Prairie Dogs Earn Second Walk-Off

Published on June 21, 2012 under North American League (NAmL)
Abilene Prairie Dogs News Release


Abilene, TX - The Prairie Dogs and Colts are in the middle of a marathon eight-game series, but Wednesday's contest at Walt Drigger's Field was a marathon of its own. After more than four hours of baseball, the Dogs used a walk-off single from former Colt Adam De La Garza to beat San Angelo 3-2 in 14 innings.

The Colts tied the duel at two when Ronnie Gaines carried the equalizer across home to tie the score in the top of the eighth. After Gaines touched home, the Colts and Prairie Dogs teamed up to produce six scoreless innings leading into the bottom the 14th.

In the bottom of the 14th, Bryan Fogle pinch-hit for Alex Guthrie and watched a full count pitch sail across the outside corner for strike three. Zach Welch followed and punched a single into shallow right-center. As the next batter, Eddie Browne, squared to bunt, reliever Cory Patton sailed a fastball to the backstop, allowing Welch to move into scoring position. Browne eventually walked and was eliminated at second base when Jason Martin reached on a fielder's choice. With men on the corners and two outs in the bottom of the 14th, De La Garza flared a single over the shortstop's head and Zach Welch trotted home with the game winning run.

David Slovak retired the side in order in the top of the 14th to earn his first victory of the season, and Scott Vander Weg was nearly unhittable in three innings of relief. The righty tossed three innings of relief and retired nine of the 10 batters he faced.

David Phillips was the long man for the Colts. The lefty also tossed three innings of scoreless relief, allowing just a single hit while walking three and fanning three.

Ray Silva also tossed multiple innings out of the Prairie Dogs pen. The big righty pitched the ninth and 10th innings without allowing at hit and striking out one batter. Combined, five Abilene relievers hurled seven innings and allowed one run on three hits with four strikeouts.

The stellar bullpen work withstanding, the first five innings may have featured the best pitching of the night. Jose Sanchez, making only his second start for the Colts, did not allow a run until the sixth inning when Wilson Batista and Kyle Nichols combined to blast a pair of solo homers.

On the other side, Abilene ace Adam Rowe fired seven innings and allowed just a single run (unearned) on five hits, the lefty struck out five and did not walk a batter. Rowe has now pitched 41.2 innings in 2012 and walked only two batters.

The Colts scored their first run when Landon Camp, who reached when De La Garza dropped a fly ball in left-field, scored on Jamar Walton's sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning.

The eight-game series continues in San Angelo with a 7:05 first pitch at Foster Field on Thursday night.

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North American League Stories from June 21, 2012


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