Prairie Dogs roll in Fort Worth

July 4, 2012 - North American League (NAmL)
Abilene Prairie Dogs News Release


FORT WORTH - It appears as though the Prairie Dogs have found a matchup advantage with the Fort Worth Cats. If they have, it will bode well for the Dogs in their attempt to climb back into the United League pennant race - they play the Cats 11 times in July. With an offensive outburst from Chris Caves, the Dogs beat the Cats 9-7 on the Fourth of July - it was their fourth win in five games against Fort Worth this season.

The Prairie Dogs leaned on Caves on Wednesday night and the power-hitting righty responded. In the second inning, Arizona native walked to the plate and smashed a towering home run down the left-field line to produce the first two runs of the ballgame. Four batters later, Jason Martin ripped a single back through the middle to drive in Adam De La Garza and give Abilene a 3-0 lead.

But the Cats would not go easily on Independence Day. Jose Ruiz started the second inning with a single off Abilene starter Billy Petrick. Another base hit from Chad Gabriel put men on the corners. CJ Beatty struck out and Brandon Jones then stroked an RBI single into centerfield, making it a 3-1 game.

Another Cats run in the fourth drew the home team to within one. The score would remain 3-2 until the top of the sixth when Caves came calling once again. After Joe Weik singled and Kyle Nichols drove him in with a long single into the right-centerfield gap, Caves connected with a laser that sailed over the left- field fence to boost the Dogs toward a 6-2 advantage.

But the Cats remained persistent and scored three times off Petrick to chase him from the game in the sixth. An RJ Harris run-scoring double, an RBI groundout from Jon Dziomba, and a Chuck Caufield sacrifice fly all led up to Petrick plunking Shelby Ford and exiting the game leading by a run. Gunner Glad entered and got Jose Ruiz to bounce out to second base on a 3-0 pitch to prevent further damage.

After the Cats pulled to within a run in the sixth, Caves ensured his place as the centerpiece of nightmares throughout Fort Worth when he came to the plate with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh. Caves calmly smoked a two-run single into left-center for his fifth and sixth RBIs and an 8-5 Dogs lead.

Newcomer Matt Larkins came out of the Abilene bullpen in with the bases loaded and two down in the seventh but gave up only a single to Dziomba before retiring Caufield on a fly out to left to suffocate the threat.

Scott Vander Weg allowed a run in the eighth, but Nichols drove in Weik with a double in the top of the ninth to expand the lead back to two.

Leading 9-7, Ray Silva came on in an attempt to redeem his missed opportunity from Tuesday night and faced only four batters on the way to his fourth save of the season.

The Cats and Prairie Dogs will play game two of an 11-game series on Thursday night in Abilene. Hear the game on 106.9 KLGD or on the internet at abileneprairiedogs.com beginning with the First Financial Pregame Show at 6:55.



North American League Stories from July 4, 2012


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