Lutz comes up big in loss

Published on June 6, 2008 under United League Baseball (ULB)
Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings News Release


Harlingen, TX - Todd Lutz pitched five and one-third innings of key relief for the Harlingen WhiteWings (9-14) in a 7-5 loss to the San Angelo Colts (12-11) tonight at Harlingen Field.

Lutz entered with two outs in the first after starter Dan Valentin left with an apparent injury. Lutz allowed three runs on seven hits with one walk and three strikeouts in the longest outing of his career.

The bullpen behind him, though, couldn't hold the 5-3 lead as Dan Ziegler, Juan Jimenez (1-1) and Caleb Balbuena combined to allow four runs (two earned) over the final three innings.

In the top of the seventh, Ziegler came in and walked Tyrone Pendergrass before allowing a bunt single to John Anderson. A double-steal put the runners in scoring position to set-up a Bryan Frichter sacrifice fly, making it 5-4.

The Colts tied it in the eighth when Aaron Cone drew a lead off walk against Dan Ziegler and later scored when Diggs hit a sacrifice fly against Jimenez.

In the ninth, Frichter reached with one out against Jimenez, who was then pulled in favor of Balbuena. Andres Rodriguez hit the first pitch into the right field corner for an RBI-double to give the Colts the lead. Benny Craig followed by reaching on an error to score Rodriguez to make it 7-5.

That made a winner of Ryan Mule (1-1), who pitched two hitless innings while striking out two and walking one.

Brian Daly pitched a perfect ninth for his fifth save.

The WhiteWings got to Brian Henschel in the second when Brian Nichols led off with a ground-rule double. One out later, he scored on a Terry Roblez single. A David Cardona singled moved Roblez to third, allowing him to score when Amadeo Zazueta grounded into a fielder's choice to make it 2-0.

The Colts answered immediately against Lutz, as Wyn Diggs led off the third with his first home run of the season. Charlie Beleu followed with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and to third on a ground out. Frichter singled in Beleu and Andres Rodriguez hit an RBI-double to make it 3-2 Colts.

The WhiteWings took the lead back in the fourth when Roblez and Cardona led off with singles. A wild pitch moved the runner up a base each, allowing Zazueta and Bub Bergstrom to hit back-to-back ground outs, scoring the runs and making it 4-3.

In the sixth, Zazueta singled and stole second. Bergstrom followed with an RBI-single to make it 5-3.

The WhiteWings and Colts complete the three-game series tomorrow at 7:05 p.m at Harlingen Field. Right-hander Kenny Evoniuk (0-2) will face left-hander Logan Williamson (2-1).

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United League Baseball Stories from June 6, 2008


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