Diablos Score 11 Unanswered Runs But Captains Rally in 9th and 10th for 17-15 Win

Published on May 27, 2011 under American Association (AA)
Shreveport-Bossier Captains News Release


EL PASO, TX---The Captains led El Paso 12-3 after four and a half innings at Cohen Stadium on Thursday night but gave up eleven unanswered runs and found themselves trailing by two heading into the ninth inning but they would push the game to extra innings and win it in ten by a score of 17-15. In a series that totaled 90 runs between the two teams, it was no wonder the final game of the four game set was a marathon back-and-forth contest. Shreveport-Bossier allowed six runs to El Paso in the bottom of the eighth, including a three-run homer to second baseman Antoin Gray. The Diablos led 14-12 going into the ninth. But the Captains would rally. Following a Joey Gathright strike out, Bryan Sabatella, Andres Rodriguez and Uriak Marquez would all single off El Paso's Scott Vander Weg to make it a one run game. A Bryan Fricther sacrifice fly tied the game at 14. Shreveport-Bossier would take the lead on a Mike Provencher RBI single to go up 15-14 heading into the last of the ninth.

El Paso's Chad Gabriel led off the inning with a solo home run to left off Captains closer Dan Griffin (1-0) to tie the game at 15. However, Griffin would strike out the next three men he faced to send the game to extra innings.

The Captains mounted a two-out rally in the top of the tenth thanks to a Sabatella double and a walk to Rodriguez by El Paso's Jon Plefka (0-1). Marquez would single in Sabatella and Fricther's base hit scored Rodriguez to put the Captains up 17-15.

In the bottom of the tenth, Mark Haynes came on to pitch and picked up his first save, by getting right fielder Stephen Douglas to ground into a fielder's choice with two on and two outs. Fricther fielded the ball at shortstop and raced to second base, just beating El Paso's Albenis Machado to the bag to end the game.

For the third straight day, El Paso's Kyle Nichols hit a two-run first inning homer off the Captains. Nichols was 5-for-6 with 5 RBIs, a home run and two doubles. He went 11-for-21 with 12 RBIs in the four-game series. The Captains' Andres Rodriguez had a four-hit night and scored three runs. He has now hit safely in all seven games on the Captains road trip.

Marquez, in his first game back since injuring his wrist Monday night, had four hits and two key RBIs, making up for three errors in the field.

With the win, the Captains improve to 9-5, four game above .500 for the first time this season. They travel to Grand Prairie to start a three game series with the Air Hogs starting Friday. Pitching probables for the first game of the series will be the Captains' Osvaldo Rodriguez against Grand Prairie's Jae Jung.

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American Association Stories from May 27, 2011


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