Cats Beat Aces, 8-7, in 9th
June 12, 2013 - United League Baseball (ULB)
Alexandria Aces News Release
ALEXANDRIA- Fort Worth's Aljay Davis and Daniel Meeley hit back-to-back doubles to lead off the ninth inning against Alexandria's Gabe Grammer to give the Cats an 8-7 victory against the Aces Thursday night at Bringhurst Field.
The Cats' triumph, which keeps them alone in first place in the United League with an 11-7 record, came on the heels of five Alexandria errors, their season high.
"I'm very disapointed in the way we came out," said Aces manager Von Hayes. "Defensively we played horribly."
Fort Worth took two leads and tied the game on unearned runs in the game's first five innings. First Meeley, who had hit a leadoff double off Clay Vanderlaan, scored the first run of the game after Aces third baseman Cameron Dullnig couldn't handle a two out grounder off the bat of Kyle Pearson in the top of the second.
After the Aces (9-9) took the lead in the bottom of the third on a Nick Mahin sacrifice fly and an Austin Newell groundout that plated Dullnig and Zack Cadet, respectively, two scored errors and two unscored ones contributed to a 3-run Fort Worth fourth.
First, with Meely batting with one out in the fourth, the Cats' cleanup hitter hit two foul pops just to the left of third base that fell betwen Dullnig and shortstop Michael Haynes. With the two new lives, Meely then singled to right, but new rightfielder Chad Bunting misplayed the hit, allowing the designated hitter to advance to third.
Greg Bachman drove in Meely with a hit to tie the score, and after Vanderlaan walked Pearson an out later, Tim Maitland drove in Bachman with a single to right.
But again Bunting misplayed the ball, which allowed Pearson to score from first base and Maitland to go to third before Vanderlaan struck out Brian White to end the inning with the Cats up 4-2.
"Vanderlaan pitched well enough for a quality start but nobody can pitch under those circumstances. He threw three balls [to one hitter] resulting in three errors," Hayes said.
Not to be denied, Alexandria scored four times and batted around on Fort Worth starter Roman Gomez and reliever James Guiletti, with Newell's two out, 2-run single to right off the lefty fireman putting the Aces up 6-4.
But in the top of the fifth, Haynes threw away Kori Melo's grounder with one out. Davis followed with a bunt single, and after a pass ball Meeley singled to drive in Melo. Bachman then chased Vanderlaan with another hit to plate Davis and tie the score at six.
The Aces regained the lead in the bottom of the inning. Guiletti, a painfully slow worker, had walked two men and faced Zack Cadet with two outs. But Guiletti was so deliberate his attention to the baserunners lagged, and Alexandria's Bunting and Dullnig executed a double steal. White's throw from behind the plate to try and nab Bunting went off the glove of third baseman Bachman, and the newcomer scored to put Alexandria up 7-6.
The game then became a battle of bullpens. Hayes used five relief pitchers; Fort Worth in manager Jim Essian used four.
Most were effective, but Alexandria's Brandon Creath was an exception. The former Cardinals' farmhand struggled with control in his second straight outing, walking two batters and allowing a hit before Bachman drove in his third run of the game with a sacrifice fly to center that plated Melo and tied the game.
Leo Madrid then came on to face lefthanded hitting Chris Ellison, and the southpaw struck him out before getting Pearson to fly to center to end the threat.
Madrid would also pitch a scoreless eighth inning before giving way to Grammer (0-2) in the ninth.
"I thought Madrid was fantastic," said Hayes.
Fort Worth's Chad Robinson (2-0) pitched a scoreless, hitless eighth inning to get the win. Boomer Potts retired the Aces in order in the ninth for his fourth save.
The game winning back-to-back doubles in the ninth came after Cats manager Jim Essian dropped Davis in the order from second to third and put Meeley in the cleanup spot.
Davis had his second straight three hit day against the Aces, and Meeley was 4 for 4 with two doubles, two runs, and two RBIs.
"A managerial miracle," Essian joked after the game. "We haven't played that well this year but we're getting better every day.
Both teams have now won one game in the four game series. The two teams will next play against Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m.
NOTES- Dullnig, who came to the Aces as a pitcher, will likely be sent to the bullpen. Craig Littleman will likely be activated and take over as the Aces' starting third baseman.
Dullnig has allowed only one earned run in three innings this season. Littleman was 2 for 9 before pulling his hamstring earlier in the year.
Both starting pitchers for Wednesday's game are unannounced.
United League Baseball Stories from June 12, 2013
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- Alexandria Aces to Start Alexandria Native - Alexandria Aces
- Texas Summer League Approaching - Fort Worth Cats
- Cats Beat Aces, 8-7, in 9th - Alexandria Aces
- Wings Use Big Inning to Defeat Edinburg - Edinburg Roadrunners
- Colts Comeback Falls Short vs. McAllen - San Angelo Colts
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