Pump Jacks Slam Cane Cutters

Published on June 18, 2012 under Texas Collegiate League (TCL)
East Texas PumpJacks News Release


It was billed as a doubleheader on Father's Day, a perfect occasion for families to celebrate dad with a full evening of Pump Jacks baseball at Driller Park.

It turned into something else as well- a sweep, as the Pump Jacks improved their record at home to a sparkling 7-0 after two seven-inning victories over the Texas Marshals by final scores of 7-3 in game one, and 2-0 in game two.

In game one, both offenses got going in a hurry. Krey Bratsen worked a four-pitch walk to leadoff the contest against Pump Jacks' starter Ty Schlottmann. He stole two bases and was driven in by R.J. Talamantes on a sac-fly as East Texas faced a 1-0 deficit.

But in true Pump Jack fashion, the home team responded quickly. Tyler Sullivan hit a one-out double to the opposite field down the left field line. After a groundout advanced him to third base, Logan Preston hit a routine ground ball to the first baseman Wes Jones, who bobbled the ball, allowing Sullivan to tie the game at 1-1.

The Marshals then took their second lead of the game in the top of the second after a sacrifice fly by Blake Parker and an RBI double by Bratsen made the score 3-1 in favor of the visitors. But again, East Texas responded, and this time in a big way.

Taylor Murphy led off the bottom of the second with a single, and he advanced to second on a walk by Eric Escobedo. With two on and no one out, Louie Helmburg laid down what was meant to be a sacrifice bunt. But a wild throw to first by the pitcher Andrew Elkins allowed Murphy to score and cut the Texas lead down to 3-2. With runners on second and third, Logan Davis then plated Escobedo with an RBI groundout to tie the game. That was followed by Kirby Pellant's RBI single up the middle, putting the Pump Jacks ahead for the first time at 4-3.

The Jacks kept the rally going, as another error on Elkins, this one on a botched pickoff attempt, allowed Pellant to get all the way to third base. Sullivan then drove in Pellant with an RBI groundout to second, plating the fifth run of the game for the Pump Jacks.

East Texas scored two more runs in the bottom of the sixth for the final margin, with Helmburg and Pellant picking up doubles and Whitt Dorsey driving in one of the runs on a groundout.

Schlottmann (1-0) held the line through the middle innings, surrendering only three baserunners in the final 3.2 innings he pitched. He ended up going 5.2 innings while earning the victory for the Jacks. Elkins (0-1) ended up going the distance and taking the loss for the Marshals.

Pellant led the charge in the win for the Pump Jacks, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI, while Sullivan went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI of his own.

After the commanding victory in game one, Jacob Lindgren made his East Texas debut in starting the contest, and he was sharp. The left-hander from Mississippi State kept the Marshals off-balance with a strong fastball, recording seven groundouts (including a big double play in the first inning) in his first outing for the Jacks.

After a scoreless top of the first by Lindgren, Kevin O'Leary hit a one-out single to right and advanced to second on a wild pitch by Texas' game two starter Austin Verplank. After a balk by Verplank moved O'Leary to third base, Blair DeBord hit a single up the middle, scoring O'Leary and giving the Pump Jacks a lead they would never give up.

The Marshals threatened in the second inning after a one-out double and a groundout to second put the tying run 90 feet away from scoring. But Lindgren induced a grounder towards the shortstop hole that third baseman R.J. Santigate fielded on the run and fired to first base in time to get Lindgren out of the inning. The runner left standing on third base would be the only Marshal to reach third base safely in the entire game.

The Pump Jacks added an insurance run in the third inning after Nathan Pittman led off with a walk and was sacrificed to second base by Logan Davis. Then O'Leary hit a ground ball to K.J. Alexander at first base, whose throw to Verplank covering the bag was wild and into the East Texas dugout. That error allowed Pittman to score to make it 2-0 East Texas.

That would be all the Jacks needed. Lindgren did not surrender a run in four-plus innings of work. He was relieved by Jeff Stovall, who struck out three batters and showed sharp stuff out of the bullpen to set things up in the seventh for Jason Jester. The Hallsville native struck out one batter in earning his TCL-leading fifth save of the season.

The victory in game two marked the first time this season that the East Texas pitching staff shut out an opponent. The sweep over the Marshals also extends an all-time franchise record for consecutive victories to open a season at historic Driller Park.

East Texas will now take their show on the road for two games, travelling to Louisiana to face the Alexandria Aces on Monday night. They will then have their first day off in over a week on Tuesday before facing the Texas Marshals again on Wednesday night, this time on the road.

The Pump Jacks return home on Thursday night for game one of a two-game set with the Victoria Generals. On Thursday, fans can enjoy $1 beers and 50-cent soft drinks in the second Thirsty Thursday of the season. That will be followed by the first Fireworks Friday of 2012, presented by 1st Choice Personnel and CBS-19.

First pitch for all games is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

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Texas Collegiate League Stories from June 18, 2012


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