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Sox win first game of season

May 22, 2012 - American Association (AA)
Amarillo ThunderHeads News Release


AMARILLO, TX - Amarillo National Bank Sox Stadium hosted a crowd of 1,287 that witnessed their hometeam beat the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks 8-6 in two hours, forty-seven minutes in a game in which the Sox committed four errors and the Redhawks committed two.

The Redhawks jumped on starter Derek Christensen for the Sox, in the first inning from two RBI doubles by Nic Jackson and Jon Gaston. Fargo-Moorhead added another run in the second when Aharon Eggleston's double play ball, with the bases loaded, brought in Marcos Rodriguez. The Sox would answer back in the bottom half of the second with a pair of sacrifice fly balls to centerfield from hitters, Adam Buschini, batting .467 and Garrett Rau, batting .556, making it 3-2.

The Sox took the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning after four straight singles that turned into four runs. Two RBIs were awarded to Rau and two more went to Harrison Kain, and Jason White. A Redhawks' single from Gaston brought in Nic Jackson in the fifth, cutting their deficit down to 6-4.

But after a Sox run in each of the sixth and seventh innings by Jake Opitz's first RBI of the year and Kain's run-scored on a passed ball, the Sox led the game going into the ninth, 8-4.

Sox reliever, Chase Johnson pitched the top of the ninth, allowing two runs on two hits, one earned, while walking one to seal the Sox first victory of the year, an 8-6 win. Wes Littleton pitched a shutout eighth inning, striking out two on two hits, and Chad Povich (1-0) earns the win out of the bullpen, pitching two and two-thirds innings of scoreless work on two hits while striking out one. Povich's last two outs, coming from a diving stop by Cyle Hankerd who would tag first and throw to second for the tag-out to end the seventh inning.

Starter Derek Christensen came out of the game in the fifth with one out, his line reading four runs, two earned, on six hits with three walks and five strikeouts, moving his ERA to 4.26. Ken Kasparek (1-1) records his first loss of the year in five and one-third innings, giving up seven earned runs on ten hits while striking out two. Relief for the Redhawks included Paul Burnside, who had three strikeouts and gave up one unearned run on three hits in one and two-thirds innings. And left-hander Daniel Morari pitched the eighth inning for the Redhawks, allowing no runs on one hit.

With this win, the Sox go to 1-4, while the Redhawks drop to 4-2. Wednesday night marks the final game of this series with Fargo-Moorhead. Game time is scheduled to start at 7:05pm. To hear the broadcast of the game, visit Ustream via amarillosox.com. Game time is tentative and is subject to blackout.

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.

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