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Jacks Well Represented in North's 4-1 All-Star Game Victory

July 8, 2015 - Texas Collegiate League (TCL)
East Texas PumpJacks News Release


Seven players from the East Texas Pump Jacks were selected to play in Monday night's 2015 TCL All-Star Game in Victoria, and all seven contributed in the North's 4-1 victory.

T.J. Friedl, Nick Roark, and James Lear all earned starting nods thanks to prolific first-half performances, and Dylan Mecham served as a reserve infielder. Enrique Perez, Franklin Miller, and Tyler Adams came out of the bullpen.

Lear was penciled in as the leadoff man in the North batting order, and Roark hit right behind him in the second spot. After Lear was plunked on the fourth pitch of the ballgame, Roark punched a single to put two runners on for the heart of the order.

The next two batters were retired, and the pair of Pump Jacks pulled off a double-steal to set the table for Brazos Valley's Garret Benge, but he went down on strikes to end the first-inning threat.

Roark finished his night 1-for-2 and was replaced in the field to start the fourth inning. Lear was unable to collect a hit in two at-bats, but he did launch three dingers in the pregame Home Run Derby, narrowly missing out on advancing to the final round.

Friedl got the start in left field, and finished his night 1-for-3 with a walk. Facing a 2-2 count in his final at-bat, the Pump Jacks' hits leader laced a one-out single. He was stranded on first base and then replaced in the outfield in the bottom of the frame.

Perez had his name called to pitch the second inning, and despite allowing two hits and a walk, he worked his way out of the jam without allowing a run.

Perez allowed a leadoff single to start the inning, but the runner was erased when he forced the next batter into a double play. An error extended the inning, and Perez allowed a single and issued a walk to load the bases in a 0-0 tie. Perez buckled down, though, and forced the sixth batter of the inning into a lazy fly ball to end the threat.

The North built a 3-0 lead with a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth, and Miller, voted the top lefty in the North, came in to pitch the sixth. A one-out walk to Acadiana's James Ziegler was the only blip on Miller's stat sheet. He kept Ziegler from doing any damage when he got a strikeout for the second out, and forced a pop fly for out number three.

The South scored a run in the bottom of the seventh, but the North held them there and carried its 3-1 lead into the final frame.

Mecham, who pinch-hit in the fifth inning, was still looking for his first hit of the contest when he came to the plate in the ninth. The North squad had led off the frame with a single and a walk, then Brazos Valley's Geonte Jackson hit a deep fly ball that moved the runner from second to third, giving Mecham an RBI opportunity.

Mecham responded by driving an 0-2 pitch deep for a sacrifice fly, allowing the North's fourth run to cross the plate.

In the end the extra run was icing on the cake, because the North was armed and ready with Adams, the TCL saves leader, in the bullpen.

Adams issued a leadoff single, then eliminated the runner with a double play. He got ahead of the next batter 0-2 before losing him to a walk, but ended the game in typical Adams fashion with a strikeout of Acadiana's Adam Yacek to earn the all-star save.

The Jacks enjoy a Wedesday off and get back to business at home Thursday and Friday for a two-game series against the Woodlands Strykers.

Thursday will be the Pump Jacks' first Thirsty Thursday of the season, presented by the original lite beer, Miller Lite. All adults will receive a Pump Jacks koozies presented by Miller Lite, and soft drinks will be discounted to $2 each for the entire night. So beat the heat with the Pump Jacks and Miller Lite next Thursday for Thirsty Thursday!

Friday will be the Pump Jacks' second Photo Giveaway Night of the season, presented by Walgreen's. The Jacks will celebrate the team's all-stars with a glassy 8x10 photo for the first 500 fans, presented by Walgreen's.

Fans can also tune in to our live Ustream broadcast or follow the game with live scoring updates on our Pointstreak feed.

To follow all the news during the Jacks' inaugural season in Tyler, presented by Brookshire's, visit the Pump Jacks official web site at www.pumpjacksbaseball.com. Join the conversation with other members of Pump Jacks Nation by visiting the Pump Jacks on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Texas Collegiate League Stories from July 8, 2015


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