Prairie Dogs Snap Four Game Skid

June 2, 2012 - North American League (NAmL)
Abilene Prairie Dogs News Release


HARLINGEN, TX - Kyle Nichols stood behind the batting cage alone. He wasn't facing live pitching and he wasn't fielding errant throws at first base. He was joined only by the burden of an 0-17 stretch that he would carry with him into the finale of a three game series on Saturday night. After a first inning strikeout, Nichols walked to the plate in the top of the fourth with his team facing an early deficit. And with one swing of his powerful right-handed bat, the 12-year minor league veteran blasted a monster home run over the left-field fence, a round-tripper that tied the ball game and power surge that he hopes will thrust him into form in 2012. Five-and-half innings later, The Prairie Dogs salvaged the finale game of a three-game series in Harlingen with a 4-1 victory.

After four consecutive losses, the Prairie Dogs followed the lead of their cornerstones. Nichols went 2-4 with a home run and two runs driven in, Adam Rowe pitched at least seven innings for the third consecutive outing - allowing only one run and snatching his second win of the season, and Abilene got six productive outs from Scott Vander Weg and Billy Petrick at the back of their bullpen.

The Whitewings were first on the board in the top of third when Miguel Alfonso drove in Fidel Hernandez with a two-out single. The Prairie Dogs responded with Nichols' second homer of the year in the fourth and took the lead when the big righty sliced a double into the right-field corner to score Reggie Williams in the fifth - it was the first time Abilene led a ballgame since Tuesday night.

The Prairie Dogs were unsatisfied with the one-run advantage, however, and Wilson Batista blasted a leadoff double off the base of the right-field wall in the top of the eight. Two batters later, Batista took off for second base, leaving a hole on the left side of the infield and allowing K.C. Judge to poke a grounder into left-field for an R.B.I. single and 3-1 Abilene lead.

Scott Vander Weg relieved Adam Rowe in the top of the eight and put runners on the corners with two outs before striking out the side as Nick Lazendorf swung and missed to end the frame.

In the top of the ninth, Reggie Williams laced a pitch into the right-field corner for a leadoff triple. After a Nichols strikeout, Joe Weik collected his team-leading seventh R.B.I. with a sacrifice fly to centerfield.

Billy Petrick emerged from the bullpen in the bottom of the ninth and danced around trouble as he fielded a come-backer and flipped to first to end the game, stranding runner on second and third.

The Prairie Dogs are in the midst of a seven-game, nine-day road trip that will continue in Edinburgh with the McAllen Thunder after a pair of off days on Sunday and Monday.

Hear the opening to the four-game series beginning with the pre-game show at 6:55 on Tuesday night on 106.9 KLGD.



North American League Stories from June 2, 2012


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