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Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings Beat McAllen 11-7

August 3, 2012 - North American League (NAmL)
Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings News Release


HARLINGEN- While much of the focus on the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings was on the transaction page on Friday, on the field they beat the McAllen Thunder 11-7 in the first game of a two game series at Harlingen Field.

The WhiteWings took a 6-5 advantage in the bottom of the seventh when Fidel Hernandez drove in his 44th run of the season with a sacrifice fly off Spencer Trygg (0-3) that scored Romulo "Alex" Ruiz in the bottom of the seventh.

In the following inning, the WhiteWings scored five runs off Kevin Houck on a 2-run Salvador Paniagua single to left and a 3-run double from Mario Mercedes into the gap in left center to put the game out of reach before McAllen added two runs off winning pitcher Wander Perez (1-1).

Perez was instrumental in the victory when he retired Craig Hertler on a fly ball to right field with a runner on third and two out in the top of the seventh inning to preserve a 5-5 tie before Hernandez's sacrifice fly.

Ruddy Yan collected four hits to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. He scored two runs and drove in another that gave Rio Grande Valley (37-29) a 5-4 lead in the sixth, while Leugim Barroso collected three hits, driving in one run and scoring another.

Antoin Gray hit his fifth home run of the year, a two-run shot over the 20-foot fence in left center off Cole Stephens in the top of the sixth that tied the game 4-4. McAllen (25-42) also would tie the game in the seventh inning on a Lyndon Poole sacrifice fly.

The two teams meet again tonight at 7:05 p.m. when righthander Celson Polanco (7-4) pitches against McAllen lefty Frank James (5-5). It will mark the first game former American League Most Valuable Player Jose Canseco will play in a Rio Grande Valley uniform.

"I'm pleasantly surprised. Our phones ringing off the wall over Mr. Canseco coming to Harlingen," said WhiteWings assistant general manager Ken Jaeger. "It's a rarity to get a man of his caliber to come play baseball in your home town."



North American League Stories from August 3, 2012


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