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Pump Jacks Shut out Marshals Again

July 26, 2014 - Texas Collegiate League (TCL)
East Texas PumpJacks News Release


Ray Messner led the charge Friday as the Jacks shut out the Marshals for the second straight night to complete a pivotal series sweep and move on top in the playoff hunt.

Baseball is increasingly a game of math, with advanced statistics that seem to measure everything in the game. But to the uninitiated, that math can be a bit confusing.

For instance, it turns out that when you put together enough zeroes, it can actually add up to something.

Take the case of the East Texas Pump Jacks Friday night. The Pump Jacks strung together nine more zeroes, whitewashing the Texas Marshals 3-0 for their second-straight shutout and a two-game sweep.

The victory put the Pump Jacks in the driver's seat of the playoff race. East Texas came into the series trailing the Marshals in the battle for the final postseason berth. Following the sweep, The Pump Jacks are one game ahead of Texas and 1.5 games in front of the Woodlands Strykers. The Jacks have won seven of their last nine games, the best record in the TCL over that span.

On Friday, Ray Messner led the charge on the mound, tossing seven shutout innings. He allowed just three hits and two walks while striking out seven

Messner's fine showing came one night after Jeremy Hallonquist tossed a gem of his own. Hallonquist pitched the Pump Jacks' first complete-game shutout of the season Thursday in a 1-0 East Texas win.

Like Hallonquist the night before, Messner enjoyed a 1-0 lead from the very first inning. James Lear led off with a single and stole second two pitches later. He moved to third on a groundout and scored on Peter Miller's RBI single that put the Pump Jacks ahead for good.

The Marshals threatened in the top of the second, but Messner proved to be just as handy with his glove as he was on the mound. A double, a base hit, and a stolen base put Texas runners at second and third with one out. The Marshals attempted a squeeze play, with the batter dropping a bunt toward third base and Carlos Vargas, the runner on third braking for home. But Messner scooped the ball cleanly, scaring Vargas back, and threw to third to catch Vargas in a rundown. Miller applied the tag for the second out, effectively stifling the rally.

The Pump Jacks didn't let another runner reach third for the rest of the game. Messner retired the next six batters he faced to keep the Marshals at bay. After a leadoff walk and a stolen base in the sixth put a runner in scoring position, the lefty retired the next six hitters before calling it a night.

Meanwhile, the Pump Jacks extended their lead in the middle innings. In the fifth, Connor Huesers picked up a two-out infield single and took second on an errant throw by the shortstop. Miller pushed a base hit through the right side to put runners on the corners for Dustin Williams. Before the Jacks' RBI leader had a chance to pad his total, a passed ball allowed Huesers to dash home for a 2-0 Pump Jacks lead.

East Texas extended its lead in the next frame. Raymond Pedrina, seeing his first action since getting beaned three games earlier, was hit a pitch for a league-leading tenth time this season. He stole second and took third on a swinging bunt by Connor Hornsby. Drew McLaughlin followed with a single that scored Pedrina easily, growing the Pump Jacks lead to 3-0.

That was more than enough for Messner and the Pump Jacks pitching staff. Andrew Grifol worked a perfect eighth inning, striking out two. Robbie Petty struck out one in the ninth for his third save of the season, all of them coming in his last four appearances.

McLaughlin led the offense by going 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Miller was 2-for-4 with an RBI as well.

Lear stole two bases on the night, moving him into second place in the league with 22 steals. He has now stolen a base in six straight appearances, swiping 11 bags in that span to take over the team lead.

The Pump Jacks travel to Victoria for a weekend series against the Generals. East Texas swept Victoria just last weekend at historic Driller Park, so the Generals may be looking for a measure of revenge.

After a day off Monday, the Jacks return home for another two-game series against the Marshals. Tuesday is Service Person Appreciation Night, when members of the military, fire, and police can get Grandstand tickets for themselves and their families for just two dollars.

Wednesday is Balloons, Baseball and Root Beer at Driller Park. The Jacks join with the Kilgore Chamber of Commerce & CVB to celebrate the Great Texas Balloon Race at Driller Park. The game will begin at a special time of 6:05 p.m., and balloon pilots will be on hand to meet and sign autographs. Following the game at dusk, the pilots will perform a balloon glow in the park adjacent to Driller, while the Lions Club serves root beer floats. It's an exciting event for the Pump Jacks and the community, and one you don't want to miss.

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Texas Collegiate League Stories from July 26, 2014


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