the lineup from injuries. Ford finished 2-for-5 with a run batted in and a run scored. Caufield finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a run batted in as well.

"Sitting on the sideline stinks, especially when you physically can't do it," Ford said.

"It felt like my first game all over again," Chuck Caufield said.

Cats' reliever Brandon Wilkerson (2-0) picked up the win with one inning of relief in the seventh inning. Starter Kane Holbrooks lasted only two innings and gave up five Abilene runs on nine hits. Reliever Steve Barnes pitched four innings of solid relief, giving up only two runs on four hits and striking out five. Closer Jeff Jamnik picked up his seventh save in as many opportunities despite a scary one-out situation with men on second and third.

"It's the first time I've ever closed in my life. I enjoy it. I know what my role is," Jamnik said.

Abilene put up 14 hits of their own on the board Saturday but couldn't keep up with the Cats after the seventh inning. Center fielder Jason Martin led off the game with a homerun to left, his only hit of the ballgame, and the Prairie Dogs would go on to score four more runs in the first two innings on four RBI singles. Shortstop Wilson Batista led off the fourth inning with a homerun to put the Prairie Dogs ahead 6-4. Batista was a triple short of the cycle and finished 4-for-5 with two runs batted in.

Abilene reliever and former Fort Worth Cat Scott Vander Weg (1-1) suffered the loss after giving up the eventual two winning runs in his relief for Jeremy Tietze. Vender Weg only pitched 2/3 of an inning.

The Cats improve their record to 15-7 and increased their lead over the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings to two games. The Prairie Dogs' record falls to 9-13 and they remain in fifth place of the South Division of the North American League.

Fort Worth will look to tie the four game series against Abilene Sunday evening at 6:05 at LaGrave Field. All tickets are only 5 dollars, and can be purchased online or by phone at (817) 332-CATS.



North American League Stories from June 16, 2012


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