Riders' nine-run first leads to 12-7 win at Arkansas
June 1, 2006 - Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
Ray Winder Field, Little Rock, AR - Casey Benjamin collected five base hits and four RBI as the Frisco RoughRiders (28-25) rallied for nine runs in the first inning to go on for a 12-7 victory over the Arkansas Travelers (17-36). Benjamin capped the first-inning rally with his second home run (2) of the series as Frisco sent 12 batters to the plate knocking starter RHP Chris Hunter (1-5) after just 0.1 innings. The nine runs was a franchise record for Frisco, who entered the Texas League in 2003. The Travs answered with a six-run rally against RHP Thomas Diamond (5-1), but he settled in and pitched four shutout innings after the first for the win. Arkansas belted three home runs for the second game in a row, but still lost for the sixth straight game. SS Brandon Wood (10) hit a two-run homer while LF Aaron Peel (3) and 2B Eric Rodland (3) hit solo home runs. In winning all four games during the series, Frisco pounded 59 hits and outscored the Travs 42-19. Frisco also swept all seven games against Arkansas in the first half.
The first three Riders hitters reached in the first inning with Kevin Mahar hitting a broken-bat single to right. Benjamin followed with a perfect bunt single on the left side of the infield and Jim Fasano loaded the bases with a line drive single to center. After Hunter caught Nate Gold looking, Anthony Webster drove in two runs with a double to right-center. Hunter put Travis Metcalf aboard with a walk and Enrique Cruz hit a fly ball to the left-field corner for a two-run double. Hunter left the game after walking Mike Nickeas and RHP Miguel Gonzalez entered from the bullpen. Nickeas and Cruz attempted a double steal and C Bobby Wilson threw wild to second base and into center field. Cruz scored on the error while Nickeas advanced to third base. Gonzalez walked Luke Grayson, who was forced out at second when Mahar grounded into a fielder's choice with Nickeas scoring the seventh run of the inning. Benjamin then ripped his two-run homer to right for a 9-0 Frisco lead.
Peel greeted Diamond with the first home run to lead off a game for the Travs. Rodland took a four-pitch walk and Wood smacked a two-run homer to dead center. Matt Brown then lined a double to center and scored when Wilson grounded a single past third base. Diamond hit Jason Aspito and Matt Pali hit a high fly ball off the right field fence. Wilson held up at second base while Aspito ran right behind him and Pali rounded first base as Webster came up with the ball in right. Wilson was forced to round third base and was thrown out by a wide margin for the first out of the inning while Aspito held at third base on Pali's double. Both runners scored when Greg Porter singled to center to cut the deficit to 9-6.
Neither team had a batter reach base in the second inning and Gonzalez recorded two quick outs in the third. But Grayson singled and moved to third base when Mahar singled to right field. Benjamin put Frisco up 11-6 with a double to the left-field corner just out of Peel's reach.
Diamond gave way to RHP Jesse Chavez after the fifth inning, while RHP Kyle Edens made his Arkansas debut in relief of Gonzalez in the fifth. Edens pitched around four hits and a walk in two innings, but left in the seventh after allowing Benjamin's fourth hit and an RBI double by Fasano for a 12-6 Frisco lead.
The Travs tallied their final run when Rodland hit Chavez's first pitch of the seventh inning over the right field fence.
Arkansas has lost 20 of 24 games including 12 of 13 at home.
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