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Texas Winter League Update

February 6, 2013 - North American League (NAmL)
Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings News Release


Albert Carpen came into the 2013 Texas Winter League season as the player with the second highest batting average in Division I college baseball last year.

He is now the Texas Winter League's most dramatic player.

Carpen's 2-out triple to centerfield of Brandon Merrill scored Daiki Komori with the winning run in the McAllen Thunder's 10-run uprising in the top of the seventh and final inning that sank the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings, 11-8.

This hit comes a day after the outfielder who hit .426 for Chicago State last season hit a grand slam in Thunder's (2-0) final time at bat Tuesday, providing the first four runs of a 9-run rally in the bottom of the sixth that resulted in a 10-5 victory against the Brownsville All-Stars.

These hits not only tied Tuesday's game and won Wednesday's, but created such a stir that Chris Patterson, the manager of the All-Stars, selected Carpen as one of two "players on loan" from the Thunder in his own game on Wednesday afternoon.

Carpen wasn't the only player to dazzle on Wednesday.

WhiteWings (0-2) starter Curtis Camilli threw six strong innings, allowing only two hits to the Thunder while fanning five, walking two, and giving up only one earned run, leaving the game with an 8-1 lead.

But his replacement, righthander Taikei Fukudomi, was ineffective, as the 25-year-old who previously pitched in the Japanese independent leagues could only retire one of the eight hitters he faced.

With the score 8-7, WhiteWings manager Eddie Dennis asked his third baseman Merrill to go to the mound and save the game with Derrick Pyles on at second base.

Merrill (0-1) responded by striking out cleanup hitter Todd Alls, who had driven in the Thunder's first run in the fourth inning with a double, for the game's second out.

But Komori then pulled one of Merrill's offerings into the gap in right centerfield for a triple to score Pyles immediately before Carpen came through with the winning hit.

After Eric Sheridan, a pitcher who had first collected a single as a pinch-hitter during the rally, walked, the Thunder scored their final two runs after an errant pickoff attempt and subsequent poor throw from centerfielder Cody Bishop allowed both Carpen and Pyles to score and complete the game's scoring.

Righthander Justin Klipp (1-0) recorded the pitching victory.

Though he allowed three runs and four hits in the bottom of the sixth, the former Cal State-Fullerton reliever retired the final three batters he faced in the bottom of the seventh and struck out four batters in his two innings of work.

GAME TWO

Eleven straight Edinburg Roadrunners reached base safely during an 8-run fourth inning rally to defeat the Brownsville All-Stars, 15-9.

Trailing 3-2 with two outs and nobody on base, the Roadrunners (2-0) began their rally when Jimmy Williams singled off righthander Cole Stephens (0-1) for the Canadian infielder's second of three hits on the day.

Following an Albert Carpen walk, Ginjiro Fijiwara, an 18-year-old outfielder out of Japan's Komozawa University Iwamizama High School, tripled in both runners to give the Roadrunners a 4-3 lead.

With only 12 players on his roster, All-Stars (0-2) manager Chris Patterson did not want to relieve Stephens quickly. So Stephens, who won six games for the United League Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings in 2012, continued to pitch even after he had lost his effectiveness, surrendering four hits and striking Phil Rowland with a pitch.

It appeared Stephens would get out of the inning down 8-3 after he struck out Roadrunners shortstop Thomas Schull. But the third strike was a breaking pitch that catcher Dave Angle could not only knock down, and his subsequent throw to first base struck Schull, allowing another to score on the play.

Hiroki Kono was called in to relieve, but the righthanded sidearmer then gave up a run-scoring single to Williams before finally getting retiring the third batter he faced on a popup.

Rowland then hit a 3-run home run off Kono the following inning and Angle also hit a long home run off the left field clubhouse roof at Harlingen Field to highlight a 4-run All-Stars rally in the bottom of the fifth. Both were their first homers of the young season.

Aryo Fleming pitched the first four innings for the Roadrunners, striking out five, allowing three earned runs, four hits, and one walk. Californian righthander Justin Yoo (1-0) pitched the final three innings of relief to record the victory, though he allowed five earned runs and eight hits.

The All-Stars and Thunder will play on Thursday at 11 a.m. at Harlingen Field, while the WhiteWings and Roadrunners will play in the second game at approximately 2 p.m.



North American League Stories from February 6, 2013


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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