TL1 San Antonio Missions

Comeback Helps Missions Gain Doubleheader Split

Published on May 12, 2013 under Texas League (TL1)
San Antonio Missions News Release


Catcher Eddy Rodriguez scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the sixth, giving San Antonio a 6-5, come-from-behind, win and a split of their Saturday night doubleheader with Midland.

In the nightcap, after the RockHounds got on the board with a run in the first, the Missions erupted for four in the bottom of the second.

Second baseman Adam Buschini put the Missions ahead 3-1 with his first Double-A home run, a three-run shot to left. Reymond Fuentes pushed the San Antonio lead to three when he followed with a solo blast to right center. It was the first time in 2013 that the Missions have gone back-to-back and just the second time they've hit two homers in the same inning.

Unfortunately for the home crowd of 5,468, the lead did not last long as the RockHounds got one in the third, one in the fourth and two in the fifth to take a 5-4 lead.

The Missions quickly countered in their half of the fifth, tying the game at five on a Kalian Sams RBI single.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the sixth, which began with a ground-rule double by Rodriguez off former Missions' reliever Mike DeMark. Rodriguez quickly moved to third when DeMark (0-1) uncorked a wild pitch. After DeMark fanned A.J. Kirby-Jones for the first out, he then uncorked another wild one, which scored Rodriguez from third.

Kevin Quackenbush made sure the lead held up in the seventh, overcoming a leadoff walk to notch his fifth save of the season. Matt Stites (2-1) picked up the win in relief of spot-starter Josh Geer, who allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits in three and a third innings of work.

In the first game, the RockHounds won 6-2 on the strength of a five-run, fifth-inning rally.

Midland opened scoring in the third when right fielder Chad Oberacker doubled, moved to third on an Anthony Aliotti single, then came home on a Jake Goebbert sacrifice fly.

San Antonio drew even an inning later, when Sams led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer to right. It was the left fielder's third homer in as many games as a member of the Missions.

Missions' starter Keyvius Sampson had a solid outing going through four innings, before running into trouble in the fifth when he allowed consecutive singles to open the frame. After recording an out, Sampson (0-3) was lifted for left-hander Jeff Ibarra, who promptly allowed a tie-breaking, RBI single to Aliotti. Midland got four more in the inning, with the big blow coming from Dusty Coleman, whose two-run double off Ryan Kelly gave his team a 5-1 lead.

San Antonio looked poised to get back in the game in the sixth when two walks and a Jake Blackwood RBI single quickly cut their deficit to 6-2 before an out was recorded. The Blackwood base knock ended the night for Midland starter Murphy Smith (4-3), but his replacement, Paul Smyth, put a halt to the San Antonio comeback effort when he retired the next three batters.

Smyth worked around a one-out walk in the seventh to earn his first save of the season.

The two teams will conclude their four-game series Sunday afternoon with a marquee pitching matchup. Matt Wisler gets the ball for San Antonio in his Double-A debut. The 20-year-old, right-hander will face Oakland A's left-hander Brett Anderson, who will be making a rehab start for Midland.

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Texas League Stories from May 12, 2013


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