Prairie Dogs Lose Late By Kyle Kesses

Published on July 5, 2012 under North American League (NAmL)
Abilene Prairie Dogs News Release


ABILENE, TX - Much like Wednesday evening in Fort Worth, the Prairie Dogs brought a narrow lead into the eighth inning on Thursday in Abilene. However, unlike on Independence Day, the late innings belonged to the Cats as they scored five runs over their final two at-bats and beat the Dogs 7-3 at Walt Driggers' Field.

Holding a 3-2 lead, starter Adam Rowe returned to the hill for the top of the eighth inning. As the leadoff batter Chuck Caufield lifted a fly ball into leftfield, Geraldo Valentin, playing in his second game with the Prairie Dogs after being acquired on Wednesday afternoon, dropped the pop up, allowing Caufield to reach second base. Chad Gabriel then singled spell the end of Rowe's outing, he exited with runners on the corners and no outs.

Bobby Brown elected to go with setup man Scott Vander Weg for the third consecutive night, and Derek Marshall skied Vander Weg's second offering into centerfield for a sacrifice fly and a tie game. After Jose Ruiz popped to second for the second out of the inning, CJ Beatty tagged a two-run homer over the right-field fence to supple Fort Worth with their first lead of the game, 5-3 - It was Beatty's third long ball of the season and his second against Abilene.

Gunner Glad then became the third pitcher of the inning and allowed a two-out double to Brandon Jones. After the Dogs intentionally walked pinch hitter RJ Harris, Scott Dalrymple poked a run-scoring single to score the fourth run of the inning. Glad then struck out Randall Thorpe looking to prevent further damage. All four Cats runs in the frame were unearned as Fort Worth carried a 6-3 lead into the bottom of the eighth.

After a 1-2-3 inning from righty reliever T.J Bozeman and another run in the top of the ninth on a Derek Marshall R.B.I. single, Jeff Jamnik closed out a 7-3 victory by working around a two-out single from Jason Martin in the bottom of the ninth.

The Dogs grabbed the first runs of the game when they pasted a crooked number on the board in the bottom of the third. Martin slashed a one-out single, and De La Garza followed with a double into right-field to set up Wilson Batista. With a pair of runners in scoring position, Batista knocked in both teammates with a single back through the middle and moved to second on a throwing error by Randall Thorpe in center. Kyle Nichols elongated the rally with a line-drive single through the right side to score Batista and give the Dogs a 3-0 lead. Derek Marshall, normally the Cats starting catcher, did not begin the game in the starting lineup on Thursday. However, after Shelby Ford exited the game due to an apparent leg injury that occurred in the second inning, Marshall was forced into action as Scott Dalrymple moved from catcher to shortstop.

Marshall was prepared for the spot appearance. Batting for the first time in the top of the fourth, the righty promptly blasted two-run round tripper to left-field to bring the Cats to within a run - it marked the first homer Rowe has allowed in 2012.

Cats' starter Blake Nation held the deficit at a run by allowing just two hits after the third inning. The 6'8" right-hander lasted seven innings and gave up nine hits and three runs on the way to his fifth victory of the season.

The Dogs and Cats continue an 11-game series when they collide at Walt Driggers' Field for game-three of the elongated set at 7:05. Hear the game on 106.9 KLGD or on the internet at abileneprairiedogs.com beginning with the First Financial Pregame report at 6:55.

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North American League Stories from July 5, 2012


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