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Jacks Win 1-0 with Wild Ninth-Inning Walk-Off

July 23, 2015 - Texas Collegiate League (TCL)
East Texas PumpJacks News Release


Holy smokes, what a ballgame!

The East Texas Pump Jacks ran away with a 1-0 walk-off victory over the Brazos Valley Bombers on Wednesday night after a bases-loaded wild pitch scored Tristan Clarke from third base.

The climactic bottom of the ninth inning opened with a pair of unexpected errors. Clarke led off with a grounder that deflected off the pitcher to the shortstop, who threw to first, where the ball was dropped by Geonte Jackson. T.J. Friedl then bunted down the first base line and Jackson's throw to first was high, putting both runners in scoring position with no outs.

The Bombers intentionally walked Jake Nash to load the bases, bringing up Dylan Mecham. With Mecham in an 0-2 hole, reliever C.J. Gregory's pitch sailed to the backstop, allowing Clarke to scamper home with the only run of the ballgame.

The real story of the night was how the newest pair of Jacks, Dillon Lawrence and Skyler Martin, combined to shut out a Brazos Valley team that came into the game averaging more than seven runs per game.

Lawrence got the start on the mound for East Texas and took control of the game from the moment he threw his debut pitch.

He established the pace and kept the Brazos offense on its heels. By the end of seven shutout innings, Lawrence had struck out ten batters while allowing just four hits. It was the first time this season any starting pitcher in the TCL had racked up double-digit strikeouts against the Bombers.

Meanwhile, the Jacks had found their own struggles on offense and were unable to get anything going against Brazos Valley starting pitcher Heston Van Fleet.

The Pump Jacks had an opportunity to strike in the first inning when they put runners on first and second with two outs, but a busted hit-and-run-play saw Anthony Donovan thrown out at third base to end the inning.

East Texas went down in order in the second, and the pattern continued until Weston Pitts led off the sixth with a single. He was bunted over to second, but the Jacks couldn't muster a timely hit.

Martin relieved Lawrence in the eighth, and after allowing a leadoff double, retired his next six batters to give the Pump Jacks a shot at a walk-off celebration.

Van Fleet was looking for his first complete game of the season when he came out to pitch the ninth inning, but after Clarke reached on the error, his night was over. Brazos Valley went to Gregory, who leads the TCL in both wins and ERA. But it was Gregory's offering that flew past Mecham and allowed Clarke to race to victory.

Martin finished his outing allowing just one hit over two innings with one strikeout. Lawrence and Martin combined to hold the Bombers to just five hits while striking out 11.

To view and purchase photos from the game, visit the online gallery from FocusInOn.Me, a service of the Tyler Morning Telegraph and ETFinalScore.com.

Upcoming Games

Following a trip to The Woodlands to take on the Strykers, the Pump Jacks return home over the weekend to face the Texas Marshals.

Saturday will be Seat Cushion Giveaway Night presented by Texas Spine & Joint Hospital and CBS 19. The Pump Jacks will be giving away free seat cushions with the team's logo to celebrate their first season in Tyler, so make sure you show up early to get one!

Sunday is Church Bulletin Night with the Pump Jacks. Bring a church bulletin to the game and you'll get $2 off your ticket for Sunday's contest. You can even bring a church bulletin to the ticket office during the week to get your discount, so don't delay and take advantage of this chance to enjoy a fun night at the ballpark for next to nothing!

Fans who are unable to join in on the festivities can 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.



Texas Collegiate League Stories from July 23, 2015


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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