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Pump Jacks Grab Early Lead, Hold on to Sweep Generals

July 21, 2014 - Texas Collegiate League (TCL)
East Texas PumpJacks News Release


The Victoria Generals rode into East Texas sitting in first place in the second half of the TCL season. The East Texas Pump Jacks welcomed them riding a modest two-game home winning streak. Something had to give.

It turned out to be the Generals, who head back to Victoria after being bounced from first place after a two-game sweep by the Jacks.

East Texas took an early lead thanks to a five-run second inning on their way to an 8-5 victory Sunday night at historic Driller Park. The Generals surged back but the Pump Jacks added a few late insurance runs for the final margin of victory.

The Pump Jacks jumped all over Victoria starting pitcher Matthew Burks, knocking out of the game after just two innings. An outfielder much of the season, Burks is tied for the league lead with five home runs. He also made two scoreless relief appearances early in the season, but Sunday was his first start on the mound since high school.

The Jacks weren't welcoming hosts. After putting two runners on base in the first courtesy of a pair of Victoria errors, East Texas sent nine men to the plate in the second. Connor Hornsby kicked things off with a leadoff single, stole second, and took third on a passed ball. Chris Osborne walked and stole second.

One out later, James Lear singled home Hornsby, putting runners at the corners. Joe Moroney walked to load the bases. After Connor Huesers popped out, Peter Miller lined a two-run single that brought home Osborne and Lear. Dustin Williams followed with a two-run double off the wall that extended the lead to 5-0.

While the offense was rolling, Anthony Gonsolin was doing the same on the mound. The all-star right-hander retired eight straight before the Generals got on the board with two runs in the fourth inning.

The Pump Jacks answered back with another run in the fifth inning. Hornsby earned a two-out walk and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Osborne's base hit brought Hornsby home and gave the Jacks a 6-2 lead.

The insurance proved to be important when Victoria rallied in the sixth inning. A single and two walks loaded the bases with no outs. After picking up a strikeout, Gonsolin walked in a run, so head coach John Foster went to his bullpen for Jordon Gonzalez. A wild pitch and an RBI groundout scored two more for the Generals and closed the gap to a razor-thin 6-5 score.

East Texas added more insurance in the home half of the seventh to put the game away. Williams singled to lead off and moved to second on a passed ball. An RBI single by Hornsby brought home Williams, and Osborne followed with a single. After a fielder's choice put runners at the corners with two outs, Lear's single scored Hornsby to extend the lead to 8-5.

Gonzalez held the Generals in check with 2.2 hitless innings, retired eight consecutive batters. Kyle Garvin earned his third save of the season with a perfect ninth.

Gonsolin picked up his team-leading third win by scattering six hits over 5.1 innings. He allowed five runs, four of them earned, and struck out five.

Four different Pump Jacks racked up two hits on the night. Hornsby went 2-for-3 with a walk, three runs scored, an RBI, and a stolen base. Osborne was 2-for-2 with two walks, one run, an RBI, and a stolen base. Lear and Williams posted two hits and two RBI apiece, and Miller added two RBI.

Following a Monday off-day and a two-day trip to The Woodlands, the Jacks will return to East Texas for a set against the Texas Marshals. The series marks the return of two fan favorites, Thirsty Thursday on July 24 and Fireworks Friday, presented by CBS 19, on July 25.



Texas Collegiate League Stories from July 21, 2014


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