Hunton holds on to give 'Hogs fourth straight win

Published on August 4, 2011 under American Association (AA)
Grand Prairie AirHogs News Release


GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas -- Pitching for the fourth straight day, Grand Prairie AirHogs closer Jon Hunton did not have the same dominant stuff that saw him allow one hit and strike out six in four innings the previous three days. But the big closer had enough to let the AirHogs hold on to a 5-4 win over the Amarillo Sox in front of 1,195 fans at QuikTrip Park on Wednesday.

Coming into the ninth with a 5-2 lead, Hunton allowed a single on the first pitch of the inning to Alex Chavez. FJason White then bounced a possible double-play ball to second, but David Espinosa bobbled it, and only got the out at first. After a single by Adam De La Garza brought the possible tying run to the plate, Fehlandt Lentini then hit a grounder to third but Guillermo Martinez had it go off his glove, scoring a run and putting the possible tying run at second with one out.

Hunton then walked Lee Cruz to load the bases, and Van Pope's flair to center fell in front of Danny Figueroa. But the Grand Prairie centerfielder successfully deked Lentini into thinking he was going to catch it, and threw to third to get the out while De La Garza scored the fourth Amarillo run. Up came Tim Alberts, and he grounded to Jake Taylor for the game-ending fielder's choice at second, with Hunton picking up his league-leading 19th save.

The save brought the win to Josh Rainwater (12-4), who battled through six innings, allowing seven hits and two walks but only two runs and five strikeouts.

Rainwater got out of a second-and-third, one-out jam in the second, and stranded one more in the third, two in the fourth and one in the sixth as he struck out Chavez with his 101st and final pitch of the evening.

Bo Schultz and Jon Fulton each then pitched a scoreless, hitless inning, allowing one walk each to set the stage for Hunton's ninth.

Grand Prairie (48-27) got their offense with a solo home run by Chris McMurray in the second off Justin Garcia (4-7), his fourth of the season, a two-run infield single by Joey Gomes with two outs in the third, an RBI single by Guillermo Martinez in the fourth and a single by Espinosa in the seventh.

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