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Sox win definitively

August 23, 2013 - American Association (AA)
Amarillo ThunderHeads News Release


AMARILLO, TX - The Sox are able to survive a third-inning brawl and beat the wild-card-contending Saltdogs 6-0 at Amarillo National Bank Sox Stadium. Amarillo moves a game and a half within first place in the south division as Ryan Mitchell strikes out twelve. A crowd of 3,491 saw the game which lasted two hours and forty-six minutes.

After Mitchell struck out the first three batters of the game, Chris Valencia led off the bottom of the first with a double and then scored on a Cory Patton sacrifice fly to right. Jorge Delgado doubled in the second inning, went to third on a groundout, and made it 2-0 after a ball got by Lincoln's catcher, Tyler Goodro. In the third, with one out, Chris Grossman would homer to left, making it 3-0 for the Sox. Cory Patton was the next batter.

Pete Parise, the Saltdogs' starting pitcher, came inside to Patton, hitting the umpire with the first pitch of the at-bat. The second pitch hit the batter which brought the Sox out from the dugout. Once the team started coming in toward the field of play, Parise charged the crowd of Sox players and took a swing, starting a fully-engaged brawl by both sides. The fight was dispersed by the coaching staffs and after the dust settled, four players were ejected from the game. Chris Valencia and Jermel Lomack were sent off for Amarillo as well as Pete Parise and shortstop, Yasel Gomez for Lincoln. Jason Martin would play center for the Sox after the third, and Adam DeLaGarza replaced Lomack at second. The new pitcher for the Saltdogs was Connor Spink. The reliever recorded the last two outs of the third, and then pitched a scoreless fourth and fifth. Travis Parker came in to play right field while Brian Embery went to play second, moving Bryan Pounds over to shortstop.

Amarillo's first baseman, Kyle Nichols doubled with two outs in the fifth and would try to score on a single up the middle by Joe Weik. But Lincoln's center fielder, Brian Joynt threw out Nichols at home to end the inning. The Sox would get two runners on in the sixth when Spink walked Trey Ford and Adam DeLaGarza. The next batter, Jason Martin tripled to left center, giving Amarillo a five-run lead. Both runs were unearned as Spink put two into scoring position on a failed pick-off attempt to second base. Spink finished with two runs allowed on four hits while walking three and striking out two batters in three and two-thirds innings pitched.

An earned run would be plated in the seventh for the Sox on Jorge Delgado's single to right off Lincoln's second reliever, Trevor Harden. Harden gave up two hits during his inning pitched with a walk. RJ Rodriguez pitched the eighth for the Saltdogs and allowed no runs and no hits while walking a batter and striking out another.

Ryan Mitchell (W, 8-5) allowed two hits in his seven innings of work with two walks and a dozen strikeouts, his season-high. Pete Parise (L, 10-7) allowed three runs, all earned on four hits, including the solo homerun to Chris Grossman. Josh Giles pitched the eighth, striking out two and walking one for Amarillo. Erik Draxton closed out the ninth with a soft-line drive double play to DeLaGarza at second, following a one-out single.

The Saltdogs reached base six times during the game, reaching second base twice, and never touching third. The Sox hit ten times compared to three for Lincoln as the Saltdogs committed two errors to Amarillo's none in the field.

With the win, the Sox improve to 48-43, while the Saltdogs drop to 48-43 on the season. Saturday, the Sox host the second game of the series against Lincoln. The game time is set for 7:05pm with the pregame show starting at 6:55pm on Ustream via www.amarillosox.com.

Season tickets are available for purchase in-person by visiting the Sox Front Offices at 801 S. Polk or over the phone by calling (806) 242-4653. For more information on tickets, game times and schedules, promotions, marketing opportunities, and everything else Sox, visit the "Official Website of the Amarillo Sox" at www.amarillosox.com.



American Association Stories from August 23, 2013


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